Subject: Deism

Book - "A DEFENCE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT,IN A SERIES OF LetterS TO THOMAS; PAINE"..CALLS "AGE OF REASON" ONE OF THE MOST VIOLENT AND; SYSTEMATIC ATTACKS ON THE WORD OF GOD THAT WAS EVER MADE.; 2nd EDITION...LISTS SUBSCRIBERS IN PA...NONE ARE JEWISH.....This is a reprint of the first edition, published in London in 1797....One of the first books by a Jewish author to be sold by a Jewish bookseller in America. There is also a 1798 NYC edition of the same book. David Levi responds to Thomas Paine's Age of Reason, which ridiculed the bible, and religion in general. For instance, Paine wrote that "it would be more consistent that we called [the Old Testament] the word of a demon, than the Word of God. It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my own part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel." David Levi (1742-1801) was an English-Jewish writer, Hebraist, Jewish apologist, translator, and poet. Levi was born to poor immigrant parents who could not afford to educate him. He worked as a shoemaker, then as a hatter, then as a printer. He read voraciously in Jewish literature from ancient times to the present, as well as in Christian writings about Judaism and about the Bible. Self-educated, he realised how little both Jews and Christians in England knew about Judaism and resolved to explain and defend his faith. His first published work, A Succinct Account of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jews (1782), tried to explain Judaism to Jews and to correct Christian misconceptions about Judaism. Next, he translating the prayer books of both the Ashkenazi and Spanish and Portuguese Jews. He supervised a translation of the Old Testament into English and published a Hebrew grammar and dictionary, and a guide to the Hebrew language. In 1786, Joseph Priestly published his Letter to the Jews (1786), urging them to convert. Levi published a lengthy answer, which led to many arguments with Christian divines. This led to his three-volume Dissertation on the Prophecies of the Old Testament (1793-1800), which he printed and published himself. It was republished in London in 1817 in two volumes. Levi's work was well known in Christian circles; his Dissertation on the Prophecies was accepted as authoritative by many scholars, both Jewish and Christian, well into the nineteenth century. His six-volume English translation of the liturgy served as the foundation for later editions published both in England and in the United States. His Protestant friend Henry Lemoine published an obituary in the Gentleman's Magazine (October 1801), "He's Gone! the Pride of Israel's Busy Tribe". It praised him as a great explainer and defender of Judaism against both Christians and skeptics. Levi was also poet in ordinary to the synagogue, and furnished odes when required on several public celebrations, as, for instance, on the king's escape from assassination in 1795 Levi (1742-1801), a self- taught Jew living in London, was almost single-handedly responsible for providing the English-speaking world with insights into Judaism previously accessible only to those versed in Hebrew. In addition to translating Hebrew texts and explicatingJewish rites, he also exercised his considerable talents in defending Judaism from attacks by writers including Spinoza, Voltaire, and Priestly, as well as Paine. For the American edition of his refutation of Paine's deism, Levi enlisted one of New York's leading Jewish citizens and one of the USA's first Jewish publishers and booksellers, Naphtali Judah. For sale by Meir Turner (NYC) 9.29/13 for $ 4,900.00

A book titled "AN APOLOGY for the BIBLE in a SERIES OF LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THOMAS PAIN, AUTHOR of; the BOOK THE AGE OF REASON" by R. Watson, Lord Bishop of Llandaff. Published in 1796. Watson defends the Jews against accusations made by Paine in *The Age of Reason*, specifically refuting Paine's claim that Jews "never pray[ed] for anything but vengeance, victory and riches."

First American edition of a book containing letters supposedly written by Jews to Voltaire, offering an apology for their people and the Old Testament. The letters, actually authored by Antoine Guenee, present a critique of Deism rather than a defense of Judaism. Published in Philadelphia by William Young. This work addresses the long-standing debate surrounding Voltaire's anti-Judaism, a topic of significant historical and religious interest. The translation was originally published in Dublin in 1777 by Philip Lefanu.

Third American edition of "Letters of Certain Jews to Monsieur Voltaire," published in Cincinnati in 1848. This work, originally authored by Antoine Guenee and translated by Philip Lefanu, purports to be a response from Jews to Voltaire's criticisms of Judaism and the Old Testament. The book includes a note from J. Jonas, President of the Holy Congregation of the Children of Israel in Cincinnati. The original work, while presented as a Jewish defense, is largely considered a Christian apologetic against Deism.

This pamphlet contains "Sermons in the Character of a Jew" by M. de Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet, 1694-1778). Published in London in June 1762, this work has been a subject of scholarly debate for centuries due to its portrayal of Judaism. While Voltaire's works often displayed anti-Jewish sentiments, this pamphlet, initially attributed to Voltaire, was later revealed to be written by Antoine Guénée (1717-1803). It presents itself as a Jewish response to Deism but is largely interpreted as an attack on Deism rather than a defense of Judaism. Philip Lefanu (c. 1735-1795) published an English translation in Dublin in 1777.