Table Of ContentTHEOLOGY, BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP
AND RABBINICAL STUDIES
IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
Constantijn L ’Empereur (1591-1648)
Professor of Hebrew and Theology at Leiden
H534 BY
eni
P E T E R T. V A N R O O D E N
E .J. B R ILL
LEIDEN • NEW YORK • K0BENHAVN • KOLN
1989
Published with financial support from the Netherlands Organization for
Scientific Research (NWO).
This series is the continuation of Studies over de geschiedenis van de Leidse
Universiteit.
Translated by J. C. Grayson.
Original title: Constantijn L ’Empereur (1591-1648) Professor Hebreeuws en
Iheologie te Leiden. Theolpgie, bijbelwetenschap en rabbijnse siudien in de zeven-
tiende eeuw.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rooden, Peter T. van.
Theology, biblical scholarship, and rabbinical
studies in the seventeenth century: Constantijn
L’Empereur (1591-1648), professor of Hebrew and
Theology at Leiden.
(Studies in the history of Leiden University, ISSN
0169-8362; v. 6)
Translation of: Constantijn L’Empereur (1591-1648),
Professor Hebreeuws en theologie te Leiden.
Revision of thesis—University of Leiden, 1985.
Bibliographie: p.
Includes index.
1, L’Empereur, Constantijn, 1591-1648. 2. Hebraists,
Christian—Netherlands—Leiden—Biography. 3. Old
Testament scholars—Netherlands—Leiden—Biography.
4. Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden—Biography. 5. Leiden
(Netherlands)—Biography. I. Title. II. Series.
PJ4534.E47R6613 1989 22r.092 [B] 89-7060
ISBN 90-04-09035-5
ISSN 0169-8362
ISBN 90 04 09035 5
© Copyright 1989 by E.J, Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part of this hook may be reproduced or
translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche
or any other means without written permission from the publisher
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS BY E.J. BRILL
In memory of my father
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CONTENTS
Foreword .......................................................................................................... ix
Abbreviations ................................................................................................. x
1. The Historiography of Old TestamentS cholarship ..................... 1
2. The Education of a Calvinist Theologian( 1591-1627) ............... 14
3. On the Use of Hebrew .......................................................................... 49
4. The Access to the Rabbis (1627-1634) ............................................. 94
4.1 Life. The winning of recognition .............................................. 96
4.2 The aids to scholarship .................................................................. 110
4.3 The exegesis of the bible ............................................................... 132
4.4 The refutation of Judaism ............................................................ 158
5. Postponement and Fulfilment. Mandarin in the Republic of
Letters (1634-1648) ............................................................................. 184
5.1 The teacher ........................................................................................ 185
5.2 The mandarin ................................................................................... 199
5.3 The theologian .................................................................................. 215
Conclusion......................................................................................................... 230
Appendices ...................................................................................................... 235
Bibliography .................................................................................................... 247
Index .................................................................................................................. 262
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FOREW ORD
The following work is a revised version of a thesis defended in June 1985
in the Theological Faculty of the State University of Leiden. It aims, in
the form of an intellectual biography, to make a contribution to the
history of scholarly study of the Old Testament and rabbinical literature
in the 17th century. Because great attention is paid to the environment
in which this scholarship was carried on, this study moves in several
fields. It was thus impossible to avoid explaining things which were self-
evident to the various specialists. One should remember, in the author’s
defence, that the second duty of a historian is to tell a story.
For the transcription of Jewish words and names, the system of the
Encyclopcedia Judaica has been followed. For the not particularly numerous
Greek, and a single Syriac word, no scholarly system of transcription has
been used. The list of literature cited has no bibliographical pretentions.
Hebrew words in the titles have been omitted. For a full description of
titles one should consult the bibliographies of Prijs and Fuks & Fuks-
Mansfeld. The index includes all the personal names from the main body
of the text. It only refers to the notes when a person before 1800 is
named, who cannot be found via the text proper. When a correspondent
of L ’Empereur is referred to, he is distinguished by an asterisk.
My thanks are due to the staff of the library of Leiden University, who
handled my many requests without visible reluctance and allowed me
access to the stack. I must also thank my two promotors, prof. dr. J. C.
H. Lebram and prof. dr. G. H. M. Posthumus Meyjes for the help which
they gave me. I am particularly grateful to Jurgen Lebram for his
teaching and the countless discussions in which he showed me what
history can be, and for the freedom which he left me when I worked for
him; and to Hans Posthumus Meyjes for his offer to include this work
in the series. Studies on the History of Leiden University.
My debt to prof. dr. H. J. de Jonge is too great to be expressed. For
tunately only he knows how many faults he has improved. The discus
sions which he had with me on some of the theses of this book were, as
is his nature, vigorous and lively. They sometimes resulted in a revision
of the argument, always in a deeper insight.
ABBREVIATIONS
ABBREVIATIONS OF WORKS BY C. L EMPEREUR
Oratio Oratio inauguralis (...) de linguae kehraeae dignitate et utilitate, Lugduni
Batavorum 1627.
Middot Talmudis Babylonici codex Middoth sive de mensuris Templi, una cum versione
Latina (.. .)*Additis commentariis, Lugduni Batavorum 1630.
Comjes D. Isaaci Abrabanielis et R. Mosis Alschechi Comment, in Esaiae prophetiam,
cum additamento eorum quae R. Simeon e veterum dictis collegit.
Subiuncta (...) refutatione et textua nova versione ac paraphrasi, Lug
duni Batavorum 1631.
MosKim Mosis Kimchi HODOIPORIA ad scientiam, cum expositione Doctoris
Eliae, Item Introductio D. Binjamin F.D. Judae Omnia... annotationi-
bus illustrata, Lugduni Batavorum 1631.
ParaDan Paraphrasis losephi lachiadae in Danielem cum versione, et annotationibus,
Amstelodami 1633.
ItinBen Itinerarium Z). Benjaminis, cum versione et notis, Lugduni Batavorum
1633.
HalOl Halichoth Olam sive Clavis Talmudica, complectens Formulas, Loca Dia-
lectica et Rhetorica priscorum Judaeorum, Lugduni Batavorum 1634.
BavaKamma De Legibus Ebraeorum forensibus Liber singularis. Ex Ebraeorum pandectis
versus et commentariis illustratus, Lugduni Batavorum 1637.
RepHeb C. B. Bertramus, De Republica Ebraeorum, tec. commentarioque ill. opera
Constantini L*Empereur ab Oppyck, Lugduni Batavorum 1641.
OTHER ABBREVIATIONS
Aa, van der A. J. van der Aa, Biographisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden, 12 vols.,
Haarlem [1852]-1878.
Acta Acta der particuliere Synoden van Zuid-Holland, 1621-1700^ uitgegeven door
W. P. C. Knuttel, 6 vols., ’s-Gravenhage 1908-1916.
ADB Allgemeine Deutsche Biographic, 56 vols., Leipzig 1875-1912.
AG Archie/ Gabbema, berustende in de Provinciale Bibliotheek Friesland.
ASALB Album studiosorum Academiae Lugduno-Batavae, ed. W. N. du Rieu, Hagae
Comitum 1875.
ASAF Album studiosorum Academiae Franekerensis (1585-1811, 1816-1844) I
Naamlijst der studenten, onder redactie van S. J. Fockema Andreae en
Th. J. Meijer, Franeker [1968].
BL Biografisch Lexicon voor de geschiedenis van het Nederlandse protestaniisme,
onder redactie van D. Nauta e.a., Kampen 1978-...
BMHG Bijdragen en Mededelingen van het Historisch Genootschap.
BNB Biographic Nationale, publiee par TAcademic royale des sciences, des let-
tres et des beaux arts de Belgique, 28 vols., Bruxelles 1866-1944.
BWPGN Biographisch Woordenboek van proiestantsche godgeleerden in Nederland, onder
red. van J. P. de Bie en J. Loosjes, 5 vols., ’s-Gravenhage [1907]-1949.
C. 1. Rivet/Sarrau Correspondence integrate d'Andre Rivet et de Claude Sarrau 1641-1650, publiee
et annotee par H. Bots et P. Leroy, 3 vols., Amsterdam 1978-1982.
DBDI Dizionairio Biogrqfico degli Italiani, Roma I960-...
DBF Dictionaire de Biographic Frangaise, Paris 1933-...
DNB Dictionary of National Biography, 63 vols., London 1885-1900.
ABBREVIATIONS XI
EJ Encyclopaedia Judaiccy 15 vols., Jerusalem 1971-1972.
L. Fuks/R. G. Fuks-Mansfeld, Hebrew Typography in the Northern Nether
lands. Historical Evaluation and descriptive Bibliography I, Leiden
1984.
Haag Eug. et Em. Haag, La Franceprotesiante, 9 vols., Paris 1846-1859. Id. 2e
edit, sous la direction de H. Bordier, 6 vols., Paris 1877-1888 (pas
continue).
Herzog Realenzyklopddie fiir protestantische Theologie und Kirche^ begriindet von J.
Herzog, 3. Aufl. herausgeg. von A. Hauck, 24 vols., Leipzig
1896-1913.
Jocher Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexicon, herausgegeben von C. G. Jocher, 4 vols.,
Leipzig 1750-1751.
Knuttel Catalogus van de Pamfletten- Verzameling berustende in de Koninklijke Bibliotheek,
door W. P. C. Knuttel, 9 vols., herdruk Utrecht 1978.
Molh. P. C. Molhuysen, Bronnen tot de geschiedenis der Leidsche Universiteity 1
vols., ’s-Gravenhage 1913-1924.
NEU Nouvelle Biographie Universelle, depuis les temps les plus recules jusqu’a
nos jours, 46 vols., Paris 1852-1866.
NBW Nationaal Biogrqfisch Woordenboek, Brussel 1964-...
NDB Neue Deutsche Biographiey Berlin 1953-...
NNBW Nieuw Nederlandsch Biographisch Woordenboek, onder redactie van P. C.
Molhuysen en P. J. Blok, 10 vols., Leiden 1911-1937.
Prima Seal Prima Scaligerana, ed. P. des Maizeaux, Amsterdam 1740.
Prijs Die Basler hebrdischen Drucke {1492-1866), bearbeitet von J. Prijs, erganzt
und herausgegeben von B. Prijs, Olten/Freiburg i. Br. 1964.
RGG{2) Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 2. Aufl., 5 vols., Tubingen
1927-1932.
RGG{3) Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 3. Aufl., 6 vols., Tubingen
1957-1965.
Rotermund J- C. Adelung/H. W. Rotermund, Fortsetzung und Ergdnzungen zu C. G.
Jochers Gelehrten-Lexicon^ 6 vols., Leipzig 1784-Bremen 1819.
Sec Seal Secunda Scaligerana, ed. P. des Maizeaux, Amsterdam 1740.
SR Studia Rosenthaliana.
Th Handschriftenarchief van de Bibliotheca Thysiana, berustende in de Uni-
versiteitsbibliotheek Leiden.
TvG Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis.
TRE Theologische Realenzyklopddie, Berlin/New York 1976-...
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