Jotapata Juan Rodrigo THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA 298

court enabled him to exercise a great influence in the early period of the Jewish congregation. He ac quired the privilege of having his own synagogue, to which he appointed as rnbbi his nephew and son-in-law, AARON BEN BENJAMIN Wor.~-. By his quarrels with Marcus Magnus, court Jew of the crown prince, the congregation was split into two factions, and after his death the quarrel was coutinued by bis widow and his sons Israel and Liebmaun Jost (sec JEw. ENcYc. iii. 71, iv. 317). Among his numerous descendants are the brothers Giacomo Meyerbeer, Michael Beer, and Wilhelm Beer. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Geiger, Gesch. der Jud,en in BerUn, I. 7. 21-

23, Berlin, 1871; Griitz, Gesch. x. 309, 350, Leipsic, 1868: Kauf-mann, Samson Wertheimer, p. 86, note 1, Vienna, 1888; idem, Vert,.eilrnng de,. Juden aus Wien, p. 217, i/J. 1889: Emil Lebmann, Berend Lehmann, pp. 32--31, Dresden, 1885 ; Landsbutb, Toledot Anshe ha-Shem, pp. 6--8, Berlin, 1884. D. s. MAN. JOTAPATA ('Iorarram, 'Iomrrar17): City in Gali-

lee to the north of Seppboris, strongly fortified by

citadel was razed and the fortifications burned on the first of Tammuz, 67 (ib. 7, 33-36).

The site of Jotapata has heen identified with the modern Tell Jafat, north of Sepphoris (E. G. l::lclmltz, in" Z. D. M. G." iii. 49 et seq,). BIBLIOGRAPHY : Grll.tz, Geseh. 4tb ed., UL 496 et seq.: Neu-

bau~r. G. '1'. pp. m~ 203-204; Parent, Sieue de Jotapata, 1866; Scbllrer, Ge8ch. 3d ed., 1. 611-613. G. M. SEL.

JOTHAM: 1. Youngest son of Gideon or Jer-ubbaal. On the dea th of Gideon (Judges viii. 33) the children of Israel fell back into the slough of idolatry , from the results of which he had so signally delivered them by the battle against Midian (ib. vii., viii.). Abimelech, the son of one of Gideon 's concuuines at Shechem, conspired with the She-chemites, for a given sum of money, to have his sev-enty lirothcrs slain at Ophrah, Gideon's home (ib. ix. 5). All were killed except Jotham, who hid himself.

While the assembly of Shechemites was crowning Abimelech at a Josephus (Josc-

plms, "Vita," 37) . In the Mislmah ('Ar. ix. 6, 32a) this city is called M!l1'' styled "the Ancient," and is supposed to have been for-titied by Joshua. The ~~ NMJJ'~

iu::i~ mentioned in Gen . R. xcviii. 16 is identified by Reland (" PaHtstina," ii. 816) with Jota-pata. There was a Menahem sur-named i1NEl1'' (Zeb. 110b), which probably means "a native of Jotapata." Neubauer (" G. T." p. 203)

Cave on theTopot Tell Jatat, Site ot Ancient Jotapata. (From a photograph by Dr. W. Popper,)

given place in Shechem, Jo-tham suddenly appeared on a point of rock on Mount Gerizim and addressed to the men of She-chem a parable (ib. ix. 7-21), the construction and application of which are not en-tirely plain. The trees of the forest could not persuade either the olive-tree, the fig-tree, or the vine to rule over them. The worthless bram-ble proposed it-self as king, threatening de-struction if the

thinks that the plain called MJ~' (Tose[, Niddah, iii. 11) is the plain of Jotapata.

