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Böhmer, Israel B. Joseph

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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Böhmer, Joseph B. Meïr

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Russian Neo-Hebraist and lexicographer; born about 1820; died in Slutzk, government of Minsk, April 4, 1860. His father, R. Joseph Böhmer (1796-1864), was a prominent Talmudical authority, one of the firstgraduates from the yeshibah of R. Ḥayyim of Volozhin, and rabbi of Slutzk for thirty-five years. Israel traveled in western countries and knew several European languages. His works abound with Latin, German, and French quotations, and show a familiarity with scientific methods of investigation. His chief work is "Kitbe Israel Böhmer" (The Writings of Israel Böhmer), part or letter , Warsaw, 1849, a treatise on the Essenes, containing many etymological explanations of Hebrew and Talmudical terms. His "Keẓad Ma'arikin" (How to Arrange) is a contribution to Talmudical or rabbinical lexicography, and was published as a specimen of a large work on the subject (Berlin, 1855). Böhmer edited, in conjunction with G. Polak of Amsterdam, "Eẓba' Elohim" (The Finger of God), a sketch of the life of R. Isaac Tirnau, with notes and appendix (Königsberg, 1857). He also published, together with E. L. Silberman, for whose "Ha-Maggid" he worked about nine months, a new and annotated edition of Samuel Shullam's Hebrew translation of Josephus' work, "Contra Ap." (Lyck, 1858). His lexicographical articles appeared in "Kerem Ḥemed," 3:13-22,116-149 (of which the above "Keẓad Ma'arikin" is practically a reprint). There also appeared from his pen "Lexicalische Beiträge zum Talmud," in "Literaturblatt des Orients," 1850, , Nos. 25, 27, 39. His Hebrew is far from being pure or classical, and contains many curious Germanisms ("Reformer and Jewish Times," New York, vol. , No. 20).