The English refugees in Amsterdam came into contact with the Jews of that town, and above all with Manasseh, whom they admitted to the innermost circle of friendship. The intercourse was continuous, and did much to dispel the mutual prejudices which old enmities had created and ignorance had nourished. Intimacies were formed which proved salutary to both, particularly to the Saints. Manasseh was also on terms of intimacy with Oliver St. John (1598?‒1673), the English Ambassador in Holland (1651), who was afterwards a member of the Committee selected to consider the readmission of the Jews into England. CHAPTER IV. MANASSEH BEN-ISRAEL Manasseh as a Jewish _Rabbi_ and as a _Hebrew_ writer――His activity as a publisher and corrector of _Hebrew_ books――The Bible editions, the Psalms and the _Mishnah_――Manasseh’s connection with _Safed_ in Palestine――_Enseña a Pecadores_ ――The influence of _Rabbi_ Isaiah _ben_ Abraham Horwitz ――Solomon _de_ Oliveyra――Manasseh’s _De Termino Vitae_――The Influence of _Don_ Isaac Abrabanel――The Lost Ten Tribes and the_Marranos_. THE literature concerning Manasseh, which is chiefly in English, but partly also in Dutch, German, _Hebrew_ and Spanish, is very rich in detail and affords an accurate and thorough insight into Manasseh’s intellectual relationship to contemporary Christian scholars and statesmen, and extensive information as to his writings in defence of Judaism, his missions, _etc._ The Jewish Historical Society of England has played a prominent part in the researches on the subject by arranging lectures and publishing excellent papers, and the ground has been covered on the whole very thoroughly. There is, however, one point which has not yet been sufficiently elucidated, _viz._, Manasseh’s attitude as a Jewish _Rabbi_ and as a _Hebrew_ writer. His literary communications with Christian divines, his apologetic writings in Spanish and Latin, and his Spanish translations present after all only one view of his individuality and activity, the view seen by the outside world. If, however, we wish to describe Manasseh in his private, inner life, and to understand his particular views and methods, we have to leave the apologist and the polyglot translator and to discover the author when he writes for his nation in the national language. Here, and only here, we discover the Jewish scholar in his originality. In this connection we meet Manasseh as publisher or corrector (proof reader) of his three partial and complete Bible editions: (1) _Chamisha Chumshé Thora_, Amsterdam, 1631; (2) _Sefer T’hillim_ (Psalterium Hebraicum ex recens. Manasseh, _etc._), Amsterdam, 1634; (3) _Esrim V’arba_ (Biblia Hebraica), Amsterdam, 1639.