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Morosino, Giulto

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(originally Samuel Nachmnias), a Jewish convert to Romanism, was a native of Thessalonica. In Venice, where he settled, he first received a favorable impression of the truth of Christianity by being present at a public dispute between two of his nation — one of whom had renounced Judaism, respecting the accomplishment of Daniel's prophecy of the seventy weeks. In this dispute Simone Luzzatto (q.v.), the celebrated rabbi of Venice, was chosen arbitrator. Luzzatto's explanation was, "I beseech you to permit us to be silent and shut up our books, for if we proceed to examine the prophecies any further we shall all become Christians. It cannot be denied that in the prophecy of Daniel the coming of the Messiah is so clearly manifested that the time of his appearance must be allowed to be already past; but whether Jesus of Nazareth be the person, I cannot determine." This speech closed the debate, and made such a deep impression upon Samuel and his brother Joseph that they both formed the design of renouncing Judaism. Gratz, the Jewish historian, says that Nachmias either misunderstood or perverted Luzzatto's expression (sit!), but the fact is that a few months after, upon reconsidering the subject seriously and calmly, both brothers embraced Christianity. and were openly baptized November 22, 1649, Nachmias assuming the name of Giulio Morosino. while his brother took the name of Ottavio. Ten years later he was called to Rome by pope Clement IX. who invested him with the office of librarian at the Vatican library, and this position he held until his death in 1687. Morosino wrote, Via delle fide monstrata a gli Ebrei (Rome, 1683), in which he appeals to the Jews no longer to be bound to observe the ceremonies, but to embrace the doctrines of the Gospel. See Kalkar. Israel u. d. Kirche (Hamburg, 1869), page 82 sq.; Basnage, Histoire des Juifs (Engl. transl. by Taylor), page 725; Adams, History of the Jews, 2:76 sq. (Boston, 1812); Wolf, Bibl. Hebr. 3:1128; Gratz. Gesch. d. Juden, 10:164; Bartolocci, Biblioth. Rabbin. 3:756; Fiirst, Bibl. Jud. 2:39; 3:8. (B.P.)