Hie lert der Jud Ebreesch

Jud Ebreesch
Died	15th century
Ethnicity	Jewish
Influenced	Hans Talhoffer
Language	Early New High German
Manuscript(s)	MS Thott.290.2º (1459)

Jud Ebreesch is the attribution given for a treatise on Hebrew, astronomy, and physiology at the back of a ca. 1459 manuscript owned by Hans Talhoffer (MS Thott. 290. 2º). As Jud means "Jew" and Ebreesch means "Hebrew", the name is likely to be a pseudonym, leaving the author entirely unknown.

Treatise

Esoterica

Images	Complete Translation by Jeffrey Hull	Transcription  by Dieter Bachmann
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	My willing service unto the beloved Lord—I let ye wit that indeed. Well and healthy may the body feel—yet clemency resides in God. Just like lancing, I also gladly keep all oaths, ye beloved lords.
	That what was. Dare the day: make Man saintly (?). Take counsel: behold well God. I one eat (?) eggs (?) bucket (?) // year law Jacob Jew yearling (?) hunter young-lord
	Thus they who always naysay shall then at last answer for that—Chemnitz
	Michel Rotwyler, Clauss Pflieger and Hans Talhoffer:	[149v] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 149v.jpg
	Thus I, the Jew Ebreesch, here teach cosmology and physiology.
	Here is written a lesson about Saturn—he indeed is old and cold, unclean, hateful and jealous: Thus are my children who were born under me. Saturn is the outermost / first planet and of all he is most miserable, unvirtuous, violent and the largest; and he is cold and oppressing. And thus Saturn is called such, for of all the gods the Romans had likened him with such; and they adored and also gave their offerings unto him, which they brought into his temples, which they deemed built in his honour; and the Romans called the very same their god; and named him Saturn, which is as much as saying “the Highest”, whenever the Romans thus spoke. Thus he sat in the highest throne of the Sky, such that he sat above other gods and he had commanded all and thus they named him, Saturn, as the one utmost god. And when they the Romans, would beseech him for something-or-other, then they did quite great adoration of him and did that an entire year and said that he was exalted over all gods—and thus one should beseech him thus quite a lot of the time, for the utmost god wanted beseeching more of the time and longer than the other gods altogether. And that was his wantonness / arrogance that he had in himself. Thus then he was exalted over other gods. So when the Romans earnestly invoked him, then they were indulged by him, so that he would “savour” his haughtiness—which is why we Germans / we Hebrews shunned the Romans. When they invoked him for various matters, then accordingly they became indulged thereafter in about five years, sometimes in thirty years, or sometimes granted there and then. This same god, who among the idols was the utmost and, as the Romans said, the laziest too. Thus also is the planet named after him, from their likeness. Of the Seven Planets, thus Saturn is the utmost and the highest in the Sky—yet the laziest on his course. Likewise various men have part of their temperament from him. Such men are sanguine and phlegmatic; and they are amusing / amiable, haughty, scrutinising of many matter and inquiring, yet may give no decision to a matter. When Saturn “mixes” with someone, then they exist sanguinely, which you may thus recognise: for such gives the sanguinary a long / an outgoing face and the phlegmatic a sensible / a sober face. It is also to wit, as was aforesaid, that this same folk reach for many matter and yet make no decisions; and are indeed an overbearing and wanton / arrogant folk and be oppressing such that no one else gets to be their equal; and are capable yet useful only to themselves; and are poor at timing things well. The sanguinary are long-bearded or long-faced and do godly service not gladly. But the phlegmatics are godly within themselves and furthermore, gladly do godly service—and thus the masters get nothing from them to disrupt their lessons. Thus Saturn ruled, as they the Romans determined—so then it became miserably achieved, than if instead they had taken to any other god than Saturn. His children are generally / are vulgar robbers and murderers; and when one woefully rules, then in all ways his nature is fiendish and “dusts against the lathe” (?). Saturn is a planet and a wicked and unvirtuous lot, who are gloomy and meagre and gaunt. Saturn is a planet of / for men who have not beards and white hair and who wear unclean clothes. The children who are born under Saturn are narrow-breasted and sad; and gladly hearing bad things, they say and convey such unclean serenades as if such were pretty. And they avail themselves not well with women; and such a man by nature indeed has all bad things within him. Saturn fulfills his course / orbit in thirty years and 400 and 5 days and 6 hours; and because of his height, one may thus see him seldomly; and his Zodiac signs are Capricorn and Aquarius, who are cold and oppressing by their nature; and Saturn is like unto the melancholic by his nature.	[148v] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 148v.jpg [148r] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 148r.jpg [147v] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 147v.jpg
