Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 1.pdf/559

511.

THE

511

.IKWISII

Orplmn asyniiuli interest. lums, hospituls. liomes for the aireil and the infirm, librarii's, .stliools, etc.. Iiave sprun;^ up in all the While these are larire citiw of the United Stales. frequeutly models as to plans and arrangements, and arc liandsome in design, they can not be considminicnms and often of

H1.I)

America

KNCYCLOPKUIA

America, Discovery of

he beeamo chancellor of Aragon.

Together with a

relative, the royal treasurer, Gabriel Sanchez (whose father was burned in effigy as a Jewish heretic at Saragoss;i in 149:5), and his friend, the royal cham-

berlain, Juan Cabrcro, who was likewise of Jewish stock, Saniangel entered very energetically into the

JKWISII CKMKTKUV, CIIATIIA.V SyLAI'.K, .Nt«" YuUK. (I'rom a photoirraph.)

ered as specimens of distinctly Jewish architecture; for, though erected for Jewish purposes, they are ei|ually ailapted for the usesof other denominations, while, uidike .synagogues, they give no indication of sectarian purpose. A. AV. B.

AMERICA, THE DISCOVERY OF Among

the variovis iliscoveriesof thi- tiflcciith ci'Mtury, none is more intimately eomiected with the .b ws and their history than the discovery of the New World. Inilirectly and directly, the Jews contributed to the success of Columbus' voyage of e.plorati(m: indirectly, by means of several astronomical works prepared by them, such as " De I,umin!U"il>us et Die-

bus I'rilicis," by Abraham ilin Kzra: anil directlyby the invention of instruments for astronomical ob-

The instrument for observstars calleil J.<<)it's Siakf, a sca-(|uadrant, was the invention, not

.servalion.

A Jew

In- ing the

vents the Sea-

of Itegiomontaniis, as has long been considered, but of Levi ben (ierson. who was the first to describe it, as is proved by Steinschncider and (iUnther. Abniham Zacuio then appli<'d this inslrumcnt in navigation to the determination of lalituile without di'|H'ndiiig upon the sun's meridional height sometimes unobtainable using the altitude of the i)olar star at to ascertain the ship's position. nii.'lit His Ijitin perpetual almanac (afterward translated into Spanihhi. wiHi its astronomical tables, rendered Columbus incali'ulable .service: indeed, on one occasion it .sav( cl the lives of his whole company. A conspicuous part. too. in the discovery of Amerirmi nation, he himself beini; subjected to miuli inconvenience because of his Jewisli origin. He was the farmiTof the royal taxes and head of an important commercial house in Valencia: and, owing to his being a contlilant of King Ferdinand,

Quadrant,

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far reaching plans of Columlius. He represented to (Jueen Lsiibella the advantages that would accrue to the crown and to Spain from the discovery of a sea-route to the Indies immeasurable riches, acci-ssion of lands, and immortal fame. Under the inllucncc of such glowing representations, she consented lo Cohuubus' undertaking, and, since the state treasury was exhausted, Was ready to pawn her jewels to procure the ntccs-sary funds to til out ills e.vpedition. At this stage. Santangel sought permission to advance the necessary sum out of his private treasure, and accordingly loaned without interest, to the royal treasury, ifor the venture, 17,000 ducats (about $20,n<)0, or "f4.100; perhaps e<iual to SHiil.uodat the present day) On April od, 14!)-, Colmnbus reo<-ivcd both the contract (concluded only thirteen days before, between him and Juan de Coloma on the part of the royal pair) and the royal commission to tit out the

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fleet for

its

voyage

to

India.

A month

earlier

the Jews from Spain had been published inall public places in the domiiiionsof the united kingdoms of Aragon and Castile. On August about liOlt.OOO Jews (some writers consider the number much greater) left the country; and on the next day, Friday, August 3. Columbus sjiiled with Among his thrci' .ships in (piest of the unknown. the members of the expedition .several were of Hebrew blood. Of thesi- tjiere may be mentioned I.uis de Torres, who understood Hebrew. Chaldaic. and soTne Arabic, and who was to .serve the Jews with ailnural as inlerprclir: Alfonso de la Columbus. ( 'alle. who look his name from the Jewthe

eIarco; anil the ship's doctor, Bkun.m., wIio had lived fonnerly in Tortosti. and had been piuiished in inoit;