Cudworth, Ralph°

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CUDWORTH, RALPH°

CUDWORTH, RALPH ° (1617–1688), English Platonist. Cudworth was professor of Hebrew at Cambridge from 1645. His commentary on Daniel survives in manuscript form (British Museum, Ms. Add. 4986–87), and he is known to have been interested in the translation of the Mishnah into Latin by Isaac *Abendana (Cambridge Univ., Ms. Mm. 1. 4–9); his publications, however, were theological and philosophical. In a sermon preached before the House of Commons in 1647 Cudworth advocated toleration, and he was a member of the Whitehall Conference of 1655 concerning the readmission of Jews to England. He eulogized Cromwell and his son in Hebrew, as well as Charles ii on his return by contributing a congratulatory volume called Academiae Cantabrigiensis Σῶοτρα (1660). The auction catalog of his library (February 2, 1690/91) was printed, and contains a list of his Hebrew books among many others.

bibliography:

J.A. Passmore, Ralph Cudworth (1950), includes bibliography. add. bibliography: odnb online.

[Raphael Loewe]