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72 Abner of Burgos Aboab

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

tury of llio common era claimed (Gen. U. xcviii.l

lU'scciil

from Abner L. G.

A

ABNEK OF BURGOS (calle.l also Alfonso of Valladolid and Alfonso of Burgos): A Jewish convert to t'liii-li:iiiity ami polemical writer against his former

reliirion

(Griitz).



lilirn I'JTd;

As a student

In-

died i:!4S.ora

little later

mastery

aei|nii-ed a certain

udies. to w hieli he added nil iiuiniateac(iuaiiitanee with I'eripatetic philosophy and even with astroloiry. He was jrniduated as a physician at the aire of i wenty-fivc. but throughout a long life he seems to have found the struggle for in Biblical

and Tabnudieal

st

cxistencea hard one. Not being of those contented ones who, as !Moses Narhoni Siiys in his " JIaamar haBehindi " (Essay on the Freedom of the AVill quoted by Griitz, p. 4W), are satisfied with a peek of loeustbeans from one Friday to another, he resolved to embrace Christianity though at the advanced age of sixty, according to Paulus de Santa Maria ("Scnitiniiim Scripturarum ") according to other writers he took this step soon after he was graduated in medicine. The only point certain from the statements of his contemporaries is that he was converted, not from spiritual conviction, hut for the Sidieof tempoi-al advantage. Something of the apostate's piiekiiig conscience seems to have remained with him. however, although he was immediately rewarded with a lucrative sacristan's ])ost in the "prominent Jletropolitan Church in Valladolid (whence he took the name of Alfonso of Valladolid), In an essjiy entitled " Iggerct ha-Gozcrah " (Epistle on Fate), he sought todisclaim responsiljilitv for his act of apostasy by setting up the remarkable ph'a that man's actions are ruled



and compelled by


 * ilaiietaiy influence,

and that there-

fore there can be no option or free will for moi;tals. Both his conversion and this defense aroused general and fervent protests from his (piondam Jewish Isaac friends, protests marked by great bitterness. Pii.GAR, to whom Abner had dared to send a copy of his attempted justiticatioii. returned it with a bi-

ting satire referring to the Biblical test of the adulDeeply stirred by terous woman (Num. v. ll-;ill). the wordy war ensuing, Abner was not slow to make his vindictiveness felt, and in a direction where lli' presented it would most keenly be experiencefl. charges before the just and energetic Alfonso XI.. king of Castile, accusing his fornK'r brethren of using

a prayer-formula

in their ritual

which blasphemed

the Christian Goil and cursed all Christians. The prayer referred to was a forinida tliat had lieen tised only in olden Koinan times, wluii the early Jewish converts to Christianity persistently molested the Jews. The king ordered a i)iiblic investigation at Valladolid, in which the representatives of the JewThe ish community were confronted with Abner. conclusion was annoiuiced in the sliai)e of a royal edict forbidding the use of the fornnUa in question (February. 133<>); a barren victory on Ixith sides, for the Jews had no idia of ever using it. and Abner of course failed to jirove that they had. Undaunted, he then prosecuted his literary activity against his brethren with unabated virulence tintil his death lie accuses them, for instance, of constiintly warring among themselves and splitting into hostile religious schisms; in support of this statement he adduces an alleged list of the "sects" prevailing among them, in which he gravely enumerates Sadducees. Samaritans, and other extinct divisions He makes two ".sects " as if they were still extant. of Pharisees and Kabbinites. says that cabalists believe In a tenfold God. and speaks of a brand-new " sect " believing in a dual Deity. God and Jletatron. The following is a list of Abner's writings: (1)

supercommentary on Ibn Ezra's commentary on

the "

72

written before his

I)ecaloi;ui'.

apostasv.

