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CERTAMEN PHILOSOPHICUM
Isaac Orobio de Castro

The correspondence between Orobio and Bredenburg brings to light the superiority of classical philosophy over the faulty reasoning of propositions influenced by Spinoza's philosophy. Through meticulous logical analysis and verification of Jan Bredenburg's propositions, Isaac Orobio exposes and reveals the inherent contradictions of modern philosophical materialism. For Isaac Orobio, Spinoza and his contemporaries conceal the heresy of a new pantheistic atheism that replaces God with “Nature,” relying on new sophisms, whose principles are self-necessary and independent of disciplines, ignoring all common foundations of logic, grammar, metaphysics, and ontology. Isaac Orobio rejects this fragmentation of the concept of truth between science and religion, and vigorously defends the foundations on which science and religious thought converge through simultaneous and logical truths that allow for a rational understanding of the existence of a necessary being, creation from infinite possibilities, and the limitations of existing finite agents. Through these propositions, his work becomes an essential reference for those seeking to grasp the challenging interaction between reason, faith, and existence, forming a crucial reading for philosophers, theologians, and anyone interested in the classical foundations of faith in relation to reason. With his sharp pen and keen reasoning, Orobio became the first critic to oppose the new philosophical wave of modern materialism that threatened to undermine the foundations of revealed religion. This translation aims not only to make this fundamental work of classical philosophy accessible to contemporary readers but also to illuminate, through notes, the connections between Orobio's classical context and the modern existential questions that persist to this day.

Isaac Orobio de Castro (1617-1687) is distinguished as the first anti-modern in 17th-century philosophy. He undertook medical studies in Osuna, Andalusia, where he received a classical education that included the “Trivium,” meaning the three arts of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. His teaching career in medicine took a turn when the Spanish Inquisition slandered and imprisoned him for at least two years in 1654. In 1657, after receiving a second life sentence in Seville, he took refuge with his family in Toulouse, where he practiced as a physician and counselor to the French royal family. He spent two years at the Maison de l'Infante in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, near Maria Teresa of Spain, daughter of the King of Spain, who later became Queen of France and Navarre. In 1659, he served as a counselor to King Louis XIV during the peace negotiations with Spain. At the royal house in the Pyrenees, Orobio started to write his work, thus gaining recognition not only in medicine but also in philosophy. Diverse contemporary figures such as Voltaire, Diderot, and Leibniz praised his erudition and character. In 1662, he settled in the Jewish community of Amsterdam, where he passed away in 1687. His rationalist philosophical legacy remains an essential reference in the reconciliation between reason and religion. His tombstone in the Portuguese Jewish cemetery in Ouderkerk, near Amsterdam, attests to his impact: “Isaac lives in the heavens; this stone marks the grave of a man of worth. A man still alive, who has illuminated the world.”

Orobio de Castro, Isaac. Certamen Philosophicum: Philosophical Combat for Divine and Natural Truth. 2nd Revised Edition. Foreword and notes by Jean-Pierre Rothschild. Introduction and notes by Seymour Feldman. Prologue and translation by Walter Hilliger. Le Cercle Hilliger, 2024. ISBN 978-2-494509-39-9. Collection Veritas è terra orietur. ISSN 3003-8898. 172 pages.

CONDUCT OF LIFE vol. 1
Moses Almosnino

The major work of Rabbi Moses Almosnino (1515-1580), Conduct of Life, remains to this day an essential reference in classical Judeo-Spanish literature, now finally available in English in its first translation. First published in Ladino in 1564 as "Sefer Hanhagat ha-chayim," and in 1729 as "Regimiento de la vida," this three-volume edition is part of the prestigious collection Veritas è terra orietur. The introduction by Jean-Pierre Rothschild, Director of Research at CNRS and Director of Studies at EPHE, specializing in mediaeval philosophy, enlightens the reader on the foundations and stakes of the work.

