ad
led in the direction, but di Rossi's work anticipated the methods, of
the German school of "scientific" Jewish writers, who, at the beginning
of the present century, applied scientific principles to the study of
Jewish traditions. On the other hand, Gedaliah Ibn Yachya (1515-1587)
was so utterly uncritical that his "Chain of Tradition" was nicknamed by
Joseph Delmedigo the "Chain of Lies." Gedaliah was a man of wealth, and
he expended his means in the acquisition of books and in making journeys
in search of sacred and profane knowledge. Yet Gedaliah made up in style
for his lack of historical method. The "Chain of Tradition" is a
picturesque and enthralling book, it is a warm and cheery retrospect,
and even deserves to be called a prose epic. Besides, many of his
statements that were wont to be treated as altogether unauthentic have
been vindicated by later research. Azariah di Rossi, on the other hand,
is immortalized by his spirit rather than his actual contributions to
historical literature. He came of an ancient family said to have been
carried to Rome by Titus, and lived in Ferrara, where, in 1574, he
produced his "Light of the Eyes." This is divided into three parts, the
first devoted to general history, the second to the Letter of Aristeas,
the third to the solution of several historical problems, all of which
had been neglected by Jews and Christians alike. Azariah di Rossi was
the first critic to open up true lines of research into the Hellenistic
literature of the Jews of Alexandria. With him the true historical
spirit once more descended on the Jewish genius.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Steinschneider.--_Jewish Literature_, p. 75, _seq._, 250
_seq._

A. Neubauer.--Introductions to _Medieval Jewish Chronicles_,
Vols. I and II (Oxford, 1882, etc.).

SELICHOTH.

Zunz.--_Sufferings of the Jews in the Middle Ages_ (translated by
A. Loewy, _Miscellany of the Society of Hebrew Literature_,
Vol. I). See also _J.Q.R._, VIII, pp. 78, 426, 611.

ABRAHAM IBN DAUD.

Graetz.--III, p. 363 [373].

ABRAHAM ZACUTO.

Graetz.--IV, pp. 366, 367, 391 [393].

ELIJAH KAPSALI.

Graetz.--IV, p. 406 [435].

JOSEPH COHEN, USQUE, IBN VERGA.

Graetz.--IV, p. 555 [590].

_Chronicle of Joseph ben Joshua the Priest_ (English translation
by Bialoblotzky. London, 1835-6).

ELIA DELMEDIGO.

Graetz.--IV, p. 290 [312].

DAVID GANS.

Graetz.--IV, p. 638 [679].

GEDALIAH IBN YACHYA.

Graetz.--IV, p. 609 [655].

AZ