Friday, July 31, 2009

A pseudo-reference to America by Radak

Here's a very interesting little exchange in the Voice of Jacob, end of December 1845/ beginning of January 1846.



As you can see a reader sensed a historical anachronism in a comment of Radak. How could R. David Kimchi (13th entury) write of Brazil wood when it was only known to Europeans in the 14th century?

The Radak entry in question:



A reader responded with the following reply, noting that it is far more likely that the place Brazil received its name from the wood than that the wood was named for the place. In fact, that solution should have occurred to the questioner with the fine historical sense:


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