Adrianus, Matthius

Adrianus, Matthius, a famous Hebraist of the 16th century, was a convert from Judaism. He was of Spanish descent; but joined the Church in Germany. He was. originally a physician; but his acquaintance with Reuchlin and Conrad Pellikan-the latter he instructed in Hebrew-secured for him the position of a teacher in the house of Johann Amerbach at Basle. In 1513 he was appointed teacher of Hebrew at Heidelberg, where Johann Brenz and Johann (Ecolampadius were among his pupils. At the recommendation of Erasmus he was called in 1517 to Louvain, as teacher in the Collegium Trilingue. In 1519 he left Louvain and went to Wittenberg, which he left in 1521. When and where he died cannot be ascertained. His Introductio in Linguant Hebrceam, and Hebrew translation of some Christian prayers, are now of the greatest rarity. See Geiger, Das Studium der. hebr. Sprache in Deutschland (Breslau, 1870), p. 41-48,134; Hirt, Orientalische u. exegetische Bibliothek, 6:320; Steinschneider, Bibliogr. Iandbuch, p. 2 sq.; (B.P.).