NATHAN OF ROME. - Jewish lexicographer, lived in Rome in the 11th century, d. in 1106. He was a contemporary of the Talmudist Isaac of Fez (al-Fāṣī) and of the great commentator Rashi (v.).

N.'s work, the 'Ārīkh ("Prepared"), extends over the whole of Talmudic, Gaonic (v. GE'ONIM) and scribal literature. It was published in Pesaro in 1517; reprinted anastatically in Berlin in 1927; republished by A. Kohut in Vienna in 1878 and following years; finally edited with Additamenta by S. Krauss in Vienna in 1937.

In his work N. has recourse, for comparisons or explanations, to various languages (Arabic, Persian, Greek, Latin, Italian, Provençal; the "grammatical" language does not mean, in N.'s usage, "Latin," but Greek). Precious are the quotations of passages from forgotten or lost works. The 'Ārīkh soon became, and remained, a first-rate working tool. The first additamenta to the work are due to the physician Benjamin Mussafia (Amsterdam 1655). Together with his brothers, or alone, he composed responsa on Talmudic matters.

Bibliography

BIBL.: H. Vogelstein-P. Rieger, Geschichte der Juden in Rom, I, Berlin 1896, pp. 357-66, 507.

@incollection{ec8_natan_da_roma, author = {Zolli, Eugenio}, title = {Natan da Roma}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VIII}, pages = {1676}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/natan-da-roma} }

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Nathan of Rome

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