The first volume aims to provide practical advice for leading a good life from an early age. It emphasizes the distinction between spiritual, physical, and external goods (I, ch. 1-3), including suggestions on dietary habits, sleep and waking, going to bed and getting up, walking and sitting, speaking and silence (I, ch. 4-10), the four types of discourse (I, ch. 11), and why the righteous die young (I, ch. 11). Finally, it addresses questions on eschatology, classical philosophy, and theodicy (I, ch. 12-14).

Conduct of Life draws heavily from the Nicomachean Ethics but transcends this source by situating itself at the universal intersection of several traditions: Greco-Arabic philosophy, Judeo-Christian scholasticism, classical Sephardic Judaism, and mediaeval Jewish thought. Thus, this work contributes to peace and intercultural understanding among peoples.

R. Moses Ben Barukh Almosnino (c. 1515-1580) was a major figure in Classical Judaism. He settled in the Ottoman Empire, and possessed extensive knowledge of both Jewish and secular subjects and was known for his Responsa and exegeses. He also took an interest in various scientific fields, translating and commenting on works by Aristotle and other scholars. R. Moses Almosnino wrote on topics such as ethics, including commentaries on the Nicomachean Ethics and Pirkei Avot. He also authored “Extremos y grandezas de Constantinopla,” a historical work in Judeo-Spanish. His original work “Regimiento de la vida,” (Conduct of Life) a treatise on ethics, was published during his lifetime in 1564 and remains a reference in classical Judeo-Spanish literature.

Almosnino, R. Moïse. Conduct of Life - Volume 1. Introduction by J.-P. Rothschild. First translation and notes by Walter Hilliger. 1st Edition. Le Cercle Hilliger, 2024. ISBN 978-2-494509-08-5. Collection Veritas è terra orietur. ISSN 3003-8898. 174 pages.

CONDUCT OF LIFE vol. 2
Moses Almosnino

The major work of Rabbi Moses Almosnino (1515-1580), Conduct of Life, remains to this day an essential reference in classical Judeo-Spanish literature, now finally available in English in its first translation. First published in Ladino in 1564 as "Sefer Hanhagat ha-chayim" and in 1729 as "Regimiento de la vida," this three-volume edition is part of the prestigious collection Veritas è terra orietur. The work aims to disseminate the timeless teachings of ethics, in the words of the author: “In all that has been said, my intention is only to make you understand how the one who follows the path of virtue and customs of practicing good and pure knowledge since childhood lives a happy and fulfilled life” (I, ch. 2).

The second volume addresses the confusion of indeterminism with free will (II, ch. 1) and how virtues arise from free will to surpass the force of destiny (II, ch. 2), their conditions (II, ch. 3); the three types of strength or courage, which is the first virtue (II, ch. 4), its five properties and eleven conditions (II, ch. 5); as well as the ten ethical virtues: temperance (II, ch. 6), the sixteen properties of liberality (II, ch. 7-8), magnificence (II, ch. 9), magnanimity and its fifty properties (II, ch. 10-12), modesty (II, ch. 13), meekness (II, ch. 14-16), affability (II, ch. 17), honesty or truth (II, ch. 18-19), and courtesy (II, ch. 20), following the order and numbering of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (II, ch. 1-20).

Almosnino, R. Moïse. Conduct of Life - Volume 2. Translation, introduction, and notes by Walter Hilliger. 1st Edition. Le Cercle Hilliger, 2024. ISBN 978-2-494509-09-2. Collection Veritas è terra orietur. ISSN 3003-8898. 230 pages.

CONDUCT OF LIFE vol. 3
Moses Almosnino

The third volume deals with justice (III, ch. 1-3) and friendship (III, ch. 4-8 and 13), love (III, ch. 9), the five intellectual virtues: understanding, science, wisdom, prudence, and art (III, ch. 10-11), and the learning of sciences as a path to virtue (III, ch. 12). This work presents itself as a pedagogical endeavor, intended to provide advice for leading a virtuous life.

