Esdras Edzardus

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Esdras Edzardus (also Edzard or incorrectly Edzardi) (* June 28, 1629 in Hamburg ; † January 1, 1708 there ) was a German orientalist , private scholar and activist of the Jewish mission .

Life

Edzardus was the son of a Lutheran pastor in Hamburg. After completing his education at the Johanneum in Hamburg and the grammar school there , he studied theology and oriental languages for a total of 10 years from 1647 , including in Leipzig and Wittenberg . He also acquired knowledge of Judaism and the Talmud . In 1656 he was licensed in theology in Rostock . When he returned to Hamburg, Edzardus decided not to accept an ecclesiastical office, but to work as a private scholar living on his fortune.

He taught Hebrew and Jewish literature free of charge to Christians . He enjoyed such a good reputation in it that other orientalists sent their students to him. One of his students was August Hermann Francke . His main activity, however, was the mission for the Lutheran faith, especially among the Jews . In 1667 he established a "proselyte institute". His mission to the Jews was privately initiated by him and his followers, but could rely on the support of the Hamburg clergy and the citizens. Later he donated, partly from his private fortune, a fund to support the converts , which was topped up with donations. 148 Jews had been baptized up to his death, mostly not from the Hamburg community.

Edzardus was supported by the Lutheran pastors, some of whom were anti-Judaistic . His missionary work posed an additional threat to the Jewish communities in an already difficult situation. The conversion of young people led to conflicts with Hamburg's Jews several times .

Some of his sons continued his missionary work outside of Hamburg. The proselyte institute still exists today. It was initially continued by Sebastian and Georg Elieser Edzardus and restructured in 1761 with a board of clergymen and professors. In the 19th century, its main task was to convey Christian content to converts. The foundation was dissolved in 1942, but was re-established in 1945. Today the Edzardi Foundation supports Christians in Israel.

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personal data
SURNAME Edzardus, Esdras
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Edzard, Esdras; Edzardi, Esdras
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German theologian and missionary to Jews
DATE OF BIRTH June 28, 1629
PLACE OF BIRTH Hamburg , Germany
DATE OF DEATH January 1, 1708
Place of death Hamburg , Germany