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83 Josepli was minister lialf of tlu> thirteenth century. Solomon of tiniinec to Kinj^ I'eilro III. {r,'TI>-.%)) ben Adret refers to Josepli and .Moses as the "two great princes." The incident which broiiglil them into notice is connected with the liistory of one of lluwc informers from whom medieval Jews suffered so much and on whom Jewish law was so severe. About the closi' of the reiL;n of Kin.s James I. of Ara.iron (r2l:i-7(l) there appeared at Jiarcelona an informer, favored by llie aulhorilies, who became a source of daUL'er to the Jews of Aratron. FcdroIII.. on ascerxlin^ the throne, sununoned the rei)re.scntalives of the Ji'wisli eonununities into his presence to answer certain charjres. Knowinj; that these could emanate only from the informer of IJarcelona, the Jews entreated liini to withdraw hischarices. at least on this occasion; but the renegade refused to he turned aside fr<im his jiurpose. At this moment Joseph Abrabalia interceded with the king, exposing the evil designs of the infdrmer and re(iuesting Joseph's intercession met with enhis punishment. tire success. Pedro III. eauseii the informer to be seized and delivered over to the Jews. Jonah of Oerona (Oeronchi). and later also Solomon ben Adret. investigated the case. Tlx'y condenmed him. though with reluetani'e, and the man was executed by the state authorities about !S, It seems that this drastic measure, which was prompted chiefly by Josepli. <lid not meet with unanimous approval, and three years after the hitler's death many gave vent to their resentment. This bitter feeling caused the leading men of (Jerona (Geronda) to ask Solomon ben Adret to revise the whole case. Adret unreserveilly apjiroved of the action of Joseph, and in order fully to appease the agitated coiuniunities, he also laid the matter before .M<'ir of Kol Ijenburg. who fully concurred in his decision. These responsa make it possible to ascertain thedateof Joseph' sdeath. on which the authorities are greatly at variance. Steinschneider. Zunz, and II. linxly placi' it in l:i34. which is «|iiile impossilile. as Adret. who died not later tlian l;!10, miMlions Joseph Abrabalia with the memorial fiirmula y J. I). Kaufmaiin places the date of death.

which

more

accordance with Adret 's stateiuents. A iMoses Abrabalia is also mentioned in the responsa of Isjiac ben Sheshet. though it is <loiibtful whether he is to be ideutilied with Moses Abrabalia, the brother of Joseph. at rjs;!.

Bnii.iocRAi'iiv : i*tq., where the

is

I).

in

Kniifmnnn, In Jiw. Quart. Ttcv. vlll. 222 referred to are repruUuced.

ct

ri'siwtn.sii

M. B.

ABRABANEL.

.VllliWAXEL.

ABRABANEL DORMIDO. DAVID (MANUEL MARTINEZ). Sei iJoit.Miuo, Uwu) .Ujii.vV.VNKI..

ABRACADABRA:

Magic word or formula

useil in incaiiialions. especially against interniillent

fever or ulet

Abot de-Rabbi Nathan

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

83

intlainmation. the patiint wearing an amhis neck, with the following inscription:

upon

A I? H A (• A I). n n A A li If .V (• A 1) A li |{ A 15 l{. (• A l> A li A 1! 1{ A (' A II A A I! U A A 1) A li I{ A V A (

A

n A

15

A

li

A

li

1!

(•

.

1{

A li A The underlying idea was to force the spirit of tho disease gradually to relin*iiiisli its hold upon the

Abraham

patient. It is first menti(nie<l by Sereiius Sammonieus. |)liysieian to the emperor Caraculla. whose work. I)e Medicina Pnecepta," was admired by the emperors Geta and Alexander Severus. lie "prescribes that the word be written in the form of an inverted cone, the whole word being written out at first, then

with one letter less on each line until one letter stands alone (see King, "Gnostics and Their Remains." |i. :iI7). The explanation thai it is a corruption of llii- Hiiii-hii and iJclnir hardly deserves consideration. The- Jewish Cabala Jtrobably had nolliing to do with it. But it finds a striking parallel in Pesal.iim, Win. which recommends the same means of gradually reducing the power of di.sease by an incantation formula which subdues the invoked spirit of the disease. The person who is in danger of becoming a victim of the s])irit Shabriri ("Blindness") is told to say: "Mv mother hath told me to beware of

SHABRIRI ABRIRI R HI RI R 1

RI." therefore, probable that the word was originally the name of a demon which is no longer recognizable. It has been the subject of the following It

is,

stanza (King,

"Thou

I.e.):

on paper write the .sih-II divine, Aliraradahra culled, in many a line Earti iilldt'r eaeh in even order place, Shalt



lint the lii.st leiit-r ill eaili line efface. As hy di'^jrees the elflllellts trrow few

Sim

take awav.

Iiiit Il. the ivsidlle. oie- l.-tier .stands alono to a laperinff cone. Tie this aliout the iie.k with tla.xeri string; Mit'lity tile t'ood 'twill to the patient lirliiR. Its wondrous poteiiry shall puard his liead. Aiid drive disease and death far fruiu his lied."

Till at the

And

the

la-st

whole dwimilt-s

K.

ABRAHAM.— Biblical Data; According to the Abniham (or Abraiiii was the fatherof the Hebrews. The Biblical account of the life of Abram is found in Gen. xi. 20 to xxv. 10. According to this ntirrativi'. he was the son of Terah and was born at Ir of the Chaldees. Terah. with Abniin. Sanii (Abnim's wife), tind Lot (Abram's nephew), left I'r to go to the land of Canaan but they tarried at Ilaran, where Terah died (Gen. xi. Jl>-:!-'l. There the Lord appeared to Abram in the tii-st of a scries of visions, and bade him leave the country with his family, promising to make of iiim ii Birth and great nation (ib. xii. 1-3). a promise Wander- that was renewed on several occasions, ings. Accordingly, Abram with Sand and Lot started for Canaan: and at the site of Siehem (or Shechem) the Lord pnuniscd the land as an inheritance to the jiatriarch's seed. After sojourning for a while between Beih-el and Ilai (or Ai), Abiiiin. on account of a famine, went to Egypt. Hi're, to guard against Pharaoh's jeidousy, lie iias.se<l Plmraoh took her into the Sarai oil as his sister. Bible.



royal household, but. discovering the deception, released her and sent .Vbi-iun and his family away (I'A. xii. !t-"'l)).

Abnini reHirnc

xiii.

1>*)

in