Provenzale, David Ben-abrahaim

Provenzale, David Ben-Abrahaim, who flourished in the 16th century, was a preacher at Mantua, and was so eloquent that he was styled שבדויו ראש הדרשנים, i.e. the prince of preachers in his generation. He wrote: עַיר דָּוַד, a commentary on the Pentateuch from an archaeological point of view: — באור שיר השירים, a commentary on the Song of Songs: — הפלגה דור, a comparative lexicon, Hebrew, Latin. Greek, and Italian: — and מגדל דוד, a Hebrew grammar. See Furst Bibl. Jud. 3, 123; De Rossi, Dizionario Storico deyli Autori Ebrei, p. 272 (Germ. transl. by Hamberger); Etheridge, Introduction to Hebrew Literature, p. 288, Steinschneider, Jewish Literature, p. 239. (B. P.)