Like his father, he was financial
adviser to the king of his native Portugal but for political reasons
fled to Spain where he became financial agent to Queen Isabella of
Castile. After the issuing of the decree of expulsion of the Jews
from Spain in 1492, Abravanel was the spokesman for the Jewish
community, pleading unsuccessfully before the Catholic Monarchs for
its revocation. He himself had to leave with the other Jews,
although allowed to take much of his fortune. He went to Naples, in
Italy, becoming a courtier at the royal court, but after the French
conquest in 1495, he moved to Monopoli and devoted himself to his
literary work. In 1503, he made his final move - to Venice where he
was again a diplomatic adviser to the ruler. Abravanel was the
author of a discursive, often philosophical, commentary on the
Bible. His political experience was invaluable in his comments on
the historical books. In Latin translation, this commentary was much
used by Christian scholars.
Bibliography:
ABRAVANEL, Isaac. Sefer ateret zekenim.
Pp. 14, 117. 1967/8.
ABRAVANEL, Isaac. Perush `al ha-Torah.
5 vols. 1963/64.
ABRAVANEL, Isaac. Perush `al Nevi'im
Rishonim. Pp. 680. Jerusalem: Torah ve-da`at, 1954/55.
ABRAVANEL, Isaac. Sefer Yeshu`ot meshiho.
Pp. 146. Brooklyn, N.Y.: J. Lowy, 1977.
ABRAVANEL, Isaac. Sefer Rosh amanah.
Pp. 62. s.n., 197-
BORODOWSKI, Alfredo
Fabio. Isaac Abravanel on miracles, creation, prophecy, and evil:
the tension between medieval Jewish philosophy and biblical
commentary. PP. xvi, 241. New York: P. Lang, c2003.
FELDMAN, Seymour. Philosophy in a time of crisis: Don Isaac Abravanel, defender of the
faith. New York: Routledge, 2002.
GOETSCHEL, Roland. Isaac Abravanel: conseiller des princes et philosophe, 1437-1508.
Pp. 201. Paris: Albin Michel, c1996.
LAWEE, Eric. Isaac
Abarbanel's stance toward tradition: defense, dissent, and dialogue.
Pp. xii, 320. Albany: State University of New York Press, c2001.
NETANYAHU, Benzion. Don Isaac Abravanel, statesman & philosopher. Pp. xii, 346.
Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1953.
Links:
Abravanel,
Isaac - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001
Isaac Abravanel - Jewish-American
Hall of Fame
