Information Received About Rabbi Jacob Jehudah Leon.

INFORMATION RECEIVED ABOUT RABBI JACOB JEHUDAH LEON .

BY BRO . JACOB NORTON .

AS many readers of this paper may have forgotten what Dermotfc wrote in his 1764 edition of tho Ahiman Rezon , and as a great many Masons into whose hands this paper may fall havo never heard about the Ahiman Rezon , I shall reproduce , from the Ahiman Rezon , the following story , viz .:

—" The Freemasons' Arms in the upper part of the frontispiece of thia book [ the Ahiman Rezon ] was found in the collection of the famous and learned Hebrewist , architect , and brother , Eabbi Jacob Johndah Leon . This gentleman , at the request of the States of Holland , built a model of Solomon ' s temple . The design of this

undertaking was to bnild a temple in Holland , but upon surveying the model it was adjudged that the united provinces were not rich enough to pay for ifc , whereupon the States generously bestowed the model upon the builder , notwithstanding they bad already paid him his demand , which was very great . [ How great was it ?] This model

was exhibited to publio view , by authority , at Pans and Vienna , and afterwards in London , by a patent under the great seal of England , and signed Killigrew , in the reign of King Charles the Second . At tho same time , Jacob Jehudah Leon published a description of the tabernacle and the temple , and dedicated it to his Majesty , and in the

years 1759 and 1760 I had the pleasure of perusing and examining both of these curiosities . The arms are emblazoned thus : —quarterly per squares , counterchanged rerfc . In the first quarter , Azure a Lyon rampant Or ; in the second quarter Or , an ox passant sable ; in the

third quarter Or , a man with a hand erect , proper robed , crimson and ermine ; in the fourth quarter Azure , an eagle displayed Or , Crest , the holy ark of the covenant proper , supported by Cherubims . Motto , Kodes la Adonijie , Holiness to the Lord . " Now , in the first place , I did not believe that a Babbi

was a brother Mason in the days of Charles 2 nd . Second , I believed that the States of Holland at that time could

afford to build as expensive a Tomple as Solomon did when in tho height of his glory ; and third , 1 had reason to doubt that Rabbi Leon had illustrated his book with such highly coloured pictures or emblazonments of " Masons '

Arms , " as above described . In short , I was puzzled as to whether any part of Dermofct ' s story was true , or whether there was truth at all in it . While pondering over tho

question as to the best method of solving my puzzle , I happened to recollect of Bros . Gould's and Speth's recent visit to the Grand Lodge of Holland , of which Bro . Gould informed me when I met him in London last year .

This , somehow , brought a lucky thought into my head . I at once pitched upon Bro . Speth as being the best man to answer my purpose , and the result proves that I was right . Briefly , then , my good Bro . Speth , at my suggestion ,

opened a correspondence with his new Hollaudtsh acquaintances . Many lottors passed to and fro between them ; at last , however , the researches of Bro . Speth's friends

brought to light some important facts upon the question at issue , which Bro . Speth lost no timo in communicating to me . I refrained , however , from publishing tho news until I received his permission . This having been obtained , I

lay tho result beforo tho readers of tho FREEMASONS CHRONICLE , viz .:

—"The Hague , 27 th May 1889 . "Mr DEAR BRO . SPETH , " At last I am so fortunate as to have collected soma particulars about the Jehudah question .

" The enclosed paper , written by Bro . Inaas GeeBteranus , who took much pleasure in making researches ; ho had a correspondence with several brethren , and was assisted by a very able brother , who ia thoroughly acquainted with tho history of the Jews and Jewish literature .

" To Bro . Inaas Geesleramis account I beg to add that one of my friends , a very esteemed historian and archrojlogist , made researches in the Royal Archives , containing also the archives of tho States of Holland , but without any success : he could find no trace of the question .

"Bro . Inaas Ceestoranus and I aro of opinion that there is a mistake or misunderstanding in Dermott ' s statement [ this is merely a Bpeoimen of Masonio courtesy ] concerning the order given by the States of Holland . Evidently , never such an order was given . In the midst of the 17 th century a freedom of press

existed , but stifl no book could be published without permission or privilogo of the authorities ; and , now , Jacob Jadah got that per . mission or privilege , which was printed in front of his book . Snch a privilege gavo the same lu ' ght as what now exists as copyright . As I said , it is clear that here was a misunderstanding . I hope tho enclosed paper will bo of some use to yon .