(2)

Ze'dek " (The Teacher of Bighteousne.ss), also in a Spanish version. "El Alostmdor de Justieia." a dialogue containing ten chapters of discussions between a religious teacher (Abner?) and a Jewish controversialist. The Spanish manuscript is ill the I5ibliothe(|Ui' Nationale at Paris (Kay.xerliiig). (3) " Teshiibot al Sefer .Milhamot Athmai le Kiiiilii" (Heply to Kiml.ii's book on tlie "Wars of the I.ord"). This too was trjinslated into Spanish, by re(|uesl of the Infanta Doi'ia Blanca. |)rioress of a convent in Burgos, under the similar title "Los Batallos de Dios." (4) " La Concordia de las Leyes." an attempt to provide Old Testament founilations for Christian

Moreh

dogmas.

"

(.))

Librode lasTresGracias," mannseript

the .Madrid National Library (Kayserling). ((!) ".Miiihat Keiiaot " (The OHViing of Jealousy), with other works, in defense of astrology against Pulgar's attacks: not extant. (T) Three "Letters" against Judaism, and "A Beply to the Replies." (y) "Iggeret ha-Gezerah " (E|>istli' on Fate). It is also practically certain that he was the translator into Latin of the "Letter of Samuel ilni Ablias." though the name is generally given as Ai.Koxsis Bomiio.minis. in

M

eil., vll. 2S9-2JC: Griitz. Gcxch. d. Jmkn, Da.'< Juili'Uthuni untl Si'ine tieacfi. ill. KC; l/«*b, jLn Contriwtrsc liflU/iein'c, in i?»r. ih- rHiMnirr dfn Ut'li-

BIBLIOCRAPHV (.ieljrer.

(/ioiu,

xrill. 14i. mill

liev. Kt.Jnirof. Jmlaica. p. 114.

In

.xviii.."i:;;

Pi>(<'mi.«/i«

C'ovdViic

<:(

Ji<(/«, In

Kayserling, Jiihliiitcva £»j).-Pi»r(.

F.

ABNIMTJS HAGARDI.

DE

M.

S.

See (Exomaos of

Gai),M!a.

ABO

Capital of the government of Abo-Bjiirnenear the entrance of the Auraioki river into the Gulf of Bothnia.

borg



in Finland. Hus.sia. situated

Formerly no Jews were permitted to live in Abo, to the Swedish law of 17S2, which excluded themfrom all Finland (see Fislaxd). When this region was annexiarch 2!t. 18.")8) by which Jews who had served in

owing

army

there received the right to settle in that Tlir .same privileges were gniiited to their widowsaiid children. Soon after the imlilicntion of In 1H83 this ukase the Jews began to settle in Abo. the local nu'rchantsandartisiinsajiplieil to the .senate to withdraw all privileges from the Jews, including even the right of settlement in Abo. On June 27, 1883. a mob invaded the synagogue of Abo during the service and tried to cause a disturbance. The Thereupon a commis])olice ipiickly restored order. sion was appointed to regulate the Jewish (|Uestion Jews were subsequently permitted to in Finland. settle in Abo. but their ]iermits had to be renewed each year. Of thei)o|iulationof Abo, which, in 1898. aggregated 34,33!) persons, only 220 were Jews, liic remainder comprising 19,000 Finns and 13,000

the

]irovince.

Swedes. Bini.iotiR.vPHV: Vniin Rmsijia Ila-Kshhil (Hebr. encv.), s.r.

(Russian Director}-).

1899;

R.

II.

ABOAB

Abohab, Abuab, Aboaf, 2nnX. also 3Sni3X. "Jew. i:!ii: arxnx. //"'' xi .")2T) The

(also written

Abof, and Abohaf Quart.

Rev."

.





of an ancient and widely distributed Spanish family, among whose memliers were many most able scholars. The family can be authentically traced to the thirteenth century, and representatives theri'of are to be found in Holland. Italy. Turkey. Africa, and America. Some branches of this family, in which the names Abraham. Isjiac. Jacob. Joseph, and S:unuel fre(iuently occur, can lie followed genealogically. Through marriage, and by following the Spanish cus-

name