Joseph ha-Kohen

Joseph ben Joshua ben Meïr ha-Kohen (1496–1575/80) was a Jewish physician, historian and Renaissance scholar.

Life Joseph's paternal family originally lived at Cuenca, Castile. His mother, Dolca, originated from Aragon. When the Jews were expelled from Spain the family settled at Avignon, where Joseph was born. At the age of five Joseph left Avignon with his parents and went to Genoa, where they remained until 1516. Driven from that city, they went to Novi, but returned to Genoa in 1538, where Joseph practiced medicine for twelve years. On June 3, 1550, he and all his coreligionists were driven from Genoa as a consequence of the rivalry of the non-Jewish physicians. Joseph then settled at Voltaggio, at the request of the citizens of that small town, practicing there until 1567. When the Jews were driven out of the territory of Genoa, he went to Castelletto (Montferrat), where he was very well received. In 1571 he was again established at Genoa, where he died. He was cited and highly regarded by later historians such as Jacques Basnage. He undoubtedly tried to be a careful historian. He gathered his facts from all possible sources, made notes, kept registers, and conducted a wide correspondence. He added continually to the first redaction of his works, carefully dating each one. Of his second chronicle he thus made at least four updated editions. Having lived in Italy from his childhood and become acquainted with persons prominent politically, he is a valuable source for the history of his time; concerning many events, he had examined witnesses. He also mentions a number of important facts ignored by other historians. He is less accurate in the treatment of ancient history, for which he often was obliged to consult untrustworthy sources. It consisted of the narrative of Jewish persecution that extracted from and built on the Jewish part of his earlier world histories, and inspired Salo Baron's idea of the "lachrymose" conception of Jewish history. Bonfil notes that Joseph ha-Kohen's historiography is specifically shaped by the Jewish expulsion from Spain that Joseph ha-Kohen personally experienced. Joseph ha-Kohen and Usque are sources for early documentation of Jewish blood libels. He was a contemporary of the Italian-Jewish geographer Abraham Farissol, a scribe from Avignon who worked for Judah Messer Leon, and drew upon his work. Joseph ha-Kohen incorporates earlier medieval chronicles almost verbatim.

Joseph ha-Kohen began the first version of this work in 1558, at Voltaggio, and concluded it, in its initial form, toward the end of 1563. It was finally carried by the author down to 1575. It circulated in Italy in manuscript and was edited for the first time by Samuel David Luzzatto and published in 1852 by Max Letteris. In 1858 M. Wiener published a German translation. although adding some new information regarding the geographical discoveries of his time in Africa, as well as mentioning the New World as well. In his late version of Chronicles of the Kings of France and Turkey, there is a reference to Amerigo Vespucci's discovery of the New World, which is assumed to be an error; he later began referring to Columbus instead. Joseph ha-Kohen heard about the new discoveries and arranged that the popular book by Francisco López de Gómara,La Historia general de las Indias, would be sent to him from Spain. He adapted to Hebrew this two volume book about the history of the Spanish conquests of Mexico and Central America by Fernando Cortés and others, starting with the account of the discoveries of Columbus. Joseph ha-Kohen wrote also a recepies work, titled Meqitz Nirdamim. It contains Hebrew version of Meïr Alguadez's Spanish (in Hebrew letters) medical work, giving prescriptions for the healing of various diseases; to these prescriptions he added many of his own, including remedies for Syphilis. Another small work of a different kind was his Peles ha-Shemot, written in 1561, containing an alphabetical list of Hebrew nouns, with scripture illustrations of their occurrence given for the purpose of fixing their gender — a matter in which (as he says) "many writers in Hebrew erred." He also compiled, in 1567, a book of polite formulas to be used in addressing letters, and a large number of verses, which are found, written in his own hand, at the end of his works. A large number of letters, evidently meant to serve as models, are found in the MSS. Rabbinowicz, No. 129 (now in Budapest and edited by Abraham David in 1985). Two-thirds of these are by Joseph ha-Kohen; they give an insight into his private life.