Paulus Aemilius (d. 1575)
Encyclopedia
Paulus Aemilius was a Hebrew bibliographer, publisher, and teacher.
He was born in Rödelsee
, Germany
. He embraced Christianity
in Rome
. He was employed in copying Hebrew
manuscripts, and for this purpose visited the libraries of Paris
, Louvain
, and Rome
. In 1544 he edited and printed at Augsburg
a Judaeo-German translation of the Pentateuch and the Haftarot, dedicating it to Johann Albrecht Widmannstetter
, custodian of the Hebrew department of the Munich Library. Grünbaum (Jüdisch-Deutsche Chrestomathie, p. 14) thinks that Æmilius copied from the Cremona
edition of 1540. The translation is, on the whole, the same which was used in 1901 in Poland
. Perles supposes that Æmilius, together with Isaac of Günzburg, was the editor of the Judaeo-German Sefer ha-Musar (Book of Ethics), published at Isny in 1542. In 1547 Æmilius was appointed professor of Hebrew at Ingolstadt
; and in the following year he published an anti-Jewish pamphlet. In 1562 he edited a Judaeo-German translation (in German characters) of the Books of Samuel, without, however, making known that it was a copy of a similar translation—though in Hebrew letters—published in Augsburg, 1543, by Chayyim Schwarz. In 1574 he was engaged for forty-six weeks at the Munich Library in making and revising the catalogue of Hebrew manuscripts and books. Thus Paulus Æmilius was the first Jewish bibliographer.
He was born in Rödelsee
Rödelsee
Rödelsee is a municipality in the district of Kitzingen, Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It's placed near the Schwanberg and famous for growing wine.-Famous residents:* Paulus Aemilius , Hebrew bibliographer and teacher, born in Rödelsee...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He embraced Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He was employed in copying Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
manuscripts, and for this purpose visited the libraries of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. In 1544 he edited and printed at Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
a Judaeo-German translation of the Pentateuch and the Haftarot, dedicating it to Johann Albrecht Widmannstetter
Johann Albrecht Widmannstetter
Johann Albrecht Widmannstetter , was a German humanist, orientalist, philologist, and theologian.-Life:...
, custodian of the Hebrew department of the Munich Library. Grünbaum (Jüdisch-Deutsche Chrestomathie, p. 14) thinks that Æmilius copied from the Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
edition of 1540. The translation is, on the whole, the same which was used in 1901 in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Perles supposes that Æmilius, together with Isaac of Günzburg, was the editor of the Judaeo-German Sefer ha-Musar (Book of Ethics), published at Isny in 1542. In 1547 Æmilius was appointed professor of Hebrew at Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
; and in the following year he published an anti-Jewish pamphlet. In 1562 he edited a Judaeo-German translation (in German characters) of the Books of Samuel, without, however, making known that it was a copy of a similar translation—though in Hebrew letters—published in Augsburg, 1543, by Chayyim Schwarz. In 1574 he was engaged for forty-six weeks at the Munich Library in making and revising the catalogue of Hebrew manuscripts and books. Thus Paulus Æmilius was the first Jewish bibliographer.