On This Day In Messianic Jewish History

The main aim was to remove threats to the faith produced by contact between Christians and Jews. Although, in part, simply giving royal sanction to previous ecclesiastical regulations, the measure was very personal to Henry. It was described as ‘a provision made by the king’ and was authorized by him and his council. In other words it had not been promulgated by the common counsel of the realm. With his religious feelings heightened by his crusader status, Henry was naturally sensitive to the dangers posed by the Jews. His statute against them stemmed from such feelings, and also, timed as it was, tried to prove to the bishops that he was indeed a ‘most Christian king’.

Henry ordered Jewish worship in Synagogues be held quietly so that Christians should not have to hear it when passing by. In addition, he forbade Jews from employing Christian nurses or maids, and prevented other Jews from converting to Christianity.

To be continued

http://www.finerollshenry3.org.uk/redist/pdf/Magnacarta1253.pdf

Magna Carta 1253: the ambitions of the church and the divisions within the realm – David A. Carpenter

Close Rolls 1251–3, pp. 312–13 and Councils and Synods, i. 472–3, with comment by Cheney C. R. Cheney (see Councils and Synods with other Documents Relating to the English Church, ii: A.D. 1205–1313, ed. F. M. Powicke and C. R. Cheney (1 vol. in 2, Oxford, 1964) (hereafter Councils and Synods), i. 474).

Meyer, Rev. Jonas Theodor, was born in Crivitz, a small town in Mecklenberg, January 30, 1819, and died in New Jersey, March 14, 1896.

His early Hebrew education he received from a Polish Jew in the Cheder, and then he was sent to relatives in Schwerin, where he studied in the Gymnasium, so that at the age of fifteen he was in the first class. As far as religion is concerned, he was taught to fear God, but he knew very little of the love of God, so that he only lived to appease the divine wrath by ascetic practices and good works. This did not satisfy his soul, and he resorted to worldly pleasures, but neither did he find satisfaction in them.

At this juncture he met with the writings of Raphael Samson Hirsch, the then leader of orthodoxy, and with those of mystic Plessner, which awakened him somewhat from his spiritual slumber. He then began to study the Scriptures, and trusted to God’s grace and mercy for the pardon of his sins, yet [366] he found no peace. Thereupon he came in contact with Dr. Holdheimer, the leader of the Reformed Jews, and by him was appointed teacher in Schwerin, in 1841, and subsequently recommended as Reformed rabbi to a congregation in Butzow. But the Reform movement at that time went to extremes. The rabbis denied the belief in the Messiah at a congress, from which Meyer dissented.

He was placed in a predicament between the extremes of Orthodoxy and Reform, in neither of which he could observe vital religion, so he began to study the New Testament. At first only its sublime ethics attracted him, but by and by it was the Person and life of Christ which drew him by the Holy Spirit to Himself. Then he met the missionary Dr. Schwarz, and from him he heard the Gospel, and attended the lectures of Neander on Galatians, and those of Hengstenberg, on the history of the kingdom of God, on the Old Testament, and on its Christology, and was baptized by Dr. Schwarz, July 18, 1847.

In 1848 he left the University of Berlin and went to Scotland, and studied theology at the College of the Free Church at Aberdeen. Afterwards he became assistant Professor of Hebrew to Dr. Duncan in New College, Edinburgh. In 1857 he was ordained by Dr. Candish to do ministerial work among the Germans in Edinburgh. In 1858 he was sent as a missionary to the Jews in Galatz, Roumania, whence he was transferred in 1862 to Ancona, Italy. From there he was sent in 1867 to Amsterdam, to succeed Dr. Schwarz, who went to London. In 1871 he was requested by the English Presbyterians to take charge [367] of their mission in London, in which he laboured ardently and successfully until his retirement in 1894.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the spirit of enquiry you gave to Jonas Meyer – to search for your truth until he found it in the Messiah. Help us to seek your ways, and search diligently for your truth in our day. In Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Bernstein summarises:

Raphael, Mark, an Italian Jewish convert, flourished at Venice at the beginning of the sixteenth century. It is said that he was a rabbi before his conversion.[ 60] He was consulted by Henry VIII on the question of the legality, according to Jewish law, of his levirate marriage to Catharine of Braganza, and was invited by him to England. Raphael accordingly arrived in London on January 28, 1531 (Calendar of State Papers, Spanish, i. 335). He decided that such marriage was legal, but suggested that the King might take another wife conjointly with the first. Later, he reviewed his opinion by pointing to the object of levirate marriage, and contending that as no children had been the result of the union, the King must have married his brother’s widow without the intention of continuing his brother’s line, and consequently the marriage was illegitimate and invalid. We have here the picture of a man whose mind as a Jew was trained in rabbinic quibbles, and as a Romanist had learned to hold the doctrine of intention.

More details are available on this high-profile and contentious case that led to the emergence of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church, the birth of Queen Elizabeth 1, and would alter the course of history significantly.