The city is famous in Jewish history for the long siege which it sustained in the war with the Romans, As the fortress was very strong, being built on a rock surrounded by steep hills, and accessible on the northern side only, Josephus fled thither with his army (Josephus, "B. J." iii. 7, 3). Vespasian arrived there after many difficulties and pitched his camp on the northern side of the city (ib. 4). The Jews fought desperately; especially Eleazar b. Sameas of Saab, Netir, and Philip of Ruma. Ves-pasian himself was wounded. The siege continued for forty-seven days (ib. 7, 33; 8, 9), and might have lasted still longer had not a deserter betrayed the Jews. The Romans spared no body; and many of the Jews killed themselves. Forty thousand of them lost their lives during the siege; and about 1,000 women and children were sold as slaves. The

trees rejected it. In other words, "this bramble, Abimelech, has proposed his own promotion. If you crown him and trust in him, then rejoice an4 let him rejoice in you; but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem, and from the house of :Millo and devour Abimelech." Jotham then fled; but within three years his parable or curse was completely fulfilled (ib. ix.). BIBLIOGRAPHY: Moore, Judaes, ad Joe.

2. Son of Uzziah or Azariah; tenth king of Ju-dah (751 to 735 B.c .). His father sacrilegiously offered incense in the Temple (II Chron. xxvi. 16-21) and was smitten with leprosy. He was thus aompelled to dwell apart from the people, and for nearly fourteen years Jotham was regent, or, in reality, king over Judah. He lnheri,ted a strong government, well officered and administered. He himself is said to have built the upper gate of the house of YmvH and to have avoided the rashness

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299 THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA Jotapata Juan Rodrigo

which allowed his father to enter the Temple (II Chron. xxvii. 2). "He built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers." He also defeated the Ammonites, who paid him an immense annual tribute. His might is attributed by the Chronicler (ib. xxvii. 6) to his hav-ing "ordered his ways before Ynwn, his God."

But the increasing corruption of the Northern Kingdom began to permeate Judah, as is seen in the words of Isaiah and l\Iicah. Hosea's references to Judah indicate also a lack of purity of life and wor-ship under Jotham's reign.

3. One of the sons of Jahclai, descended from Caleb (I Chron. ii. 47).

E.G. H. I. M. P. JOURNAL SCIENTIFIQUE DE LA THEO-

LQGIE JUIVE. See PEmomcALS. JOURNALS, JEWISH. . See PERIODICALS. JOY (Hebrew, "siml_iah," "sason," "l_iedwah,"

"gil," and "rinnah ") : The feeling of gladi;iess and rejoicing.-Biblical Data: Cant. R. i. 4 enumer-ates ten different terms for joy, and Wiinsche ("Die Freude in den Schriften des Al ten Bundes," 1896) states that no language possesses as many words for joy as does the Hebrew; which fact indicates

th~ cheerful disposition of the Jewish people and the optimism predominant 'in Judaism (see OP_TI-l\ITSM). Often the Hebrew poet or prophet transfers the joy of his soul to the surrpunding creation; and so heaven and earth, mountains and valleys, fields and trees, are pictured as breaking forth into. joy (Ps. xcvi. 11-12, xcvii. 1, xcviii. 4; Isa. xxxv. 1-2, xliv. 23, xlix. 13).

The Bible couples joy with the earnestness of life, in striking contrast to paganism, which at times en-courages wanton indulgence in sensual pleasures by rendering wild orgies of passion features of the wor-ship of its lustful deities, and at other times.turns to the opposite extreme of absolute world-contempt and avoidance of every healthful enjoyment(" Rejoice not, 0 Israel, in the joy of the heathen nations"; Hosea ix. 1, Hebr.; see PAGANISM). The Bible cau-tions against pleasures which leave behind them heaviness, sorrow, and want (Prov. xiv. 13, xv. 21, xxi. 15; Eccl. ii. 2, vii. 4); but it regards lawful and healthful enjoyments as commendable inasmuch as they are blessings from God (Dent. xii. 7, xxiv. 11; Prov. x. 18; Eccl. ix. 7, xi. 9). To some extent, rejoicing with or before God, the Dispenser of all good, becomes an obligation (Dent. xii. 12, 18: xvi. 11, 15; xxvi. 11; xxvii. 7). Pure joy is the joy of thanksgiving to God, or the joy in God and in His help (Lev. xxiii. 40; Isa. xix. 19, xxv. 9; Joel ii. 23; Ps. vii. 12, ix. 3, civ. 34; I Sam. ii. 1). God Himself is a God of joy, who rejoices in His works (Ps. civ. 31). So do His statutes rejoice the heart (ib. xix. 9 [A. V. 8]). "In uprightness of heart there is gladness, wherefore the righteous will re-joice" (ib. xcvii. 11-12, Hebr.). "It is joy to the just to do judgment" (Prov. xxi. 15). "The key-note of the old Hebrew cult was joy, because it was a communion of man with his God" (Smend, "Re-ligionsgesch." p. 125, Freiburg, 1893). Fulness of joy is promised for the soul when in the presence of God (Ps. xvi. 11). Moreover, the Law consecrated