	Here Jupiter tells of his nature and of his children—how these desirable children write and read and do other arts. Jupiter is the second planet and he is lucky and virtuous, warm and lively, is quite somewhat lazy on his course and hearkens to those who are virtuous and is lord of those men, who have thick beards and thus are not shorn. When he Jupiter thus rules, so it goes well for women who bear boy-children; and it is good for princes who seek the right. The planet is named Jupiter due to its likeness to that god. The masters speak as if he were an idol whom the Romans and other folk held for a god, whom they ardently valued and whom they also ardently invoked for a helper, for both attack and atonement. So when the Romans gave their god no offerings, then he became wrathful at them, so then they beseeched the same god Jupiter with great earnestness and devotion and brought him oxen-offerings, so that he became helpful again, so that they returned to the graces of the god who angered at them for whatever. In the era of the gods any gods became wrathful at whatever. So then they the Romans got to adore no god but Jupiter. And so Jupiter is so often declared in Roman texts as a “Helper”, for when the Romans spoke, he thus helped his sons. So he sat upon the lofty throne in their Sky-Realm and thus the Romans invoked him as a helper. And thus Jupiter has his temperament and his course, along with those who are called sanguinary. So thus it goes well for them, according to their will, thus to be helpful to the erring, ardently indeed and to other folk. And they may also work quite ardently through the will of the folk; and have mercy for another, yet by the same token have wantonness / arrogance—so they may have provided nobody any boon. Yet if someone beseeches them, earnestly and personally (?), then much love that someone gets in return. Jupiter likewise holds his course with those who are, and are called, choleric; who then also are helpful to the folk and to the erring, yet treat them not as equals; and do their thing privately; and they may carry out / support their concerns privately and secretly; and are also fast true friends. The child who is born under the planet Jupiter becomes moderate, honourable and right; it has love; and it is fond of pretty clothes and what is flavourful; and what is clean / pure is its fondness and is what it yields—it indeed becomes kind-hearted and merry. So thus Jupiter has the Zodiac signs of the Sun, Sagittarius and Pisces. Jupiter indeed fulfills his course in five years and five days.	Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 147v.jpg [147r] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 147r.jpg
	Here tells Mars of his ilk—those he has in his camp—which is warlike and hateful / ugly; and yet witting not why or against whom it is so. Mars is the third planet; and it is hot and dry / wily, unlucky and bad; and nonetheless mild and moderate in his course; and is a planet of / for wrathful folk, who are known for warring and robbery and are clean-shaven and have curly hair; and are few. And he under this planet is good at strife, going for pillaging and burning and wounding folk. And thus Mars is named “Foe / Fiend” by the wise masters, for just such a likeness; and thus Mars was named by the unbelieving, thus the pagans, as a god of war. And when the Romans wanted warfare, then they invoked Mars and brought offerings into his temples and indeed fed (?) him with themselves upon the fields where they wanted battle. And so as the masters told, thus he was called Mars and so then among the Seven Planets, he rules over strife. Thus those same years must be filled with battle and war, whenever Mars “goes into” the Sun. Thus may one have seldom seen him, when he indeed rules, as the masters told, one only sees him away from the Sun. So it forebodes great abdication / usurping among the nobility, thus princes and lords. Also knights and troopers that same year should not war, for then they capitulate—whereas the castles / garrisons have good warring, as then all things go mostly according to their will. Thus the children who are then conceived, when Mars rules, they become ardently quarrelsome folk and have the nature which is called sanguinary, thus they are indeed warlike / valiant and ravaging / persistent, assuredly quite fervent in their militancy. But when one sickens under the Sun, then he has something to his nature which is called melancholic—and so then they are calm silent champions and succeed well at their warring and thus that year he rules. So a “star” rules commonly in conjunction with Mars, who is called Comet. Whichever land where the Comet is seen, then in the same land there doubtlessly becomes great scarcity and hunger. One may not see him in all the lands when he is low in the Sky and after or by the Moon, such that the Moon’s shadow engulfs / surrounds him. Thus someone somewhere may well have seen Comet then. So when the Sun is in one of the Zodiac signs called Cancer or Leo during a year when Mars rules, then the Sun and the Moon that year tend to be “ailing”. Whoever is born under this planet, he becomes ruddy, somewhat darkening as if he were browned by the Sun and he also becomes unvirtuous and warlike and he gladly makes discord among the folk. Mars has these signs from among the Twelve Signs / Zodiac: Aries and Scorpio—as well as their temperament and nature. Mars fulfills his course in five-hundred-and-thirty-days.	[146v] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 146v.jpg [146r] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 146r.jpg
