Yom-Tov Lipmann-Muhlhausen - Translations and Refutations

Translations and Refutations

Very characteristic is Lipmann's refutation of the assumed miraculous birth of Jesus, as well as his demonstration of the falsity of the conclusions of the Christians who claim that the birth of Jesus was foretold by the Prophets. He constantly quotes Maimonides, Ibn Ezra, Naḥmanides, Saadia, Rashi, Shemariah of Negropont, and other ancient scholars. Lipmann must have written his Sefer ha-Niẓẓaḥon before 1410, for he expressed a hope that the Messiah would arrive in that year (§335). It was first published by Hackspan (Altdorf, 1644), who seized the manuscript from the rabbi of Schneittach (Goldwurm 2001, p. 152). Wagenseil published, at the end of his Sota (Altdorf-Nuremberg, 1674), corrections of Hackspan's edition under the title of Correctiones Lipmannianæ.

Later, the Niẓẓaḥon was reprinted, with the addition of Ḳimḥi's Vikkuaḥ, in Amsterdam (1709 and 1711) and Königsberg (1847). Sebald Snelle published the Hebrew text with a Latin translation and refutation of the paragraph (§8) denying the miraculous birth of Jesus (Altdorf, 1643), and at various dates he published Latin translations of the paragraphs directed against Christianity. A Latin translation of the whole work, with the exception of the passages taken from the Pentateuch, was made by Johann Heinrich Blendinger (Altdorf, 1645). As will be readily understood, the work gave rise to many polemics and called forth replies from Christians. The first was Stephen Bodecker, Bishop of Brandenburg, a younger contemporary of Lipmann, who wrote a refutation of the Niẓẓaḥon (comp. Wolf, Bibl. Hebr. i.736). The following other refutations are published: Wilhelm Schickard, Triumphator Vapulans sive Refutatio, etc. (Tübingen, 1629); Stephen Gerlow, Disputatio Contra Lipmanni Nizzachon (Königsberg, 1647); Christian Schotan, Anti-Lipmanniana (Franeker, 1659), giving also the Hebrew text of the Niẓẓaḥon. Informally, Anti-Lipmanniana came to be used also an overall term for the entire corpus of Christian writings debating with and seeking to refute Lipman's arguments.