Obadiah the Proselyte

John Oppido (c. 1073 ) was a Norman priest from southern Italy, who converted to Judaism in 1102, passing the name Obadiah (ha - Ger) assumed, which is why he was also known under the name of Obadiah the Proselyte. From his first musical notations are preserved to Hebrew texts.

Life

John was born as the son of a noble Norman family in the late 11th century. His older twin brother Roger Knight should be, for John the priesthood was provided. Not least his studies of the Hebrew Bible brought him to the vicinity of Judaism, until finally he began to observe some Jewish customs. As a model it was the archbishop of Bari, Andrew II, who was also converted and emigrated to Egypt. John moved to Constantinople Opel, where he deepened his studies, but also wrote polemical writings against Christianity. Finally, he had to move on and came to Baghdad to Aleppo, where a rabbi confirmed his conversion. From there he moved on over Banyas at the foot of Mount Hermon and Tyros to Cairo.

Swell

John's life, written after 1122, in which he explains his conversion and the motivation for this is to get in several fragments from the Cairo Genizah. From him several musical settings exist to Pijjutim in Gregorian notation.

Sources for the life story of John are significantly following fragments from the Cairo Genizah:

• T -S K5.41
• T -S Misc. 35.31
• T -S 10K21
• T -S 8271

Moses Maimonides ' Letter to Obadiah the proselytes, one of the earliest and most famous letters ever engaged in, among others, the questions of Johannes question whether it is permissible for him to pray to the " God of our fathers ," which it seems to be very has employed. Maimonides replied that he also " the prayers speak in the usual way and not change a word" should, "as all the sons of Israel."