Enciclopedia Cattolica Vol. IV, 1950 Philosophy Philosophers

Del Medigo, Elia

Italian original Cite

Also known as: Elijah of Crete, Elijah Del Medigo; Italian: Elia Delmedigo; Latin: Elias Cretensis, Elias del Medigo, Helias Cretensis

DEL MEDIGO, ELIA. - Philosopher and Talmudist, b. in Candia (for which reason he is often called Helias Cretensis) ca. 1460, d. there ca. 1493. Along with a strictly Jewish education, he had a broad classical culture. He frequented various cities of Italy, such as Padua and Florence, where he taught philosophy.

Among his disciples was Pico della Mirandola (v.), with whom he remained bound in close friendship. In his numerous publications he adhered to the most genuine Jewish tradition, polemicizing against the Karaites and the Kabbalists. In philosophy he followed Maimonides and Averroes. His principal work is an apology for the Jewish religion, written in Hebrew, Bèhlath had-dèth ("Examination of Religion"). With his writings in Latin he contributed effectively to making the philosophical thought of medieval Judaism known to Christians.

Bibliography

BIBL.: U. Cassuto, Gli Ebrei in Firenze nell'età del Rinascimento, Florence 1918, pp. 283-92.

Angelo Penna

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By Angelo Penna

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Translated from the Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IV (1950), col. 1386.

More by Angelo Penna: Del Medigo, Giuseppe Salomone · Della Torre, Lelio · Denarius · De Rossi, Azaria · Reubeni, David

Cite this article

Chicago

Penna, Angelo. “Del Medigo, elia.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IV, col. 1386. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1950. https://azioneromana.com/article/del-medigo-elia.

MLA

Penna, Angelo. “Del Medigo, elia.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IV, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1950, col. 1386. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/del-medigo-elia.

BibTeX

@incollection{ec4_del_medigo_elia,
  author    = {Penna, Angelo},
  title     = {Del Medigo, elia},
  booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
  volume    = {IV},
  pages     = {1386},
  note      = {Cited by column},
  publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
  address   = {Città del Vaticano},
  year      = {1950},
  url       = {https://azioneromana.com/article/del-medigo-elia}
}

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