Jotapata

Juan Rodrigo

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

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-inlaw, 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.

298

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.: Neubau~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 Jerubbaal. 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
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Geiger, Gesch. der Jud,en in BerUn, I. 7. 2123, Berlin, 1871; Griitz, Gesch. x. 309, 350, Leipsic, 1868: Kaufsignally delivered them by the battle against Midian
mann, Samson Wertheimer, p. 86, note 1, Vienna, 1888;
(ib. vii., viii.). Abimelech, the son of one of Gideon 's
idem, Vert,.eilrnng de,. Juden aus Wien, p. 217, i/J. 1889: Emil
Lebmann, Berend Lehmann, pp. 32--31, Dresden, 1885 ;
concuuines at Shechem, conspired with the SheLandsbutb, Toledot Anshe ha-Shem, pp. 6--8, Berlin, 1884.
chemites, for a given sum of money, to have his sevD.
s. MAN.
enty lirothcrs slain at Ophrah, Gideon's home (ib. ix.
JOTAPATA ('Iorarram, 'Iomrrar17): City in Gali- 5). All were killed except Jotham, who hid himself.
lee to the north of Seppboris, strongly fortified by
While the assembly of Shechemites was crowning

Abimelech at a
Josephus (Joscplms,
"Vita,"
given place in
Shechem, Jo 37) . In the
Mislmah ('Ar.
tham suddenly
appeared on a
ix. 6, 32a) this
point of rock on
city is called
Mount Gerizim
M!l1'' styled
and addressed to
"the Ancient,"
the men of Sheand is supposed
chem a parable
to have been for(ib. ix. 7-21), the
titied by Joshua.
construction and
The ~~ NMJJ'~
application
of
iu::i~ mentioned
which are not enin Gen . R. xcviii.
tirely plain. The
16 is identified
trees of the
by
Reland
forest could not
(" PaHtstina," ii.
persuade either
816) with Jotathe olive-tree,
pata. There was
the fig-tree, or
a Menahem surthe vine to rule
named i1NEl1''
over them. The
(Zeb. 110b),
worthless bramwhich probably
ble proposed itmeans "a native
self as king,
of Jotapata."
Cave on theTopot Tell Jatat, Site ot Ancient Jotapata.
threatening deNeubauer (" G.
(From a photograph by Dr. W. Popper,)
struction if the
T." p. 203)
trees rejected it. In other words, "this bramble,
thinks that the plain called MJ~' (Tose[, Niddah, iii.
Abimelech, has proposed his own promotion. If
11) is the plain of Jotapata.
you crown him and trust in him, then rejoice an4
The city is famous in Jewish history for the long
let him rejoice in you; but if not, let fire come out
siege which it sustained in the war with the Romans,
from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem,
As the fortress was very strong, being built on a
and from the house of :Millo and devour Abimelech."
rock surrounded by steep hills, and accessible on
Jotham then fled; but within three years his parable
the northern side only, Josephus fled thither with
or curse was completely fulfilled (ib. ix.).
his army (Josephus, "B. J." iii. 7, 3). Vespasian
arrived there after many difficulties and pitched his
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Moore, Judaes, ad Joe.
2. Son of Uzziah or Azariah; tenth king of Jucamp on the northern side of the city (ib. 4). The
dah (751 to 735 B.c .). His father sacrilegiously
Jews fought desperately; especially Eleazar b.
offered incense in the Temple (II Chron. xxvi.
Sameas of Saab, Netir, and Philip of Ruma. Ves16-21) and was smitten with leprosy. He was thus
pasian himself was wounded. The siege continued
for forty-seven days (ib. 7, 33; 8, 9), and might aompelled to dwell apart from the people, and for
nearly fourteen years Jotham was regent, or, in
have lasted still longer had not a deserter betrayed
reality, king over Judah. He lnheri,ted a strong
the Jews. The Romans spared no body; and many
government, well officered and administered. He
of the Jews killed themselves. Forty thousand of
himself is said to have built the upper gate of the
them lost their lives during the siege; and about
house of YmvH and to have avoided the rashness
1,000 women and children were sold as slaves. The