joy, fgr it was destined to impart joy to those deprived of joy by poverty and privation. The festivals of thanksgiving were ordained to be occa-sions of beneficence to the homeless and fatherless (Dent. xvi. 9-11). The worship of God should be offered in joy (Ps. c. 2); and the house of prayer should be joyful (Isa. lvi. 7). An enemy's fall should not cause joy (Prov. xxiv. 17). --In Rabbinical Literature: The same spirit of joyfulness, moderated by the consciousness of duty, pervades rabbinical literature. "Siml;lah shel mi:pvah" ( = "joy emanating from sacred duty well performed") is regarded as the only state of the soul in which the Shekinah rests on man (Shab. 30b), and in which communion with God by means of prayer should be sought (Ber. 31a). This joy the Rabbis find commended in Eccl. viii. 15, and the profane form repudiated in Eccl. ii. 2 (Shab. l.c.). To cheer the depressed is a meritorious act which may obtain for the lowliest man a share in the world to come (Ta'an. 22a).

Against the ascetic view of the Essenes, Rab de-clared that man at the .Judgment Day will have to

.give account for every lawful enjoyment offered to him by Providence and refused by him (Yer. ~id, iv. to end). Both he and Samuel quoted sayings even of a somewhat hedonistic character in order to discourage the spirit of ascetic world-contempt ('Er. 54a). In a similar sense must be taken the saying of R. Eleazar, "He who lives without a wife lives >vithout joy" (Yeb. 63a), and that of Eliezer ha-J.{appar, "He who denies himself wine is a sinner" (Ta'an. 11a). But the Rabbis made joy, above all, the characteristic feature of the Sabbath and of the holy seasons of the year. The words "call the Sabbath a delight" (Isa. !viii. 13) were so interpreted as to render the Sabbath the gem of days and the joy of the Jewish home (Shab. 118a, b; see SABBATH); and similarly every festival was invested with the character of joy (Pes. 109a; Meg. 16b). Even the Days of Penitence should have not an austere char-acter like the Lenten days of the Christians but preeminently one of cheerfulness (Yer. R.H. i. 57b).

But more powerful than all rabbinical precepts as an incentive to joy was life itself. In spite of the gloom cast upon the Jew ever since the destruc-tion of the Temple (Ber. 31a; 'Ab. Zarah 3b), in spite of all the persecutions and oppressions endured by him, there is a wondrous outburst of joy notice-able in the Jewish liturgy, in every morning and evening prayer (see GE'ULLAH), in the prayers for Sabbath and holy days, and in the songs and bene-dictions recited at the table. Cheerfulness is the key-note of the Jew's character in his domestic life and in his religious devotion, because it is founded upon optimism, upon faith in God, and upon hope in the final triumph of justice and truth. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Guttmacher, Optim1.sm and Pessim1.sm, pp.

61-64, Baltimore, 1903; Hamburger, R. LI. T. s. v. Freude ; Wiiusche, Die Frcude in den Schriften des Alten Bundes, Weimar, 1896.

K. JUAN DE ABADIA. See ABADIA, JUAN DE

I.A,

JUAN RODRIGO DE CASTEL-BRANCO (surnamed Amatus Lusitanus) : Portuguese phy-sician; born at Castel-Branco, Portugal, in 1511;

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