R. Moses Ben Barukh Almosnino (c. 1515-1580) was a major figure in Classical Judaism. He settled in the Ottoman Empire, and possessed extensive knowledge of both Jewish and secular subjects and was known for his Responsa and exegeses. He also took an interest in various scientific fields, translating and commenting on works by Aristotle and other scholars. R. Moses Almosnino wrote on topics such as ethics, including commentaries on the Nicomachean Ethics and Pirkei Avot. He also authored “Extremos y grandezas de Constantinopla,” a historical work in Judeo-Spanish. His original work “Regimiento de la vida,” (Conduct of Life) a treatise on ethics, was published during his lifetime in 1564 and remains a reference in classical Judeo-Spanish literature.

Almosnino, R. Moïse. Conduct of Life - Volume 3. First translation and notes by Walter Hilliger. 1st Edition. Le Cercle Hilliger, 2024. 154 pages. ISBN 978-2-494509-10-8. Collection Veritas è terra orietur. ISSN 3003-8898. 154 pages.

THIRTY PROBLEMS CONCERNING CREATION
Menasseh ben Israel

At his own expense, Menasseh Ben Israel self-published Thirty Problems Concerning Creation (De Creatione Problemata XXX) from his home. This work aimed to restore the classical doctrine of creation and to address intricate philosophical and theological questions related to the creation of the world and faith. The present edition is the first translation of the Latin edition that was published in 1635, nearly 400 years ago. The thirty problems explore various questions, including the existence of a beginning of the world, the nature of the raw material, the origin of Moses' knowledge of creation, the universality of this knowledge, the duration of the world's creation, the existence of other worlds before ours, the direct emanation from God, the number of elements necessary for creation, the creation of souls and bodies, the creation of Paradise and Hell, the existence of Purgatory, the creation of demons and angels, the roundness of the sky, the final cause of the world's creation, and the alterability of the world if it is eternal. These problems invite deep reflections on the nature of existence and faith.

Menasseh Ben Israel (1604-1657), born in La Rochelle, France, around 1604 (Cardozo de Béthencourt, 1904; Levy, 1924; H.P. Solomon, 1983; Meinsma, 2006; S. Rauschenbach, 2019) and buried in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Dutch Republic, in 1657, is renowned for founding the first Hebrew printing house in Amsterdam. A philosopher, exegete, diplomat, writer, editor, and printer, he published at his own expense Thirty Problems Concerning Creation (De Creatione Problemata XXX) from his own home.

Ben Israel, Menasseh. Thirty Problems Concerning Creation: De Creatione Problemata XXX. Introduction “On Creation” by Seymour Feldman. Foreword, translation, and annotations by Walter Hilliger. First English translation and edition. Le Cercle Hilliger, 2023. ISBN 978-1-73567-379-0. Collection Veritas è terra orietur. ISSN 3003-8898. 243 pages.

ANTHOLOGY OF MAIMONIDES' GUIDE
Leibniz

Maimonides’ Latin translation of Moreh Nevukhim | Guide for the Perplexed was the most influential Jewish work in the last millennia (Di Segni, 2019: Rubio, 2006; Wohiman, 1988, 1995; Kohler, 2017). It marked the beginning of scholasticism, a daughter of Judaism raised by Jewish thinkers, according to historian Heinrich Graetz (Geschichte der Juden, 1861, V. 6, p. xi). Printed by Gutenberg’s first mechanical press, its influence in the West went as far as the Fifth Lateran Council (1512 — 1517) “where scholars were encouraged to remove the difficulties which seemed to divide the whole of theology and philosophy (Leibniz, Théodicée, 11).”
For centuries, the Guide revolutionized the curriculum of school instruction by reintegrating the natural laws of thought in the sphere of faith (the fourth of which became Leibniz’ Principle of sufficient reason).
This collection of notes expounds the ideas of the Guide and features all the passages selected and rewritten by Leibniz. This first complete annotated bilingual translation of the original manuscripts in Latin serves as an entry point to faith in conformity with Reason.
"Rabbi Moses Maimonides’ excellent book, A Guide to the Perplexed, is more philosophical than I had imagined and worthy of careful reading. The author, distinguished by his intelligence in philosophy, was well-versed in mathematics, medical art, and also in the knowledge of the sacred Scriptures."
— GW. LEIBNIZ, 1685, Leibniz’ Anthology of Maimonides’ Guide, Chapter III,
"Doctors of faith placed the wisest Rab. Moseh de Egypto on the same level as Plato and Aristotle."
— ISAAC OROBIO, 1666. Resp. al Libro, Esc. I, Disc. 3, p. 80.

Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon, Rambam, 1135-1204 CE), an eminent polymath, philosopher, theologian, astronomer, and Jewish physician, left his mark in various fields. His Mishneh Torah codified Jewish law, while his Guide for the Perplexed became the most influential Jewish work of the past millennium, reconciling faith and reason. Fleeing persecution in Spain, he flourished in Egypt, where he made significant contributions to medicine. Despite the controversies he faced, Maimonides' imposing legacy in classical thought remains undeniable.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) was a polymath active in mathematics, philosophy, physics, history, law, and logic. He co-founded differential and integral calculus alongside Newton, was a pioneer in the development of the binary system, and made significant contributions to metaphysics, ethics, and theodicy (the problem of evil). Leibniz's vast knowledge and his ability to bridge disciplines across the ages solidified his reputation as the last universal genius.

Ben Maimon, Moses; Leibniz, G.W.; Strickland, Lloyd; Hilliger, Walter. Leibniz’ Anthology of Maimonides’ Guide. Introduction, translation, and annotations by Walter Hilliger. Foreword by Lloyd Strickland. Associate editor: Aaron Kerben. Edited by Le Cercle Hilliger. First complete English translation and edition. Shehakol, 2023. ISBN 978-1-73567-378-3. Collection Veritas è terra orietur. ISSN 3003-8898. 160 pages.

ON DIVINE PROVIDENCE OR UNIVERSAL NATURE
David Nieto

Rabbi David Nieto published De La Divina Providencia o Naturaleza Universal to clarify that the vulgar term "Nature" has replaced the classic word "Providence" since its adoption during modern times to describe nature in general. He argues that "With the passing of time, this name gained daily credit and began to take form in the minds of men as a simulacrum or idol causing serious damage to the understanding and consciousness." Hence, Spinoza was famously excommunicated after referring to an "eternal or infinite entity that we call God or Nature" (i.e., Deus sive Natura, Ethics, IV, Preface, 1677), whereas David Nieto was acquitted for saying, "God, and Nature, Nature, and God, is all one." This raises the question of why Spinoza faced condemnation while R. David Nieto received praise in what could be seen as the most significant exoneration in history. This question is explored in
in an extended conversation between a rabbi and a member of his synagogue, Reuben and Simon. The rabbi insists that the nature defined by materialists does not exist, positing instead that everything exists as a manifestation of Divine Providence, which means that everything is, in a sense, God. The synagogue member counters that this perspective amounts to a form of polytheism. They examine the corpus of Hebrew Scriptures, noting that the word "Nature" does not appear even once in the Scriptures, not even during the Early Middle Ages.

David Nieto (Venice, 1654 - London, 1728) was the Haham of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish Community in London. He was one of the most accomplished Jews of his time and was equally distinguished as philosopher, physician, exegete, poet, mathematician, astronomer, and theologian. Rabbi Nieto published in 1704, On Divine Providence or Universal Nature; The Triumphs of Poetry in 1709. He died in London and is buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Mile End Road. An inscription on his grave reads: Sublime theologian, profound sage, a distinguished physician, a sweet poet, a famous astronomer, elegant preacher, subtle logician, ingenious physician, fluent rhetorician, pleasant author, an expert in languages, learned in history.

Nieto, David. On Divine Providence or Universal Nature or Naturing Nature: De La Divina Providencia o sea Naturaleza Universal o sea Natura Naturante. First English Translation by Walter Hilliger. Le Cercle Hilliger, 2019; Shehakol, 2023. ISBN 978-1-73567-372-1. Collection Veritas è terra orietur. ISSN 3003-8898. 184 pages.

