Hieronymus a Sancta Fide

Hieronymus A Sancta Fide (originally Joshua Lorki) was a famous Talmudist and physician. When rabbi Salomon. afterwards bishop Paulus Burgensis (q.v.), had embraced and was preaching the Christian faith in Spain, Joshua Lorki wrote against him. But soon this zealous enemy of the gospel became himself an ardent confessor of the truth, and failed not to declare openly the reason which had given rise to this change in his religious opinions, by publishing two tracts against the Jews, Probationes Novi Test. ex Vetere Testamento (reprinted in the Bibl. Mag. Vet. Patrum, 29). At the instigation of Hieronymus, who, after his baptism, entered the service of pope Benedict XIII, being appointed his physician, the famous conference was held at Tortosa (February 7, 1413, to November 12, 1414), under the presidency of the pope. The assembly was convened to discuss sixteen points, which were proposed by Hieronymus. Prominent among the Jewish disputants was Joseph Albo (q.v.). The result of this conference is passed over by Jewish historians with remarkable silence. According to the Christians, all the rabbis present declared themselves vanquished, and signed an act to that effect, with the exception of Albo and rabbi Ferrer. See Furst, Bibl. Jud. 1:392; Kalkar, Israel und die Kirche, page 28 sq.; Da Costa, Israel and the Gentiles, page 328 sq. (B.P.)