Benjamin Musaphia

Benjamin ben Immanuel Musaphia (c. 1606 – 1675), also called Benjamin Musaphia, Binyamin Moussafia or Mussafia and Dionysius, was a Jewish doctor, scholar and kabbalist.

Musaphia was probably born in Spain. He married Sara Abigail da Silva, daughter of Semuel da Silva, in 1628. Their sons and grandsons joined the court of the Gottorps, and a daughter was married to Gabriel Milan, who would later be appointed governor of the Danish West Indies (now the United States Virgin Islands). Around this time, Musaphia graduated from the University of Padua medical school, which was regarded as the best of its kind at the time.

He was a Hebrew lexicographer and philologist.

Publications After Sara's death on 7 August 1634, Musaphia dedicated Zekher Rav, an adaptation of the creation myth in which all Hebrew word roots are used exactly once, to her. It was first published in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1635, (ca. 1100), titled Musaf he-'Aruk, detailing many Jewish customs. The preface states that he had been collecting this information since a young boy. Musaphia was also working on a commentary of the Talmud in 1702, which was never published, and the manuscripts have since been lost.

He is described by Heinrich Graetz as a semi-Spinozist. He wrote a letter of homage to Sabbatai Zevi on his declaration of being the messiah. He became an enthusiastic advocate of the Sabbatean movement. His work was discussed by Jacques Basnage and Menahem Amelander, the latter of whom including the fact that his commentary on the Gemara Yerushalmi had not been published as of 1741.

He is said to have assisted Spinoza with his return or repentance to Judaism.

He also researched the ocean tides.

Personal life and family

His brother Albert Dionis was one of the wealthiest Jews in Hamburg in 1614.

Musaphia died in 1675, in Amsterdam.