LEON OF

See also:

• MODENA (ancient Mutina)

MODENA (1571-1648)  , Jewish scholar, was born in Venice, of a notable French family which had migrated to Italy after the expulsion of the Jews from France . He was a precocious child, but, as Graetz points out, his lack of stable character prevented his gifts from maturing . " He pursued all sorts of occupations to support himself, viz. those of preacher, teacher of Jews and Christians, reader of prayers, interpreter, writer, proof-reader, bookseller, broker, merchant, rabbi, musician, matchmaker and manufacturer of amulets." Though he failed to rise to real distinction he earned a place by his criticism of the Talmud among those who prepared the way for the new learning in Judaism . One of Leon's most effective works was his attack on the Kabbala ('Ari Nohem, first published in 1840), for in it he demonstrated that the " Bible of the Kabbalists" (the Zohar) was a modern composition . He became best known, however, as the interpreter of Judaism to the Christian world . At the instance of an English nobleman he . prepared an account of the religious customs of the Synagogue, ' Riti Ebraici (1637) . This book was widely read by Christians; it was rendered into various languages, and in 165o was translated into English by Edward Chilmead . At the time the Jewish question was coming to the fore in London, and Leon of Modena's book did much to stimulate popular interest . He died at Venice . See Graetz, History of the Jews (Eng. trans.), vol. v. ch. iii.; Jewish Encyclopedia, viii . 6; Geiger, Leon de Modena . (I .