	I, the Sun, tell ye in good time That over all Planets I do shine. My rising gives the Day its shine, And my setting reveals the Stars so fine; I make Mankind fair and well-pleased—Which no other Planet has achieved. The Sun is the fourth planet and is hot and dry and is merry—a flowing light to all who live upon the Earth. He is a “planet” who is beautiful and lusty, and his face illumines Mankind. And also the Sun remembers the folk with all their progeny, so then it goes well for the progeny of the folk. The Sun is a kingly star and a light and eye to this World; and he shines by means of himself and outshines all the other Stars. Among the Seven Planets, he is the mightiest and he keeps the time and he fulfills his course in a whole year. He also makes men well, all throughout the body; and he makes his face handsome and well-shapen, with big eyes and with full beard and long hair. He makes the man’s soul within himself like unto his soul. The Sun makes one wise in other matters, such that one has indeed love; and the Sun makes one artistically rich and crafty at all things. Thus the folk ruled by the Sun are by nature / naturally the sanguinary. So then these same folk are really shrewd in all things and arts—but are really doubtful of godly things and articles and are also unchaste and become really “farm-hatchet-angry”—indeed so it is and then they shortly away. The child who is then born in the year when the Sun rules, this child becomes “flesh-hale” and white-coloured, with a bit of red mixed here and there and has much hair after the Sun’s likeness; and indeed shines outwardly with goodness. Such children are indeed strong-minded folk, which means that folk born under the Sun become very wise; and they merrily become the foes of wicked folk. The Sun has the sign of Leo, from among the Seven Planets and the Zodiac, in accordance with his temperament and nature; and he fulfills his course in one whole circling year.	Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 146r.jpg [145v] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 145v.jpg
	Here tells Venus of his nature and quality: They who are born under me, they are jealous and hasty and likewise unchaste. Venus, the planet, is cold and wet and lucky and fulfills her course in three-hundred-forty-three days. Venus is a good combined “star” that tempers the wickedness of Mars; and has a well-shining colour and shines among the Stars, indeed with luminosity and is as gazed-upon as the Sun. Her children are jaunty and unchaste. When Venus rules, then it is good for putting on new clothes. Thus when Venus goes before the Sun, then he Venus is called Lucifer; and when Venus goes after the Sun, then Venus is called Vespera. Venus makes the man a beautiful person, one with big eyes, as shining as the Sun and makes the man with his soul “wide-sweeping” and yet erring at spiritual things. So thus they are called choleric. They have doubtful senses and are unreliable indeed, thus doubt-worthy. So thus are they distinct from those who are called sanguinary. He who is born thereunder, grows not too tall, about middling and with big eyes and eyebrows like unto the Sun, as aforesaid; and becomes gentle and well-spoken and really coy and cultured; and really wealthy (?) and cleanly. Such a man also gladly hears the lyre and also gladly dances. The planet Venus has from among the Zodiac the signs of Taurus and Libra, which befits her nature.	[145r] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 145r.jpg
	Mercury—fiery is my nature—thus so my figure manifests. My children are charming and subtle; and whatever they do, they do with great speed. Mercury the planet tempers his nature—thus when he comes to good planets, then he also is good; but when he is by bad planets, then he also is bad. Mercury makes the man a lordly person and makes the man beautiful indeed, with curly (?) hair; and wise of soul and subtle; and moreover has wisdom and conjugal love; and is a fashionable (?) one; and he is good at talking with others, really well-spoken, yet not too much, and it is good counsel; and he wins many friends. Mercury goes after the Sun and has his shine which one quite seldomly sees, for he is quite near the Sun. They who are born under Mercury, they gain big teeth (?); and are witty-speaking to the folk; and pale of colour; and they gladly study; and are themselves quiet folk and subtle; and gladly wait their turn / tend to tarry a lot / gladly vouch for someone; and have not wickedness within themselves. Mercury fulfills his course in three-hundred-thirty-eight days. Those born under Mercury are the melancholy; they do their thing secretly / stealthily. Mercury rules with Virgo and with Gemini among the Zodiac, who stand in the Sky.	[144v] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 144v.jpg
