Geschichte zweyer merkwürdigen Bekehrungen zur katholischen Religion: nämlich des. Herrn Thayers, eines protestantischen Ministers in Amerika, und des Herrn Johann. Joseph Keidecks, eines Rabbiners in Deutschland.

AUCTION 61 | Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters, Graphic Art and Ceremonial Objects

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Lot 80
(CONVERSIONARY).

Geschichte zweyer merkwürdigen Bekehrungen zur katholischen Religion: nämlich des. Herrn Thayers, eines protestantischen Ministers in Amerika, und des Herrn Johann. Joseph Keidecks, eines Rabbiners in Deutschland.

pp. 48. Trace foxed. Unbound. 8vo.

(Augsburg?): 1787

Est: $1,000 - $1,500
An account of two conversions to the Catholic faith. The first is of Boston-born John Thayer, the second account is of Moses Levi Keideck, who studied to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a rabbi. Born in a village near Cologne in 1755, Moses studied first at the yeshivah in Metz and then at the University of Prague, where he achieved high distinction in theological and philosophical studies. He served as a rabbi in the region around Cologne however he experienced a crisis of faith and considered conversion to Islam before coming into contact with a Capuchin monk who persuaded him that Jesus was the anticipated Messiah and thus Moses converted to Catholicism, taking the name of Johann Joseph Keideck. He also converted five other Jewish families.