LUZZATTO, SAMUEL DAVID. - Jewish scholar, one of the founders of the science of Judaism, b. in Trieste on 22 Aug. 1800, d. in Padua on 30 Sept. 1865. He became known in his community for certain poetic compositions in Hebrew. In 1825 he published a work on Hebrew synonyms. In 1829 he was appointed lecturer for Bible, grammar, history and Jewish theology at the Rabbinical College of Padua. Many family misfortunes and the precarious position of the College made his laborious existence difficult.
Among his early works should be remembered: the Italian translations of the Jewish prayers according to the German rite and the Italian rite (Vienna 1821-22, 1829); a commentary on the Pentateuch (ibid. 1846-47); Prolegomeni ad una grammatica ragionata della lingua ebraica (Padua 1853-1869); the Italian translation with Hebrew commentary of Isaiah (ibid. 1855-67); Elementi grammaticali del caldeo biblico e del dialetto talmudico-babilonese (ibid. 1865); the Italian translation of the entire Bible, carried out by L. together with his disciples (Rovigo 1866-67; the Pentateuch separately, ibid. 1872); the Italian translation of the Pentateuch with Hebrew commentary (Padua 1871-76); Hebrew commentaries (Pêrâfim) on selected passages of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Proverbs, Job (Lvov 1876). L. also published a collection of his own songs and many dissertations of scientific interest. Fruits of his teaching: Calendario ebraico per 20 secoli (1849); Lezioni di teologia morale israelitica (1862); Lezioni di teologia dogmatica israelitica (1864); Discorsi storico-religiosi agli studenti israeliti (1870). His Autobiografia came out posthumously (1882). The importance of his correspondence in Hebrew and in Italian is very notable from the scientific point of view.
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Eugenio Zolli