The various political influences at work rendered the legitimate satisfaction of Henry’s demands extremely difficult, if not unattainable. All the applications of Henry, fortified by the opinion of the majority of the universities of Europe, were without avail on the Pope, who supported his refusals by the Mosaic code, which positively enjoined such unions in certain circumstances. In the midst of the contention such a marriage took place among the Jews of Italy, and, having so direct an application to the state of affairs in England, it was duly reported to all the courts represented in Italy.

The favoured argument of Henry, one he developed himself, was lifted from the text of Leviticus 20:21, where Scripture says, “If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is impurity; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness, they shall be childless.” This argument had the benefit of pitting the Word of God against the power of the pope, a dichotomy that was gaining popularity in early sixteenth century exegesis as both the Protestant movement and humanist methodology, with its emphasis on a return to the original texts, gave an argument from the Scriptures a timely and controversial tone. It was the interpretation of this text that Henry submitted to all the universities and learned scholars of Europe, its popular appeal making it the equivalent of a Renaissance media frenzy. It was a clear text with its seemingly straightforward command that a brother shall not marry his brother’s wife and thus seemed the perfect argument with which to pursue the divorce from Catharine.

Henry and his advisers immediately saw the value of Jewish evidence and the necessity of supporting their case by rabbinic opinions. The views of learned Jews, professing and converted, were collected from all parts of the Continent, and from several of them written opinions obtained. Of these, that of Mark Raphael of Venice attracted most attention, and the author was personally invited to come to England. The opinion of Raphael was apparently considered of great weight, for strenuous efforts were made by the other party to the controversy to gain his adhesion. Not only was an office in the service of the Pope offered to Raphael, but an attempt was made to bribe his uncle, Father Francis, also a converted Jew, with a cardinal’s hat.

These efforts failing, an attempt, engineered by the Spanish ambassador at Rome, was made to waylay the uncle and nephew on their journey to England. This, however, also failed, and both arrived safely in London early in 1531. The case for the divorce was then placed in all its bearings before the learned Jew, who took some time to consider his decision. Raphael’s response was as follows :

“That the Queen’s marriage ought not to be disputed or dissolved, but, nevertheless, that the King may and can very well take another wife conjointly with his first. Although the King’s marriage with the widow of his brother was a true and legitimate act, yet he does not style himself properly husband of the Queen, inasmuch as according to (Jewish) law the posterity issuing from such a union is ascribed to the first husband; and as it would be unreasonable that, in order to preserve the name and race of the deceased, the survivor should be prevented from having posterity of his own and bearing his name, the Law allows him to take another wife.”

Henry was not altogether satisfied with this decision, and told Raphael that he must devise some other means of getting him out of his difficulty. Raphael thereupon set to work again, and gave the following revised response: “It is allowable for a man to take to wife the widow of his brother, provided he do it out of his own desire and will, and with the direct intention of procuring descent to his brother’s line. Without such marked intention the marriage is forbidden by Divine Law. God said so by the mouth of Moses, and cast His malediction on all those who married without such an intention, for if they did so marry, no generation could spring forth from them, and if any it could not last long.”

Raphael deduced from the absence of any surviving male heir to Henry and Catherine that Henry could not have married with the above express intention, “and consequently his marriage is illegitimate and invalid.” Raphael retained the favour of Henry. He was attached to the court, and received many presents and favours.

Prayer: Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). Lord, you alone know our hearts and minds, and your purposes alone will prevail. We know so little about Mark Raphael. He had just a walk-on part at this important moment in history, and in Henry VIII’s personal life. Help us to play our part in your purposes, wherever we may may be, and whatever you may call us to do, with faithfulness to your Word, integrity of character, and right judgment. In Yeshua’s name we pray. Amen.

Sources:

http://www.medievalists.net/files/11010101.pdf

The Canon Law of the Henry VIII Divorce Case by Phillip Campbell A Senior Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Social Studies Department of Madonna University, Livonia, MI. Presented June 14th, 2009

RAPHAEL, MARK: (Jewish Encyclopedia)

Italian convert to Christianity; flourished at Venice at the beginning of the sixteenth century. He was a halakist of some repute, and it was said that he was a “chief rabbi” before his conversion. He was consulted by Henry VIII. on the question of the legality, according to Jewish law, of his levirate marriage to Catharine of Braganza, and was invited by him to England. Raphael accordingly arrived in London on Jan. 28, 1531 (“Calendar of State Papers, Spanish,” i. 335). He decided that such a marriage was legal, but suggested that the king might take another wife conjointly with the first. This advice not being acceptable, Raphael revised his opinion by pointing to the object of levirate marriage, and contending that as no children had been the result of the union, the king must have married his brother’s widow without the intention of continuing his brother’s line, and that consequently his marriage was illegitimate and invalid. His opinion was included in the collection presented to Parliament, and Raphael was rewarded in many ways; among others, he was granted a license to import six hundred tons of Gascon and two woads in 1532 (Gardner, “Letters and Papers of Henry VIII.” v. 485).

