Mordecai Comtino

Mordecai Comtino

Mordecai ben Eliezer Comtino (lived at Adrianople and Constantinople; died in the latter city between 1485 and 1490) was a Turkish Jewish Talmudist and scientist.

The earliest date attached to any of his writings is 1425. The form of his family name is doubtful, and has been transcribed by modern scholars as "Comtino." Mordecai's biographer, Jonah Hayyim Gurland, uses the form "Kumatyano," a name which he found still in use in Turkey (Geiger, in "Wiss. Zeit. Jüd. Theol." iii.445; idem, "Melo-Chofnajim," p. 13). He was the pupil of Enoch Saporta, a distinguished Talmudist, known for his cultivation of the sciences and his tolerance toward the Karaites.

Mordecai was the teacher not only of Elijah Mizraḥi, but also of the Karaites Elijah Bashyaẓi and Caleb Afendopolo. Though an opponent of their teachings, Mordecai was held in honor by the Karaites, two of his piyyuṭim being included in their Siddur (Landshut, "'Ammude ha-'Abodah," p. 200).

Most of his works have come down in manuscript, selections from which have been published by Gurland, in his "Ginze," part iii., 1866. The scientific bent of his mind is shown in his commentary to the Pentateuch (MSS. Paris, Nos. 265, 266; St. Petersburg, No. 51), in the preface to which he speaks of his researches in grammar, logic, physics, astronomy, arithmetic, geometry, and metaphysics. This commentary, in which he especially criticized Ibn Ezra, was attacked by Shabbethai ben Malchiel Kohen ("Hassagot," c. 1460), which attack Mordecai answered in his "Teshubot Hassagot" (Steinschneider, "Cat. Codicum Hebr. Bibl. Acad. Lugduno-Batavæ," pp. 202–207). He also wrote commentaries to Ibn Ezra's treatises "Yesod Morah" (dedicated to his pupil Joseph Rachizi), "Sefer ha-Shem," and "Sefer ha-Eḥad" (MS. Paris, No. 661; compare Adolf Neubauer, "Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS." col. 436), and a commentary to Maimonides's "Millot ha-Higgayon," printed in Warsaw, 1865.

Mordecai was a teacher of mathematics, and did much to advance the study of the exact sciences in Turkey. In his commentaries to Ibn Ezra he has often occasion to touch upon such subjects. His chief works in this branch are: a treatise in two parts on arithmetic and geometry, in which he follows partly the Greek and Latin authors, partly the Mohammedan (MSS. Berlin, No. 49; Brit. Mus. 27,107 A; Paris, 1031, 5; St. Petersburg, 343, 344, 345, 346); "Perush Luḥot Paras," a commentary written in 1425 on the astronomical tables of Yezdegerd, tables already treated of by Solomon b. Elijah Sharbiṭ ha-Zahab (MSS. Paris, Nos. 1084, 1085; St. Petersburg, 359); glosses to Euclid (MS. Günzburg, No. 340, 5); an essay upon the construction of the astrolabe, "Tiḳḳun Keli ha-Neḥoshet," as a complement to the Hebrew works on the subject, which he found to be superficial; an essay (1462) upon the construction of the astronomical instrument ("Al-Ẓafiḥah") invented by Al-Zarkala, written at the request of his pupil Menahem (MSS. Munich, No. 36, 13; Paris, 1030, 5; St. Petersburg, 353); an essay upon the construction of an instrument for measuring time (sun dial), which can be made in two different ways (MS. St. Petersburg, No. 361).

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • COMTINO, MORDECAI BEN ELIEZER — (1420–d. before 1487), Bible commentator, philosopher, philologist, astronomer, and mathematician. Born in Constantinople, Comtino studied religion and philosophy under Hanokh Saporta, a distinguished Catalonian scholar. Comtino was one of the… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Comtino, Mordecai ben Eliezer — (1420 before 1487)    Turkish rabbinic scholar and scientist. He was born in Constantinople and became one of the leaders of the Hebrew cultural movement there. Two of his hymns were incorporated into the Karaite liturgy …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

  • MATHEMATICS — Bible The Bible does not deal directly with proper mathematical subjects; however there are some parts that do relate indirectly to different mathematical topics. These are widely discussed by the various commentators on the Bible and Talmud: the …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Caleb Afendopolo — (born at Adrianople before 1430; lived some time at Belgrade, and died about 1499 at Constantinople) was a Jewish polyhistor. He was brother of Samuel ha Ramati, ḥakam of the Karaite congregations in Constantinople and of Judah Bali, brother in… …   Wikipedia

  • Jonah Hayyim Gurland — (1843–March 14, 1890) was a Russian and Hebrew writer born at Kleck, government of Minsk. At the age of 10, Gurland entered the rabbinical school of Wilna, from which he graduated as rabbi in 1860. He then went to St. Petersburg, and was admitted …   Wikipedia

  • SAPORTA (or Sasporta), ḤANOKH — (15th century), scholar. Originally from a noble family in Catalonia, Saporta was rabbi in Adrianople after R. Isaac Ẓarefati. In addition to his Torah learning, he was also versed in the sciences. He apparently participated in an effort at that… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • AFENDOPOLO, CALEB BEN ELIJAH — (1464?–1525), Karaite scholar and poet. Born probably in Adrianople, he lived most of his life in the village of Kramariya near constantinople , and ultimately in belgrade where he died. A pupil of his brother in law, Elijah bashyazi , Afendopolo …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • BASHYAZI — (Heb. בשיצי; traditional Rabbanite transcription for the Turkish name Bashyatchi), family of Karaite scholars in Adrianople and Constantinople. Although the family moved to Constantinople in 1455, they retained the cognomen Adrianopolitans   even …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • EDIRNE — (Adrianople), town in Turkey located in eastern Thrace near the Turkish Greek Bulgarian frontier. According to the 2000 census, the city s population was recorded as 119,316. The city was named after the Roman emperor, Hadrian (125 C.E.).… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Bayezid II — Ottoman Succession box Sultan Name=Sultan Bayezid II image portrait=II Bayezit.jpg Military=Growth of the Ottoman Empire title=Sultan before=Mehmed II after=Selim I years=1481 ndash;1512Bayezid II (1447/48ndash May 26, 1512) (Ottoman Turkish:… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”