Belmonte
Sephardim, p. 291; idem, Bihl.-Es)xifl.-Port.-Jud. idem, in Rev. Et. Juives, xxxii. 88.
p.
27;
BELMONTE, JACOB ISRAEL
One
of the
founders of the Portuguese-Jewish community of Amsterdam, his colleagues being Jacob Tirado and Solomon Palache born on the island of Madeira in 1570; died at Amsterdam Dec. 4, 1629. He married Simhah (Gimar) Vaz, whose picture by her son Moses is to be found in David Franco Mendes' "Memorias do Estabelecimento dos Judeos Portuguezes," preserved in manuscript in the archives of thePortuguese congregation at Amsterdam. Jacob Israel came to Amsterdam on Jan. 13, 1614. He wrote a poetic account of the Inquisition in one hundred octaves, which he called " Job. " Of this, De Barrios ("Rev. Et. Juives," xviii. 282) says:
.
" Contra la Inquisition Jacob Belmonte
Un
Y
canto tira del Castalio monte la Historia de Job canta."
comico
Together with Rahel Yeshurun and Joseph Israel Pereyra, Belmonte drew up the articles of incorporation for the newly acquired burial-ground of the community in Oudekerk, Jan. 13, 1614. At his death Morteira founded a yeshibah in his honor. He left ten children: Sarah i., Sarah ii., Rachel, David, Rebecca, Joseph, Benjamin, Moses, Solomon, and Samuel. Bibliography De Castro, in Nieuwe Is-r. Weehftlaad, 17 Jan., 1873, No. 26; idem, De Synagoge der Portug.-Israel.-Oemeente te Amsterdam, p. 7 Idem, Keur van Qrafsteenen,
Kayserling, Sephardim, pp. 289 (quotes an octave from 359 ; idem, Bihl.-Esp. Port.-Jud. p. 27.
his Job)
,
G.
BELMONTE, MOSES:
Poet and translator; born 1619 died at Amsterdam May 29, 1647. He was a pupil of Saul Morteira, whose sermons ("Gib'at Sha'ul," 1645) he His poem edited together with Benjamin Diaz. " Argumenta Contra os Noserim " has been reprinted eighth child of Jacob Belmonte
by De Castro
"Keur van Grafsteenen," p. 58. Song of Songs into Spanish. It Hebrew characters in several edi-
in his
He
translated the was published in
SOLOMON ABENDANA
BELMONTE,
born in
Hamburg
1843
Bibliography: Jewish Chronicle, March
30/1888, p. 13.
B. B.
g.
BELOKADO
(the
old Bilforado;
called
also
Belorado de la Rioja) A city in the Spanish province of Burgos, which had Jewish inhabitants as
The fuero, early as the end of the eleventh century. or charter of the city, granted by Alonzo el Batallador in 1116, and confirmed two hundred years later by Fernando IV., contains the enactment: "No difference shall be made between Jew or Christian in the matter of adjudging injuries inflicted on each other." In 1291 the community of Belorado paid 8,500 maravedis poll-tax and 2,001 maravedis municipal tax, about as much as the districts of Aguilar, Albelda, and Alfacel and therefore Belorado had as many Jewish inhabitants as the districts named. In Belorado, Jews were required to dwell apart from the Christians, the quarter of the former being in the vicinity of the Torre del Homenage. According to the command of King Alfonso X. issued in 1325, they were allowed to trade with Christians only on Monday, the market-day and eight j'ears later even this privilege was withdrawn from them, as well as from the Moors dwelling in the city. The Jews in Belorado were not only traders, hut, like the Christians, were occasionally cattle-breeders. In 1408 Ayn Meromet or Vidal (Hayyim) de la Cuesta complained, in the name of the community, that though they were compelled by the Christians to sweep the streets and open places, and to repair the walls of the city from the Torre del Homenage to the Arco de D. Blanca, they were nevertheless forbidden to drive their herds on the common pasturegrounds or to hew wood in the mountains. To investigate this matter the infanta Don Fernando appointed a commission in which the Jews were representedb y Ayn Meromet mentioned above, and by Don Carruel ibn Tropabe, who was probably a physician. It was agreed, on the one hand, that the Jews should repair the city walls, and that on Thursday of every week two Jews should have the streets and open places cleaned alternately on the other
,
tions of the Bible printed at Venice
then in Amsterunder the title " Paraphrasis Caldaica en Cantares de Selomo con el Texto Traduzida en
dam, los
1644,
Lengua Espafiola." He also translated the Pirke Abot into Spanish ("Perakym," Amsterdam, 1644). Belmonte founded the society Gemilut Hasadim in 1639.
Bibliography: Kayserling, Sephardim, pp. 290, 359; idem, in Revue Etudes Juives, xviii. 284 idem, Bihlioteca Espan.Pnrtug.-Judaiea, pp. 27, 72; De Rossi-Hamburger, Hist. W/trterbuch, p. 55 Steinscbneider, Cat. Bndl. No. 6434 De Castro, Keur van Grafsteenen op de Nederl.-Portug.-Israel;
Begraafplaats
te Oudekerlt, p. 56.
G.
BELMONTE, MOSES BEN JOSEPH
Wri-
Amsterdam during the first half of the eightHe was the author of a poem in Hebrew prefixed to the edition of the Pentateuch and Haftarot published by S. Rodrigues Mendes ter in
eenth century.
(Amsterdam, desde
(Amsterdam, Tefillot
"
and of "Calendario Ebraico
1726),
5485
el afio
= 1724
1724),
hasta
el
an appendix
de 5700
=
1940
"
to the " Seder ha-
Bibliography aaica, p. 27
Kayserling, Bihlioteca Espafi.-Pmi.ug.-JuCat. defeu Isaac da Costa, No. 2101.
.
.
.
G.
was agreed
that the Jews should be allowed to drive their herds into the common pasture-
hand,
published in the latter year.
died there March He was educated at the Johanneuin and 19, 1888. the gymnasium in that city then studied law at the universities of Berlin, Heidelberg, and GOttingen; and practised as an advocate in his native city, in conjunction with Dr. Banks (1864), whom he succeeded in the management of the firm after the In latter's death, and as director of " Die Reform." his professional career Belmonte displayed considerable oratorical gifts, and he became a very popular counselor. In 1887 Belmonte was elected deputy to the Hamburg Btirgerschaft, and remained a member of that assembly up to his death. He took part in the work of many Jewish charitable institutions, and was a member of the Prison Commission and of the Medical College. For a short time Belmonte held the office of assistant public prosecutor. Jurist
G.
p. 53
666
THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
Belshazzar
it
grounds and to hew wood. Gradually the number of Jews in Belorado de-