" Yours very fraternally , "J . P . VAiMANr . " Now for the arrived information . "Jacob Juda ( or Jehnda ) Lson live ! in Middelburg , in Hollaud , about the middle of the XVII . century . He had made , but withont any

Information Received About Rabbi Jacob Jehudah Leon.

order , commission , or assistance , whether pecuniary or otherwise , of the Government , a model of Solomon's Temple , that he himself gives the following account of : — " Cette eminente fabrique que j'ai faitte , et que j'ai chez moy , est nne piece de dix pieds de long de Porient a l '

occident , de vingt pieds do large du Midy au Septentrion , et dix-sept de hauteur , faitte avoo telle proportion qu ' elle vienne a prendre a longueur nne partie de trois cent , en hauteur nne partie do nonante mil , et en profondeur une partie de vingt et sept millions de la grandeur du mesme Temple . " *

" In 1642 he edited , at Amsterdam , in the Dutch language , a small book , of which only one copy is known to bo extant in the country , under this title— ' Description of Solomon ' s Temple , containing a short account of the form of the building and of all the vessels and instruments used in the service thereof , which model is in the possession of the author , and can be seen by anybody , by Jacob Jehudah Leon Ebreo . ' " This description is dedicated to tho State of Zealand , who voted a present of 12 pounds 10 sh [ ings ] Flemish to the author ( about £ 6 10 s ) . " In 1 G 43 he edited the same book in French , under this title : —

" Portrait du Tomple de Solomon , DauB lequel Be deBorit brievement la constitution de la fabrique da Temple . Et de tous les vases et utensils d'icilny : dont la mod Me se tronve aprea le mesme auteur comme chacun pent le voir , compos 6 " van Jacob Juda Leon , Hebrew , habitant de Middlebourg en la province de Zelande , L ' an de la

creation du monde 5403 . a Amsterdam . " "The then Duke of Brunswiok oaused a Latin translation of Leon ' s description of tho Temple to be made and edited in 1665 . It appears that Leon's work caused a certain and lasting interest in the country , for not only did a now edition ( 2 nd or 3 rd ) appear in 1644 ,

and a fourth , both in the Dutch language , in 1669 , but in the laBt mentioned year he issued a description of a model of the same kind , viz ., of iloses' Tabernacle . Tho title of this book reads as follows : — ' Description of tho Tabernacle that Moses made , by God ' s command , Also of all vessels and instruments used iu the service thereof .

Likewise tho situation of the bodies of Levites and Isralites ronud the Tabernacle , all according to Holy Scripture . By Jacob Jehuda Leon , Hebrew , author of the model of Solomon ' s Temple . Amsterdam . ' 1 G 69 . ' "

" This last book , a small 4 to vol . of 21 pages , is dedicated to tho Prince of Orange , Nassau ( William III . ) and his conaort the Princess ltoyal Mary , the oldest daughter of his Royal Majesty of Great Brittain , & c , & c . "

In the dedication , Leon refers to the honour the Princes did him when some years beforo ifc pleased them to throw their eyes on the model of Solomon ' s Temple , being not only an uncommon piece of work , but worthy to be inspected by the greatest Princes of the world .

In one of his prefaces , Leon tells us that the model and contents do not only relate to Solomon ' s Temple alone , but also to the building after its reedification , so that a great

many vessels , instruments and ornaments were put there together , which neither of the Temples had possessed at the same time , and even Anachronisms of Herod's time were met with in Leon ' s model . So the historical unity was not strictly observed . In the first place , information about Leon and his

models was looked for from the Jewish Scholars at tho Hague and Rotterdam , but they had never heard of the

man nor his work . But when those gentlemen had made the acquaintance of the above mentioned books , that wero discovered in an old library depending ( or bolonging ) to the Leyden University , and had compared the contents

with the old Jewish [ account of the ] Talmudian books on the subject , they declared Leon ' s description quite in conformity with the particulars mentioned therein . However , they did not know any other works on Jewish

archaeology by the same author , to which he alludes

passim in his prefaces . Leon ' s contemporaries did nofc judge very favourably of his writings . Wilhelm Goeree , who wrote Jewish Antiquities , or an Initiation into the Wisdom of the Bible

( Amsterdam , 1690 ) , contradicted some of his [ Leon ' s ] statements abtrat the Temple ' s localities .

"Noither in the Archives of the Synagogue at Middelbourg , nor in those of the municipality of that towa , was anything to be found