Rugger, Prosper

Rugger, Prosper (originally Salono Meir ben-Moses), a Jewish scholar, was born at Novara in 1606. At the age of thirteen he was already known as a good Hebraist, and was afterwards appointed rabbi at Jerusalem. On June 25, 1664, he joined the Christian Church and received the name Prosper Ruggerius. The date of his death is not known. While yet a member of the synagogue he wrote, שבע שמהות, on the advent of the Messiah, which was to take place in 1676: — a commentary on Pirke Shira: — a biography of Joseph Karo, Joseph della Rena, and Nahaman Kathofa. The works which he wrote after his conversion are still in manuscript. See Fürst, Bibl. Jud. 3, 180; Delitzsch, Kunst, Wissenschaft u. Judenthum, p. 297; Jocher, Gelehrten-Lexicon, 3, 379, s.v. "Meir ben-Mose Novara." (B.P.)