Paul of Burgos

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PAUL OF BURGOS

Spanish bishop, exegete, apologist; b. Burgos c. 1351; d. Burgos, Aug. 29, 1435. Since he was born of a wealthy Jewish family (and first known as Solomon ha Levi), he began his career as a learned rabbi. The study of Sacred Scripture and philosophy, particularly the Summa theologiae of St. Thomas, led him to the Christian faith. He was baptized in 1390, when he took the name of Paul of St. Mary, and, not long after, following the death of his wife, he was ordained a priest. In 1405, he became bishop of Cartagena, and in 1415 bishop of Burgos. The next year he was appointed lord chancellor of Castile. His principal works are his Additiones (142931) to the Postilla of Nicholas of Lyra on all the Sacred Scriptures, and his Dialogus contra perfidiam Judaeorum, finished in 1434, and printed several times (Mantua 1475; Mainz 1478; Paris 1507, etc.). The 1591 Burgos edition of the latter work contains a biographical sketch of Paul by C. Sanctotisius. Paul surpassed Nicholas of Lyra in his knowledge of Hebrew, but not in exegetical skill.

Bibliography: m. kayserling, The Jewish Encyclopedia, ed. j. singer, 13 v. (New York 190106) 9:562563. h. hurter, Nomenclator literarius theologiae catholicae, 5 v. in 6 (3d ed. Innsbruck 19031913) 2:812814.

[l. f. hartman]