I. -

299

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Jotapata
Juan Rodrigo

which allowed his father to enter the Temple (II joy, fgr it was destined to impart joy to those
Chron. xxvii. 2). "He built cities in the mountains deprived of joy by poverty and privation. The
of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and festivals of thanksgiving were ordained to be occatowers." He also defeated the Ammonites, who sions of beneficence to the homeless and fatherless
paid him an immense annual tribute. His might is (Dent. xvi. 9-11). The worship of God should be
attributed by the Chronicler (ib. xxvii. 6) to his hav- offered in joy (Ps. c. 2); and the house of prayer
should be joyful (Isa. lvi. 7). An enemy's fall
ing "ordered his ways before Ynwn, his God."
But the increasing corruption of the Northern should not cause joy (Prov. xxiv. 17).
Kingdom began to permeate Judah, as is seen in the --In Rabbinical Literature: The same spirit
words of Isaiah and l\Iicah. Hosea's references to of joyfulness, moderated by the consciousness of
Judah indicate also a lack of purity of life and wor- duty, pervades rabbinical literature. "Siml;lah shel
mi:pvah" ( "joy emanating from sacred duty well
ship under Jotham's reign.
performed") is regarded as the only state of the soul
3. One of the sons of Jahclai, descended from
in which the Shekinah rests on man (Shab. 30b), and
Caleb (I Chron. ii. 47).
in which communion with God by means of prayer
I. M. P.
E.G. H.
JOURNAL SCIENTIFIQUE DE LA THEO- should be sought (Ber. 31a). This joy the Rabbis
find commended in Eccl. viii. 15, and the profane
LQGIE JUIVE. See PEmomcALS.
form repudiated in Eccl. ii. 2 (Shab. l.c.). To cheer
JOURNALS, JEWISH. . See PERIODICALS.
the depressed is a meritorious act which may obtain
JOY (Hebrew, "siml_iah," "sason," "l_iedwah," for the lowliest man a share in the world to come
"gil," and "rinnah ") : The feeling of gladi;iess and (Ta'an. 22a).
rejoicing.-Biblical Data: Cant. R. i. 4 enumerAgainst the ascetic view of the Essenes, Rab deates ten different terms for joy, and Wiinsche ("Die clared that man at the .Judgment Day will have to
Freude in den Schriften des Al ten Bundes," 1896) .give account for every lawful enjoyment offered to
states that no language possesses as many words him by Providence and refused by him (Yer. ~id,
for joy as does the Hebrew; which fact indicates iv. to end). Both he and Samuel quoted sayings
th~ cheerful disposition of the Jewish people and
even of a somewhat hedonistic character in order to
the optimism predominant 'in Judaism (see OP_TI- discourage the spirit of ascetic world-contempt ('Er.
l\ITSM). Often the Hebrew poet or prophet transfers 54a). In a similar sense must be taken the saying
the joy of his soul to the surrpunding creation; and
of R. Eleazar, "He who lives without a wife lives
so heaven and earth, mountains and valleys, fields >vithout joy" (Yeb. 63a), and that of Eliezer haand trees, are pictured as breaking forth into. joy J.{appar, "He who denies himself wine is a sinner"
(Ps. xcvi. 11-12, xcvii. 1, xcviii. 4; Isa. xxxv. 1-2, (Ta'an. 11a). But the Rabbis made joy, above all, the
characteristic feature of the Sabbath and of the holy
xliv. 23, xlix. 13).
The Bible couples joy with the earnestness of life,
seasons of the year. The words "call the Sabbath
in striking contrast to paganism, which at times en- a delight" (Isa. !viii. 13) were so interpreted as to
courages wanton indulgence in sensual pleasures by render the Sabbath the gem of days and the joy of
rendering wild orgies of passion features of the wor- the Jewish home (Shab. 118a, b; see SABBATH);
ship of its lustful deities, and at other times.turns to and similarly every festival was invested with the
the opposite extreme of absolute world-contempt and character of joy (Pes. 109a; Meg. 16b). Even the
avoidance of every healthful enjoyment(" Rejoice Days of Penitence should have not an austere charnot, 0 Israel, in the joy of the heathen nations"; acter like the Lenten days of the Christians but
Hosea ix. 1, Hebr.; see PAGANISM). The Bible cau- preeminently one of cheerfulness (Yer. R.H. i. 57b).
But more powerful than all rabbinical precepts
tions against pleasures which leave behind them
heaviness, sorrow, and want (Prov. xiv. 13, xv. 21,
as an incentive to joy was life itself. In spite of
xxi. 15; Eccl. ii. 2, vii. 4); but it regards lawful and the gloom cast upon the Jew ever since the destruchealthful enjoyments as commendable inasmuch as tion of the Temple (Ber. 31a; 'Ab. Zarah 3b), in
they are blessings from God (Dent. xii. 7, xxiv. 11; spite of all the persecutions and oppressions endured
Prov. x. 18; Eccl. ix. 7, xi. 9). To some extent,
by him, there is a wondrous outburst of joy noticerejoicing with or before God, the Dispenser of all able in the Jewish liturgy, in every morning and
evening prayer (see GE'ULLAH), in the prayers for
good, becomes an obligation (Dent. xii. 12, 18: xvi.
11, 15; xxvi. 11; xxvii. 7). Pure joy is the joy of Sabbath and holy days, and in the songs and benethanksgiving to God, or the joy in God and in His dictions recited at the table. Cheerfulness is the
help (Lev. xxiii. 40; Isa. xix. 19, xxv. 9; Joel ii.
key-note of the Jew's character in his domestic life
23; Ps. vii. 12, ix. 3, civ. 34; I Sam. ii. 1). God and in his religious devotion, because it is founded
Himself is a God of joy, who rejoices in His works upon optimism, upon faith in God, and upon hope
(Ps. civ. 31). So do His statutes rejoice the heart in the final triumph of justice and truth.
(ib. xix. 9 [A. V. 8]). "In uprightness of heart
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Guttmacher, Optim1.sm and Pessim1.sm, pp.
61-64, Baltimore, 1903; Hamburger, R. LI. T. s. v. Freude ;
there is gladness, wherefore the righteous will reWiiusche, Die Frcude in den Schriften des Alten Bundes,
joice" (ib. xcvii. 11-12, Hebr.). "It is joy to the
Weimar, 1896.
K.
just to do judgment" (Prov. xxi. 15). "The keyJUAN DE ABADIA. See ABADIA, JUAN DE
note of the old Hebrew cult was joy, because it was
a communion of man with his God" (Smend, "Re- I.A,
JUAN RODRIGO DE CASTEL-BRANCO
ligionsgesch." p. 125, Freiburg, 1893). Fulness of
joy is promised for the soul when in the presence of (surnamed Amatus Lusitanus) : Portuguese phyGod (Ps. xvi. 11). Moreover, the Law consecrated sician; born at Castel-Branco, Portugal, in 1511;

'

I
'

II

,I
~

"'