Isaac Ben-abraham

Isaac ben-Abraham a distinguished Jewish Rabbi of the Karaitic sect, was born at Trock, near Wilna (Lithuania) about 1533. He is especially celebrated as the author of a work against Christianity, entitled , חַזּוּפ אָמוּנָה, Chizzuk Amunah (munimem fidei) written in 1593. It is divided into two parts: the first, containing fifty chapters, consists of an apology for Judaism, and a general attack on the Christian faith; the second contains a critical examination of a hundred passages of the N.T., intended by the writer to refute the proofs adduced by Christians from the Old Test. It is considered, next to the productions of Duran (q.v.), the ablest work ever written by any Jew against the Christian religion. It was first published by Wagenseil, with a Latin translation, in the Tela ignea Satance (Altdorf, 1682, 4to), from a MS. obtained from an African Jew, which, as Gratz asserts, was imperfect. The Hebrew text was afterwards reprinted by the Jews (Amsterdam, 1705, 12mo), and by Gousset, with a Latin translation and a refutation (Amst. 1712, fol.). Wolf in his Bibliotheca Hebraica, gives a supplement and variation, said to be derived from a more perfect MS. than the one at Wagenseil's command. But the best edition is held to be that of Rabbi Deutsch (Sohrau, 1865). It was also translated into (German Hebrew (Amst. 1717, 8vo); into 'German by Gebling, and into Spanish by Is. Athia. Among the works written in answer to it. which deserve especial mention, besides those named above, are J. Miller, Confutatio libri Chizuk Emuna (Hamb. 1644,4to): Gebhard, Cents loca Novi Testamenti vindicata adversus Chizuk Emuna (Greifswald, 1699, 4to); J. P. Storr, Evangelische Glaubenslehre gegen d. Werk Chizuk Emuna (Tub. 1703, 8vo); K. Kidder, Demonstrat. Of the Messiah (Lond. 16841700, 3 pts. 8vo). Isaac ben- Abraham died about 1594. See Rossi, Dizion. storico degli Autori Ebrei; Bartolocci, Magna Biblio. Rabbisn.; Gratz, Gesch. d. Juden, 9:490 sq.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Géneralé. 26, 10; Furst, Biblioth. Jud. 2, 139. (J. H. W.)