Bibliography:

• Wolf, in Papers of the Anglo-Jewish Historical Exhibition, p. 63;
• Kaufmann, in R. E. J. xxvii. 52, xxx. 310.

Arthur Hastings Kelk, vicar of St Stephens, Leeds, former Theological Tutor of Malta Protestant College, joined CMJ in 1878, aged 42. He served in Jerusalem 1878-1904, London 1901-1904, Leeds 1904-1908. He was Canon of Cana in Galilee.

Gidney writes about Kelk’s retirement and passing:

Canon Kelk’s long tenure of the Jerusalem mission came to an end in May 1901. He had held the post 
for twenty-two years, a longer period than any previous incumbent, during which there were 199 Jewish baptisms in Christ Church. It was a time of increased effort, greater earnestness, and satisfactory progress in every way: the old Jewish hostility had lessened.

The schools had done excellent work, and there had been very few young Jews in the House of Industry’ who had not become Christians; and efforts amongst the Jewesses had received an impetus, owing to the opening of a Home, of which we spoke in Chapter LVI.

Canon Kelk was the recipient of a gratifying presentation, in the form of an illuminated address and a pilgrim’s staff, from the Hebrew Christian community of Jerusalem, who expressed their deep regret at his departure and their sense of his faithfulness and sympathetic ministry.

Canon A Hastings Kelk, whose health had been failing for some months, died on January 27th, 1908, at the age of 72 years. This was a great loss to the Society in whose service he had been for thirty years, at Jerusalem (22 Years), London and Leeds. He had offered himself over fifty years ago, influenced by a visit paid by the Rev. W. Ayerst to Cambridge, where he was then an undergraduate. He subsequently held curacies and the living of St. Stephen’s, Burmantofts, Leeds,, until 1878, when he was appointed to the Jerusalem mission.

His labour there and in London has already been described. He was an earnest Christian man, an evangelical Churchman of wide and generous sympathies, and an able preacher and speaker. He died in harness, as he greatly desired to do, and was mourned by a large circle of personal friends, and fellow- workers, one of whom wrote:

“His death is a great loss to the mission. It has been such a blessed time while he was over it. He knew the Jews and the needs of the work so well, and his firm, tactful, kindly control of the workers has been very helpful to them.”

We do not find a picture of Kelk, yet learn he had interests in music, botany and other spheres. Does anyone have a photo of him?

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the work of this devoted and long-serving clergyman, who has not received the recognition he deserves, but leaves a lasting legacy in his life, interests and ministry. May You raise up others to follow in his footsteps, learn from his example of diligence and humility, and be a blessing to your people Israel. In the name of our Messiah we pray. Amen.

Sources and works by Kelk:

The Singing of the Psalms and Canticles to Anglican Chants. For small town and village choirs (Church Music Society… by Arthur Hastings Kelk (1925)

Te Deum laudamus in F (Wood and Sons. Wood’s Collection of Glees, etc. No. 93) by Arthur Hastings Kelk (1899)

Artifact: “Flowers Plucked in Those Holy Fields” Specimen Book

Size: 4.5 x 6.5 x .5 inches

Date: Early to mid-1900s

Significance: Flowers have been dried and pressed for centuries to be kept as botanical specimens, but collecting such specimens became especially popular in the Victorian era. This book is a collection of nearly twenty plant specimens from the Holy Land. It is an interesting object, especially considering the condition of the flowers.

About the book: The words on the cover of this book, “Flowers Plucked in Those Holy Fields,” matches the title of a specimen book arranged by Rev. A. Hastings Kelk of Christ Church, Jerusalem (Anglican), and printed around 1900 by the Office of the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews. (Click here for a blog entry that has some photographs of the Kelk book.) The book in CHI’s collection was perhaps a companion book for a person to press their own plants and flowers when traveling to the Holy Land. The pages have the specimens along with handwritten notes as to what it is and where it was found.

Flowers/Plants (Names and locations as noted in book)

• Grasses — fields near Jerusalem (Image 1)
  • Red Anemone — Jerusalem (Image 2)
  • Rock Plant — Mount of Olives
  • Puff Ball — Bethlehem
  • Cyclamen — rocks near Jerusalem (Image 3)
  • Marsh Marigold? or Large “Marguerite?” — Jericho
  • Adonis Pheasant’s Eye — Mount of Olives
  • White-striped Crocus — Jerusalem (Image 4)
  • Red “Everlasting” — Galilee (Image 5)
  • Blue Chick Weed? — outside the wall of Jerusalem
  • “Vetelies[?]” — fields around Jerusalem
  • “Bride’s Crown” White Everlasting
  • Vine Leaves — Bethlehem (Image 6)
  • “Madonna” Crown Flower — Nazareth (Image 7)
  • Palestine Scabious — Galilee
  • Coranella[?] — Valley of Jehoshaphat, Jerusalem
  • Flax — fields around Jerusalem

There are also two postcards with pressed flowers attached. They are not identified by name, but both are noted as from Mount Carmel.