Christian converts from Judaism -- Biography; Missions to Jews
Joshua Halorki was born in Spain in the latter part of the fourteenth
century, at Lorca, in Murcia. He early distinguished himself as a subtle
Talmudist and skilful physician. He was a Jew of the straitest sect. His
scrupulous search for arguments against Christianity was over-ruled to
his discovering that Christianity was founded on the Rock of Ages,
against which the very gates of hell could not prevail. Dr. Joshua de
Lorca then confessed, publicly, that in assaying to convict the Hebrew
Christian, Solomon Halevi, of heresy, he proved himself to be ignorant
of the spirit, and an unbeliever in the letter, of Moses and the
Prophets. He begged for the privilege of being baptized. He assumed the
name, when the sacrament of baptism was administered to him, of Geronymo
à Santa Fé. It was soon made evident that Joshua--or Geronymo, or
Hieronymus, as he is variably known in ecclesiastical history--was a
chosen vessel in the hands of his Redeemer. The new Hebrew Christian
devoted his immense wealth, intellectual and other, towards the
promotion of his Saviour's honour and glory, especially amongst his
Jewish brethren. His extensive acquaintance with Talmudical and other
Jewish lore, enabled him so to expose their false teaching, as to make
their fallacies very evident to such as would not hoodwink their reason
by impervious prejudice. His celebrated work, "Probationes N. T. ex V.
T. per quas doctrina Talmud improbitur, et dicitur liber contra errores
Judæorum," is one of the most decisive testimonies for Christianity, and
against Talmudism, which a Hebrew Christian witness could have borne.
In the year 1413, an ever memorable conference between Jewish and
Christian divines was agreed upon. The meeting was convened at Tortosa,
in Aragon. The Pope-Pretender, Benedict XIII., or Pedro de Luna,
presided. The most renowned and famous Rabbis of the time were ranged on
one side, Geronymo à Santa Fé--assisted by Andreas Baltram, a native of
Valencia, another Hebrew Christian, afterwards Bishop of Barcelona--on
the other side, and they met on the 7th of February, 1413, to discuss
whether "Jesus, called of Nazareth, who was born at Bethlehem in the
latter days of King Herod, seventy years before the destruction of the
second temple, who was crucified, and died at Jerusalem, is really the
true Messiah, foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament." The
discussion lasted till Nov. 12, 1414. It occupied sixty-nine sessions.
It was attended by the grandees of the Church and Synagogue of the day.
The result was wonderful. All the Jewish disputants, with the exception
of two, admitted, and signed a declaration accordingly, that they were
fairly vanquished, and that utterly. Upwards of five thousand Jews made
a public confession of their faith in Christ, and were baptized into the
same.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account