ON RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD
Menasseh Ben Israel

Menasseh Ben Israel self-published, at his home and expense, De la Resurrección de los Muertos / De Resurrectione Mortuorum to restore the Pharisean doctrine of the immortality of the soul, reincarnation, and resurrection, refuted by Epicureans and atheists since the times of the Sadducees. In accordance with Scripture, ancient and medieval rationalist philosophers, Menasseh provides insights into the last of the thirteen Maimonidean Principles of Faith and demonstrates its superiority against the atheist and epicurean dogma of Carpe Diem, colloquially expressed in the aphorism You only live once (or “Yolo” in popular culture).The first rendition of the three books demonstrates through exegesis the universal eschatological view in Hebrew, Greek and Roman classical literature. This is the first translation of the Judeo-Spanish and Latin editions that appeared simultaneously in 1636.

Menasseh Ben Israel (1604-1657), born in La Rochelle, France, around 1604 (Cardozo de Béthencourt, 1904; Levy, 1924; H.P. Solomon, 1983; Meinsma, 2006; S. Rauschenbach, 2019) and buried in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Dutch Republic, in 1657, is renowned for founding the first Hebrew printing house in Amsterdam. A philosopher, exegete, diplomat, writer, editor, and printer, he published at his own expense Thirty Problems Concerning Creation (De Creatione Problemata XXX) on the same collection.

Ben Israel, Menasseh. On Resurrection of the Dead: De la Resurrección de Los Muertos. Translated by Walter Hilliger. Shehakol, 2023. ISBN 978-1-73567-376-9. Collection Veritas, è terra orientur. ISSN 3003-8898. 225 pages.

TRIUMPHS OF POVERTY
David Nieto

No author prior to David Nieto has offered a comprehensive exegesis of the metaphor and imagery of the chariot in Ezekiel's vision. His interpretation in Triumphs of Poverty, deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, has been transmitted through generations to the present day. Rabbi David Nieto (Venice, 1654 — London, 1728), a prominent figure in the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish Community in London, was renowned not only as a Hakham but also as a physician, astronomer, poet, theologian, and philosopher, as seen in his other work, On Divine Providence or Universal Nature or Natura Naturante, included in the same collection. In Triumphs of Poverty, Rabbi David Nieto elucidates as a rhetorician the significance of Ezekiel's mystical ascent to heaven in his chariot, boldly championing the virtues of poverty in an era dominated by materialistic thought in 18th-century England. Unfortunately, his work faced censorship and was largely forgotten over time, with no English translation until the first edition. This second unabridged edition has been meticulously expanded to include various sources omitted in the original facsimile, along with a prologue that explores the virtues of poverty in greater depth.

David Nieto (Venice, 1654 - London, 1728) was the Haham of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish Community in London. He was one of the most accomplished Jews of his time and was equally distinguished as philosopher, physician, exegete, poet, mathematician, astronomer, and theologian. Rabbi Nieto published in 1704, On Divine Providence or Universal Nature; The Triumphs of Poetry in 1709. He died in London and is buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Mile End Road. An inscription on his grave reads: Sublime theologian, profound sage, a distinguished physician, a sweet poet, a famous astronomer, elegant preacher, subtle logician, ingenious physician, fluent rhetorician, pleasant author, an expert in languages, learned in history.

Nieto, David. Triumphs of Poverty: Los Triunfos de la Pobreza. 2nd ed. Translated by Walter Hilliger. Shehakol Inc., 2020. ISBN 978-1-73567-374-5. First edition published by Le Cercle Hilliger, 2018. ISBN13 978-1-73567-374-5. Collection Veritas è terra orientur. ISSN 3003-8898. 102 pages.

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🔒 2024 PALEOGRAPHY
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✍️ Mission

Since the establishment of the first legal deposit for publishers by the Royal Ordinance of 1537, the conditions for the preservation of books "once they are made available to the public" (art. L. 131-2 of the French Heritage Code) excluded from its scope the linguistic heritage of unpublished and clandestine manuscripts, as well as ancient works in regional or non-territorial languages, according to Article 2 of the CPCI (2003); this
censhorship persisted before and after the French Revolution, with the Barère Decree of 1794 calling for the annihilation and extirpation of all forms of speech diverging from the standard conventionally accepted notions. The anticlerical and secular policies of the 19th and 20th centuries further restricted the access to Jewish and apologetic texts preserved in Zarphatic, Latin, Judeo-Spanish, and other languages now recognized as "languages of France" by the DGLF-LF (2002).

