London, J. Wertheimer and Co. (printer), 1851
Gifted to Baron Lionel De Rothschild by the Translator. The most widely known powerful polemic work defending Judaism in face of Christian missionaries.
Originally written in the 16th century by the Karaite scholar Isaac ben Abraham Troki (c. 1533-1594), and first published in Altdorf in 1681, it combines a forceful defense of Judaism with a bold refutation of Christian missionary doctrines. Torki was the foremost Karaite scholar in Eastern Europe of his time, and served as dayan to both Karaite and Rabbinic Jews. His numerous theological discussions with various Christian clergymen made Troki familiar with their various argument against Judaism and prompted him to write this work in the last year of his life. The work was completed by Troki's student Joseph ben Mordecai Malinovski. In this work Troki refutes the divinity of Jesus and demonstrates that he was not the Messiah predicted by the Prophets. He then provides a systematic critical examination of each book of the New Testament, exposing their many inconsistencies and contradictions. The work was originally written in Hebrew and titled 'Hizzuk Emunah'.
In 1665 the German Hebralist Johann Christoph Wagenseil (1633-1705) obtained a copy of the works Hebrew manuscript, translated it to Latin and published it in Altdorf. His translation became widely used by both Christian missionaries and opponents to Christianity, such as atheists and French philosophers, including Voltaire. This edition is the first translation of the work to English.
Moses Mocatta (1768–1857) was a businessman and a scholar of Hebrew language and literature, born into a prominent Sephardi-Jewish family that settled in England in the 1650s, one of the first twelve Jewish families admitted by Oliver Cromwell for resettlement. In 1671 Moses Mocatta established a firm in London that became Mocatta & Goldsmid - the world's leading silver and gold bullion broker for the next 300 years. It was licensed at the Royal Exchange from 1710, and for more than a century the firm acted as exclusive bullion brokers to the Bank of England. the Mocatta family were also involved in the establishment of many British-Jewish and charitable institutions, among which the oldest synagogue in Britain - the Bevis Marks (1701), the Board of Deputies of British Jews (1760), and the West London Synagogue (1840).
This copy was gifted by Moses Mocatta to Baron Lionel De Rothschild and inscribed:
'Presented to Baron Lionel De Rothschild, MP &c &c
by the Translator'.
First English edition. 8vo, publisher's purple blind-tooled cloth with gilt title to spine, spine slightly faded, gift inscription by the translator in old black ink to title page; viii, 295, [1], 13 pp.
Originally written in the 16th century by the Karaite scholar Isaac ben Abraham Troki (c. 1533-1594), and first published in Altdorf in 1681, it combines a forceful defense of Judaism with a bold refutation of Christian missionary doctrines. Torki was the foremost Karaite scholar in Eastern Europe of his time, and served as dayan to both Karaite and Rabbinic Jews. His numerous theological discussions with various Christian clergymen made Troki familiar with their various argument against Judaism and prompted him to write this work in the last year of his life. The work was completed by Troki's student Joseph ben Mordecai Malinovski. In this work Troki refutes the divinity of Jesus and demonstrates that he was not the Messiah predicted by the Prophets. He then provides a systematic critical examination of each book of the New Testament, exposing their many inconsistencies and contradictions. The work was originally written in Hebrew and titled 'Hizzuk Emunah'.
In 1665 the German Hebralist Johann Christoph Wagenseil (1633-1705) obtained a copy of the works Hebrew manuscript, translated it to Latin and published it in Altdorf. His translation became widely used by both Christian missionaries and opponents to Christianity, such as atheists and French philosophers, including Voltaire. This edition is the first translation of the work to English.
Moses Mocatta (1768–1857) was a businessman and a scholar of Hebrew language and literature, born into a prominent Sephardi-Jewish family that settled in England in the 1650s, one of the first twelve Jewish families admitted by Oliver Cromwell for resettlement. In 1671 Moses Mocatta established a firm in London that became Mocatta & Goldsmid - the world's leading silver and gold bullion broker for the next 300 years. It was licensed at the Royal Exchange from 1710, and for more than a century the firm acted as exclusive bullion brokers to the Bank of England. the Mocatta family were also involved in the establishment of many British-Jewish and charitable institutions, among which the oldest synagogue in Britain - the Bevis Marks (1701), the Board of Deputies of British Jews (1760), and the West London Synagogue (1840).
This copy was gifted by Moses Mocatta to Baron Lionel De Rothschild and inscribed:
'Presented to Baron Lionel De Rothschild, MP &c &c
by the Translator'.
First English edition. 8vo, publisher's purple blind-tooled cloth with gilt title to spine, spine slightly faded, gift inscription by the translator in old black ink to title page; viii, 295, [1], 13 pp.
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