Fine engraved portrait by Salom d’Italia.

LEON, JACOB JUDAH (TEMPLO).

(Amsterdam)

1641

Rubens, Jewish Iconography no. 1732.

Jacob Judah Aryeh Leon Templo was born near Coimbra in 1602. Three year later his family fled Portugal for Amsterdam where they returned to the open practice of Judaism. Jacob studied for the rabbinate and was eventually appointed to Hamburg and then Middleburg. It was there he met the theologian and Millenarian Adam Boreel with whom he studied along with Menasseh ben Israel. It is suggested that under Boreel’s urging Leon was inspired to construct a model of Solomon’s Temple based upon the description of the Torah and later rabbinic writings. This accomplishment found intense interest throughout Europe. See A.K. Offenberg, Bibliotheca RosenthalianaTreasures of Jewish Booklore (1994) pp. 32-3; A.L. Shane, Rabbi Jacob Judah Leon (Templo) of Amsterdam and his Connections with England, in JHSET Vol. XXV pp. 120-36.