Our editorial mission as a depository organization, under Article 132-3 and subject to the conditions of Article L. 131 of the French Heritage Code, is the collection, the conservation and the establishment of a cultural patrimony, along with its dissemination to enable the consultation, the research, and the study of exegetes lost in the memory of men, fostering reconciliation with the past, and peace among peoples.

🔭 Vision

Our vision encompasses the broader intangible heritage of neglected exegetes, whose works are discovered, restored, translated, and shared, thereby enriching our understanding of the past that surpassed modern philosophical materialism and secularism. It perpetuates, on the same foundations, the millennial thought of resurrected authors, who contended that everything is made up of immaterial forms, that the soul and intelligences exist beyond the physical world, and that all things have not only material causes, or random efficient causes, popularized over the past 300 years by Naturalism, but also formal causes, according to their conception; as well as final causes, traditionally attributed to a divine power or intelligence.

⚖️ Values

For millennia, the guardians of the Masorah | מסורה, known as exegetes, have shared their insights with each generation. The transmission began with the exile of Jeremiah (c. 650–c. 570 BCE), who received the tradition from Moses, preserved by the ancient Sages, and whose disciples' interpretations of sacred texts laid the groundwork for the conceptualizations of Plato (c. 428-347 BCE). Hence Numenius of Apamea complained, "What is Plato but Moses speaking Greek?" The first Cause (which is the final cause), his forms without matter, the soul, Divine Providence, free will, and divine attributes underwent further exploration with Aristotle (384-322 BC), encompassing metaphysics, virtues, categories, the four causes and the Prime Mover in cosmology. His ideas also contributed, through Rhetoric and Ethics, to the Pharisaic tradition; to the Aggadic approaches of Yohanan ben Zakkai (0-100 CE), Aristobulus of Alexandria (181-124 BCE), Philo Judaeus (20 BCE-50 CE); and to the narratives by Josephus (37 and 100 CE), whose notion of divine will or Providence were not at odds with the free will of humans in the causes of historical events. Plotinus (205–270 CE) resolved the Neoplatonic questions about the One, creation ex-nihilo of the universe and His indefinite or infinite potential that manifests reality. Amidst the decline of the Roman Empire, Boethius (480-524 CE) attested to the Consolation of Philosophy, which endured without disappearing within the confines of Byzantium until the School of Alexandria succumbed in 641. Then, the exegetes continued from Greek into Arabic, and back from Arabic into Latin and Hebrew. Saadia Gaon (882-942 CE) bridged the gap from the first millennium to the second, emphasizing empirical observation, the natural insights of understanding and logical necessity, while also reviving the tradition of divine attributes. Avicebron or Ibn Gabirol (1022-1070) elucidated the classical substances between the divine and the material world in Fons Vitae; and Isaac Alfasi (1013-1103) applied Aristotelian critical analysis, logical reasoning, and the method of contraries to legal interpretation. Bahya ibn Paquda (c. 1050–1120) reinterpreted the classical virtues in his Duties of the Heart | חובות הלבבות. Ibn Ezra (1089-1167) developed the tradition within European civilization, Joseph Kimhi (1105-1170) drew on Aristotle's comparative linguistics in his Compendium, and Abraham Ibn Daud (1110-1180) reconciled classical philosophy and religion. Maimonides (1135-1204) reached more languages than any other 12th-century author, translated by Yehuda Alharizi (1165-1225) and by Samuel ibn Tibbon (1150-1230), who left us מילת ההגיון | The Language of Logic. Gersonides (1288-1344) referenced Aristotle countless times. Joseph ibn Shem-Tov (1380 - 1480) realigned the Ethics and the final causes of a supreme good, summum bonum, according to the principles that Joseph Albo (1380–1444) exposed in his Book of Principles | ספר העקרים. Isaac Arama (1420-1494) wrote a philosophical commentary on the five books of Moses, עקידת יצחק | The Binding of Isaac, and about the correspondence between philosophy and theology. Sforno (1475 - 1550), in his Lumen Gentium, corrected Aristotle's commentators on the possibility of an eternal creation, arguing that the Aristotelian final causes precede the material causes of a substance. Moses Almosnino (1515 - 1580) unified the divine purpose of Tikkun HaMiddot (Rectification of Character) with the Twelve virtues. Abraham Cohen de Herrera (1570-1635) summarized the concepts of scholastic theology, metaphysics, natural and moral philosophy; and Moses Raphael de Aguilar (1611 – 1679) sustained the rhetorical devices and syllogisms of Roman and Classical Greek literature. Menasseh ben Israel (1604-1657) retraced the doctrines of creation, the immortality of the soul and reincarnation. Isaac Orobio de Castro (1617 - 1687) was the first critic to challenge modern free-thinking and materialism (a position adopted later by Leibniz who referenced his Certamen Philosophicum). David Nieto (1654 - 1728) warned against the naturalistic neologism of the term Nature before it replaced the ancient concept of Divine Providence...
When comparing these authors to modern materialistic texts, as well as to contemporary deconstructions, their writings, editions, and translations are insufficient.
We are consecrated to preserving the continuity of the immaterial patrimony of exegetes by safeguarding their intangible assets that led to the foundational ideas of our civilization.

