Johann Andreas Eisenmenger
Johann Andreas Eisenmenger (* 1654 in Mannheim, † December 20, 1704 in Heidelberg) was a professor of Hebrew at the University of Heidelberg. He is considered a pioneer of modern anti-Semitism.
Life
Eisenmenger studied from 1670 to 1680 in Heidelberg and Amsterdam. During his stay in Amsterdam 1680-81 he witnessed the crossing of three Christians to Judaism, as well as criticisms of Christianity by David Lyda, the former rabbi of the Ashkenazi community of Amsterdam, which shocked him deeply. After he was appointed archivist in the Palatine office, he received in 1700 a chair of Hebrew Language at the University of Heidelberg.
In 1694 he was in Frankfurt in cooperation with the theologian and Hebrew scholar Johann Leusden a non- vocalized edition of the Bible out to which the Kabbalist David ben Nathan Grünhut wrote a friendly preface. As Jews in Frankfurt in 1700 learned that Eisenmenger the publication of his book is discovered Judaism Or Thorough and Wahrhaffter report which build, the obdurate Jews blaspheme and dishonor Drey - unity ... planned the most holy things, they turned in fear of pogroms at Samson Wertheimer, the imperial court factor in Vienna, which reached together with Samuel Oppenheimer, that the book of Emperor Leopold I. confiscated and was banned for forty years. This immediate response shows that the book was considered dangerous.
During the run of Eisenmenger's heirs process still took decades for those found another conveyor. 1711 carried a reprint, the Prussian King Frederick I with the imprint Königsberg - ie the shape of the outside of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, but de facto in Berlin - prompted. In 1751 it was officially published in the Empire, in 1732 an English translation was done.
The changed title of the edition of 1740 reads as follows: The bey 40th year of the Jews Creates -been ensnared with arrest, but nunmehro by authority of a High Reich Vicariats relaxed Johann Andreea Eisenmenger, Professoris the Oriental Sprachedn bey Heidelberg University, is discovered Judaism.
The title reveals the intention Eisenmenger: He tried to give the impression that the Jews were careful secrets to hide their true nature. The 2120 -page two-volume work also impressed by his erudition. Eisenmenger mastered Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic and knew the whole of the then known rabbinic literature. Mostly he learned from Jewish scholars in Amsterdam and Frankfurt. Claimed and not unlikely, but not proven is that he thereby posing as a convert.
Eisenmenger's book is based on a number in the middle ages antijudaistischer rooted stereotypes that he tried to substantiate from polemics by passages from medieval sermons, the Kabbalah and other Jewish texts and quotations. He does not falsified the quotations, as he was put in, but they indicated tendentious, so that an image developed, which is far removed from the real settings of the Jews. He called it the restriction of the rights of Jews and the destruction of synagogues, to alienate the Jews of their religion. He repeated the accusation of poisoning wells, as well as the blood libel, because that had already been a Frankfurt Jew, Gompich, slandered and accused, inter alia, two hundred years before. To him, the anti-Semite August Rohling supported.
Out of over 200 writings collected Eisenmenger everything Judaism Adverse and presented uncritically the Jewish invective of Christianity and various doctrinal and ethical teachings of Talmudic Judaism together. The choice is one-sided, many interpreted misunderstood and tendentious translation of the Jewish Quotes part, incorrect. Why should not and can the " Judaism Discovered " not be used as source material. 19 years of his life spent on this diatribe to discourage Christians from further conversion to Judaism Eisenmenger. In the following years served this concoction, even in partial editions and translations, as an arsenal of anti-Jewish polemic, not least for the modern anti-Semites of 19-20. Century.
Selections
- Andreä Johann Eisenmenger: Entdecktes Judaism or Thorough and wahrhaffter report, the obdurate Jews which shape the sacrosanct Drey - unity, God the Father, Son and salvation. Blaspheme and dishonor spirit frightful manner, the healing. Spurn Mother of Christ, the New Testament, the evangelists and apostles, the Christian religion by pulling mockingly, and the gantze Christianity auff the utmost scorn and curse: while still leaving plenty others bißhero known among Christians either do not or only partially -been things. ..; all proven from their own and very many by read with great difficulty and unverdrossenem diligence books with expansion of the Hebrew words and those faithful translation into the Teutsche language kräfftiglich and comprehended in zweyen parts, each of its behörige, always außführlich acting from a certain matter chapter contains; all Christians verfertiget to treuhertzigen message and provide you with perfect registers. - Frankfurt / Main in 1700, Berlin in 1711, Königsberg in 1711, Berlin in 1740, Dresden 1893
- Biblia Hebraica non punctata, Frankfurt / Main 1694
Exhibition
- 2010: Leipzig Judaisms in town and the university, Leipzig University Library