	Here tells the Moon of her nature: We are many sided—And my children gladly speak to no man, And are resounding; And my figure takes the natures of all planets; And none is more utterly fickle—Even as I myself feed those. The planet called the Moon is the lowest planet in the Sky; and is cold and wet and also virtuous; and is lord / lady of all watery things; and goes with all speed on her course. So thus she courses in one month, while the Sun fares for a whole year. And all they who are badly cold-blooded, these same are her children—thus most of all, the blood of these men becomes tempered like unto / by the Moon. Thus so is her course really useful to us, such that we wit well the Moon’s going and in whichever signs she goes; so then it is quite frightful (?) when someone observes not her course. So then she is the lowest planet and draws a great deal of the other planetary natures into herself. So thus we must and had better wit her course when in conjunction with other planets, since when they rule together, then that is within us. The Moon makes the man “wide-sweeping”, such that he may not stay put in one place and thus makes the man happy while yet sad—thus dual-minded, although for the most part happy. And so the Moon also makes the man aquiline-nosed. Such men are of watery nature and are called phlegmatic; and are lazy and tend to have eyes such that one eye is larger than the other. Luna—the Moon—fulfills her course, all of a month and lights the night; and “borrows” her light from the Sun; and waxes and wanes because of the Sun—thus also written and stated hereafter. So the children whom she “makes”, they become ordinary boys / vulgar knaves and they have much commonality with the men and yet when the Moon rules, then it is not good—nothing starts that shall last long—confusion (?) and such things. Then that is an unsteady time and is unpopular, which becomes harmful (?) to those living at that time; and the Moon makes the man blanch-faced and blemished, and makes him malignant and insane, such that he becomes wicked and wrathful—and that behaviour is because of lunacy and that is because the Moon is in one of any Zodiac signs for two-and-half (?) days and has Cancer under her.	[144r] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 144r.jpg [143v] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 143v.jpg
	Of the planetary courses and their nature—how and why they have their motion and all that. It is to wit of the Seven Planets and of their natures that God has thus ordained it—He is above the Stars. Thus whichever planet goes nearest of all to a constellation thus Zodiac sign, from the same constellation said planet gets his nature. So some constellations are colder; some of wetter nature; some dryer; some of hotter nature. These same natures move he, the man, because of the relevant constellation. So some men are colder and dryer of nature. These same men silently seethe and are untrue men. Some men are colder and wetter of nature. They talk a lot and are beyond lazy. Some men are hotter and dryer of nature. They are jaunty and bold; and tend to have many women, yet are unsteady at love. Whoever is hotter and dryer of nature, he had the best nature within him and he tends to be mild and productive; and to have lasting love of a lady; and is steady at love. And thus so the books tell us regarding the “star” that we call Mars, that undeniably comes into play, whenever he is hotter and colder of nature and dry—three (?) natures coming to the light. The Moon is the least among all the Seven Planets and courses the nearest of all by the Earth. Thus so the world acts in harmony most of all with the Moon. So Comet is a “star”—this same star appears out-of-nowhere—thus the Sky-Realm will change. Man shall behold and watch the star Comet, because of the shine that he shines from him, like unto the Moon, and because this star courses not harmoniously among the other stars. The books tell us that it be the brightest that God, by His power, has kindled in the air. Yet indeed, mind you something—that it tends to become costly / famished in whichever land he is seen.	Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 143v.jpg [143r] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 143r.jpg
	Regarding the Sun’s course: How he courses through the Zodiac of the Sky, day and night. He who would rightly wit the “morning-course”, he must firstly wit how the Sun goes through the Zodiac; and that he courses in one year through all signs; and stays in any one sign for 30 days. The Twelve Signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini and the others, etc. The Moon courses through all the signs in one month and thus courses through all signs in thirty days and remains in any one sign about two-and-half days. And so through the courses of these signs comes the Moon to the given sign wherein is the Sun; and comes to conjunction with him. So then the Moon is called ardent / lustful when she “dies” upon her course, when yet the Moon parts ways from the Sun by 15 degrees of the elliptical arc, that begets (?) the Sky, when she kindles the Sky alight and is seen by Mankind. And thus she takes her light from the Sun, whenever she, like him, is in her greatness / magnitude, when indeed she is ardent / lustful with the Sun. However, one may not have seen her light in presence of the Sun.	Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 143r.jpg [142v] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 142v.jpg
	Here is told in which sign the Sun stays and courses during any one month. In the month of January is the Sun in the sign that is called Aquarius. And in “Horning” / February, the Sun is in Pisces. And in March, thus is he in Aries. In April, thus is he in Taurus. In May, thus is he in Gemini. In “Fallow” / June he is in Cancer. In “Haying” / July, he is thus in Leo. In August, he is thus in Virgo. In “First Harvest” / September, thus is he in Libra. In “Second Harvest” / October, thus is he in Scorpio. In “First Winter” / November, he is thus in Sagittarius. In “Last Winter” / December, he is thus in Capricorn.
