2 July 1351 Solomon Ha-Levi (Paul of Burgos) declares his faith in Yeshua #otdimjh

450px-Pablo_de_Santa_Maria

Paul of Burgos (born Solomon Ha-Levi), a Spanish Archhishop, lord chancellor and exegete, was born at Burgos about 1351 and died on August 29, 1435. He was the most wealthy and influential Jew of Burgos, a rabbi and scholar of the first rank in Talmudic acid rabbinical literature. The irresistible logic of the Summa of St. Thomas led him to become a Catholic. He received Baptism on July 2, 1390. His brothers, Pedro Suarez and Alvar Garcia, together with his daughter and four boys were baptized with him. (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 11, p. 588.)

Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 07.48.39

Burgos Cathedral

Bernstein gives more details:

Paul de Burgos, called also Santa Maria. His Jewish name was Solomon ha Levi; born at Burgos 1350, died in 1435. He was the wealthiest and most prominent Jew of the city, and was thoroughly conversant with the Talmud and rabbinical literature, and up to his fortieth year he officiated as Rabbi of Burgos. His scholarship and intelligence, as well as his piety, won the praise of Isaac ben Sheshet. Abrabanel, in his Commentary on Isa. xxxiv., calls him a wise man.

He embraced Christianity in 1370, in his native place, after having studied diligently the O. T., especially Jer. xxxi., the N. T. and the works of Thomas Aquinas. He said later, Paulus me ad fidem convertit. His mother and his children were baptized with him, but not his wife, who refused, yet was later reconciled to him and also baptized. After finishing his theological studies at Paris, he was ordained and appointed Archdeacon of Trevino, and in 1402 became Bishop of Carthagena. Subsequently he became a member of the regency of Castile and Archbishop of Burgos.

Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 07.48.55

He wrote “Dialogus Pauli et Sauli Contra Judæos sive Sive Scrutinium Scripturarum,” but his principal work (in 1427) is “Additiones,” which consists of addenda and emendations to Nicolas de Lyra’s Postiles on the Bible; also, in his old age, he composed a “Historia Universal” in Spanish verse. As Jewish writers assert that ambition and vanity were the motives of his conversion, I give a short extract from his testament to his son, in order that the reader may judge whether this charge is justified:

Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 07.47.22

Beginning of Scrutinium Scriturarum

“What wouldest thou, my dearly beloved son, like best that[ 57] I should give thee while I am still alive, or leave for thee when I die? What better thing could it be than the extension of that knowledge which thou hast already gained from the Holy Scriptures, and which will strengthen thy well-ordered zeal for the Christian truth?” He then quotes Isa. xxxviii. 19: “The father to the children shall make known Thy truth,” and continues: “I was not learned in my youth, but educated in Jewish blindness and unbelief. While I learned to know the Holy Scriptures from unholy teachers, I received the opinions of erring men who obscured the pure letter of the Scriptures with impure devices. But it pleased Him whose mercy is infinite to call me out of darkness to light and out of the pit into the pure air of heaven; so that it appeared to me as if scales fell from the eyes of my understanding. I began to seek the truth, and to trust no more in myself, and so with a humble spirit I prayed to God to shew me what appertained to the salvation of my soul. Day and night I sought help from Him, and so it happened that my love for the Christian truth increased, and finally I received strength publicly to confess the faith which was already in my heart.”

Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 07.47.59

Then after telling his son how God had blessed him in raising him to a high position of usefulness and dignity in the church, and that he had been on intimate terms with King Henry III. and chancellor of his son, the Regent of Spain, he intimates to him that, with all this, he had not accumulated any worldly wealth. Unum est quod silentio committere non possumus nobis[ 58] ex Levitico sanguine descendentibus. “One circumstance which I cannot pass over in silence is this: that we are descendants of Levi, and the promises which were given many centuries ago have been fulfilled—’Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren, the Lord is his inheritance according as the Lord thy God promised him’ (Deut. x. 9). Truly God Himself is our inheritance. Christ is our portion. This, my dearly beloved son, is my testament for thee, and let it also be thine inheritance, that the Law of the Lord may be thy joy, and that thou shouldest meditate upon His Word day and night.”

Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 07.49.57

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the depth of prayer, faith and scholarship of Solomon Ha-Levi. Help us to follow his example, and find our chief joy in You. In Yeshua’s name we pray. Amen.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_of_Burgos

http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/incunabula/a-zofauthorsa-j/bd7-d.10%20&%20be.3.22%20&%20bw.2.2/

 

Unknown's avatar

About richardsh

Messianic Jewish teacher in UK
This entry was posted in otdimjh and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

5 Responses to 2 July 1351 Solomon Ha-Levi (Paul of Burgos) declares his faith in Yeshua #otdimjh

  1. Martin Milgrim's avatar Martin Milgrim says:

    Actually the year he converted to Catholocism is at least 20 years later than 1370 and is controversial. Controversial because if it was 1390 then indeed Solomon Ha-Levi may indeed have been independently convinced of the “truth” of Christianity. But if it was one year later, 1391, then he may have been compelled to convert as that was a year of terror against Jews who basically were given a choice of convert or death. In any event, as Bishop Paul of Burgos, he did indeed become a dedicated Catholic and was not sympathetic at all to the various plights that Spanish Jews underwent in later years.

  2. Unknown's avatar Anonymous says:

    Maria Nunez (Halevi ) his sister our fore grandmother.

  3. Unknown's avatar Anonymous says:

    We are born in uk before then Germany after leaving Spain in 1700 greedy Habsburgs ended it for us & Austrian Habsburgs lost all to Shitler & allies allowed his friends to keep all ,ans boast of it online after 2 children were 1st to Dacchau!Recently found out all this due to ONE name given to me by mother -was Don Alonso Martinez De Leyva commander of 16 ships leaving Cadiz with 50.000 gold coins here in Devon Drake looted &stole it so gov ordered return but only got 20.000 back so Drake the hero was in disgrace going back to being a pirate again & Armada ship Rosario left behind with its 400 crew shut in Spanish Barn in Torquay & still no memorium or decent plaque comemorating deaths there ! Officers named &looked after well incl a Matteo Fries from spanish netherlands did return home found in book by Paula Martin -Spanish Armada has Deleyva and Fries in officers list grateful thanks to Greenway Hse lady who gave me this title so I found my spanish jewish family with Amazons help a book called Conversos -ALL is about my family then finding them in France & Italy .Then suprise another Habsburg descent family here when I sold my stables to them.,+1st rabbi since 1492 Cordoba is family De Leyva (Ha Levi) So very v proud to find the family history . Ingrid Fries -De Leyva -Devon -uk

Leave a Reply