Elias Levita (Heb. Hallevi, the Levite), a Hebrew scholar, born according to some in Franconia, according to others in Italy, about 1470, died in Venice in 1549. At the beginning of the 16th century he lectured in Padua on Hebrew grammar, and wrote a commentary on one of Moses Kimhi's grammatical works (Pesaro, 1508; frequently reprinted). When Padua was plundered in 1509 he lost all his property, and afterward visited Venice and Rome. Here he became the teacher in Hebrew of Cardinal Egidio. He was again reduced to poverty by the sack of Rome in 1527, and returned to Venice. In 1540, with Paul Fagius, he established a Hebrew printing office at Isny, Swabia; and in 1547 he again established himself in Venice. He rejected many of the Hebrew traditions, and spoke so favorably of the Christians that he was suspected of infidelity to Judaism. But his high personal character and his profound scholarship were never questioned. Besides numerous lexicographical and grammatical treatises, of which his Tishbi (Isny, 1541; Basel, 1557) and Ba'hur (Rome, 1518; Basel, 1825) are the most celebrated respectively, he wrote poems, translated the Psalms into German, and was said to be the author of the Jewish-German novel Baba. But his great work was Masoreth hammasoreth (Venice, 1538), a critical commentary on the Biblical text and its authors.

The best translation is the English, published, with a critical edition of the original, by Dr. Ginzburg (London, 18G7).

Elias Levita #1

See Elias Levita.