	Here starts what a book says is how the Body be systemised inside. Thus here firstly, about the Brain. The brain works all bodily organs and understanding. Thus the Five Senses of Man reside locked therein.
	The Heart. The heart works the warmth and the blood of all organs; and keeps the Soul; and holds one’s Life.	[142r] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 142r.jpg
	The Liver. The liver works to drink for the hydration of all organs. Thus it draws any drink out of the stomach.
	The Bollix. The brain works all organs and understanding and the bollix bring about Birth. Thus the seed of man comes from all organs into the bollix. So the nature a lady has for a man and a man in turn for a lady—that brings them to the state whereby their Fruit arises and enlivens.
	Thus two holes work in the Throat: Into the Esophagus goes the food and the drink, into the Stomach; and into the Trachea goes air and breath, into the Lungs. Now goes the breath thusly into the lungs. So they are like unto bellows above the heart—such that they draw in cold air and push out again the breath along with heat. That first hole has a flap (epiglottis), so as one draws in food and drink, so that flap shuts, so thus the nourishment passes, it descends. Then that nourishment hurries into the stomach and not into the lungs. When the man needs breath, then that flap opens and then he draws in the cold air and accordingly pushes out the hot air—so that the man smothers not, and thus so is the man not at all poisoned to death when Pestilence rules, or else when bad dank miasma or weather worsens the air. The masters, they reckon also that the air and breath which comes particularly from a man sickens other men, when it is from the man who is not at all in his better health and kills other men just as quickly as bad air, especially compared to good and dry air. Then that inhaled sickness issues forth from the trunk into all organs and infects / pollutes the blood and the heart inside the body.	Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 142r.jpg [141v] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 141v.jpg
	About the Stomach. The stomach is like unto a cooking-pot—therein the food simmers and melts; and thus it is a cook and a servant to all the organs; it cooks and prepares the food for all organs. Before and in the mouth / jaws, they the cook and servant have moisture from drinks and heat from the heart and nourishment as well from the liver.
	Master Allmonser tells in the book which is called Pantegni—that some organs of the man are hot and dry of nature and some organs are cold and wet of nature.
	Thus so there are the hot organs—such as the heart and the liver and the spleen and also the flesh. Thus so there are the cold organs—which are all those which have not blood inside them—such as the bones and the stomach and the bowels and the bladder. And whatever we eat, that goes, regarding all of us, into the stomach and simmers therein as in a pot; and so thereafter the stomach takes the food and the drink, as much then as it contains, and therefrom it feeds; and so thereafter it presses from it the remaining stuff out into the small intestine, which connects with / goes into the stomach; and so then the small intestine takes also its diet therefrom and then presses that remainder into the large intestine; and as the food and the drink comes therein, so then the liver draws the drink into it, by osmosis, just as a magnet draws the iron to it; and as soon as the drink comes into the liver, so it transforms / changes and becomes new blood; the liver draws also the vital blood to itself and feeds therefrom. Thus there goes also a great artery out of the liver and just yonder as it comes past the liver; so it deals itself into two parts (hepatic artery and portal vein?)—thus the one goes up over into the vili; while the other, it goes to all the organs of the man and nourishes such thereby. When the life is stowed in the blood, thus so likewise does the other and itself go; which also is sent to the heart, one another as the best blood; and thus the heart draws in the “blood-froth” / oxygenated blood from the lungs. And so the gall / bile is the hot blood and the milt has the best of all blood; and thereupon the blood sinks into the artery to the kidneys and seeks thereafter and therethrough; and then turns into urine; and so thereafter those strain / siphon blood through little veinlettes, as uric exudation into the bladder. Thus so, the bladder has two sides which it squeezes together—thus when the bladder becomes full, then it squeezes the sides together, for the weight of the urine and so then goes the urine from the man; and so thereafter the bladder closes up again, so that the urine goes not always from the man. So thereafter goes the food from the small intestine into the large intestine, until the pure things remain not any more therein. So thereupon Nature drives the remainder from the man, which then becomes waste.	[141r] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 141r.jpg [140v] Page:Ms.Thott.290.2º 140v.jpg

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For further information, including transcription and translation notes, see the discussion page.

Work	Author(s)	Source	License
Images	Det Kongelige Bibliotek	WikiMedia Commons
Translation	Jeffrey Hull	Historical European Martial Arts Alliance
Transcription	Dieter Bachmann	Index:Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS Thott.290.2º)