⌛ history

Towards the end of the 1620s, Menasseh ben Israel (1617 - 1687), a man of letters of Lisbon origin (according to his paternal lineage), born in France, La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) in 1604, founded our collection of the retrospective value "Veritas è Terra Orietur" ISSN: 3003-8898, which means in Latin "Truth will sprout from the earth" or אמת מארץ תצמח, alluding to the tradition of burying unusable sacred texts (due to erosion) to prevent them from being profaned. Since the 17th century, Manassé ensured the collaboration of Isaac Aboab (1605-1693), Saul Levi Morteira (1596 - 1660), Isaac Orobio (1615-1687), as well as several language specialists, such as Dionies Vos (1612 - 1633), Samuel Sorbière (1615-1670), Caspar van Baerle (1584 - 1648), all included in the collection, to popularize the classical texts of Jews and the wise men of the Nations, by producing translations into Low Latin, Iberian Hebrew, and Judeo-Spanish (before the formation of the Spanish Royal Academy, which recognized the existence of this Romance language and Ladino in 2018).
The objective remains unchanged since then: Among several volumes, the collection now includes the first translations into modern languages of the works of Manassé Ben Israël on Creation (1635) and on Resurrection (1636).
The first volume was made available under a Creative Commons open license in 2020 on Sefaria.org, in partnership with Shehakol Inc., which has been disseminating the English translations in the United States since 2018.

The translations of the collection continue to make the manuscripts and facsimiles of the classical elite accessible to anyone, vulgarized in modern languages, introduced and sometimes prefaced by a specialist.
Like Menasseh's, our priority remains the translation, editing, and publication of more works because critical editions would hardly add more value; without the contextualization that has denatured the universality of literature for more than 300 years, we keep the same convictions.

Dedicated in honor of Menasseh Ben Israel

La Rochelle, France 1604 - Dutch Republic 1657

We support individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who are interested in languages, appreciating their talents within our organization.
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en.exegetes.org, [ www.exegetes.org ] the official website of 'Veritas è terra orietur' is a cultural project by the editorial committee of Le Cercle Hilliger, a registered non-profit in Overseas France, officially recognized as an eligible recipient of charitable donations under articles 200 and 238bis of FTA, complying with Section 30(2)(d) of the U.S.-France Tax Treaty as an eligible recipient under charitable objects A20, A23, and U30 of Section 501(c)(3), and complying with UK charity law, under charitable object number 8, which promotes the advancement of culture and heritage and science, via UK-registered charitable partner entities. SIREN: 893382523 | French Activity Code: 58.11Z | Editorial Identifier ISBN: 978-2-494509 | Collection ISSN: 3003-8898 Annual Report | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions