A decorative woodcut header strip featuring symmetrical vine and floral scrolls. Below it is the Hebrew phrase "בשם יי" (In the name of the Lord). A large ornamental woodcut initial 'I' begins the body text, filled with dense foliate and floral patterns.

TOWARD AN EXAMINATION OF ABARBANEL

ON THE BOOK OF OBADIAH

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

To us, it has always seemed the most impudent and, above all others, an intolerable accusation original Greek: ἔγκλημα with which the Jews burden Christians: namely, their habit of calling them "Idumeans," calling the Roman Empire the "Idumean Kingdom," and referring to Rome itself as "Bozrah," the capital city of that kingdom. Anyone who desires evidence of this may consult Buxtorf’s Talmudic Lexicon (columns 30 and 2227), Helvicus’s Giessen Disputations (Volume 4, page 246), or Gerson’s Talmud (Part 1, chapter 17, page 104). Indeed, for anyone even moderately well-versed in the writings of the Rabbis—and especially those of Abarbanel—this matter is the best known of all. Nor is there any need for far-fetched conjectures or much divination to investigate the intention of these Jewish writers original Latin: "Judæastrorum," a derogatory term using the suffix "-aster" to imply a poor or false imitation, since anyone can easily perceive that this plot is being hatched against us original: "hanc cudi fabam," a Latin idiom meaning "this bean is being threshed for us," or "we are the targets of this trouble". By means of this most foolish invention, they aim at our necks an entire Iliad of woes original: "Iliada malorum," a classical reference to a massive amount of suffering and every deadly thing predicted by the ancient Prophets against the Idumeans. Therefore, before we undertake our primary task, we shall first strike down this primary lie original Greek: πρῶτον ψεῦδος of the Jewish claimants original Latin: "Apellarum," a Roman nickname for Jews and the very flimsy arguments of this accusation, so that as we progress, we may more easily unravel the deceits of Abarbanel. Here, indeed, you may see into how many directions a spirit of confusion original: "spiritus vertiginis," a biblical reference to being made "dizzy" or "staggering" in judgment carries away these minor masters of the Jews! Truly, we may rightfully use that well-worn proverb: "Truth is one, but falsehood is many-formed." original Greek: Τὸ ἀληθὲς ἓν, τὸ δὲ ψεῦδος πολυειδὲς εἶναι First, Rabbi Nachmanides (on Genesis, folio 42, column 2), Rabbi Bechai (on the Pentateuch, in the section Vayechi The Torah portion starting at Genesis 47:28, folio 6, columns 1 and 2), and our author Abarbanel (on Isaiah chapter 34, folio 53, column 4) assert that Janus, the first King of Latium, was himself an Idumean—specifically, a grandson of Esau. From this they conclude that the Latin people are a colony of Idumeans and that the Romans are therefore Idumeans. They recount this from the history of Josippon original: "Josepho Gorionide," referring to the Yosippon, a 10th-century history of the Jews often attributed to Josephus in the Middle Ages, whom they hold in great...