Heinrich Jacob Bashuysen

Who was Heinrich Jacob Bashuysen?

Heinrich Jacob Bashuysen was a German Christian printer of Hebrew books and Orientalist.

Bashuysen was born at Hanau, Prussia. He founded a printing-establishment in his native city between 1709 and 1712; and over 100 publications were issued from his press. He was a zealous promoter of Hebrew and rabbinical literature; and, among other works, he translated extracts from the rabbinical commentaries to the Psalms. In one of his dissertations he translated a part of the Mishneh Torah of Moses Maimonides; and it was his intention to translate the whole work, as well as the Hebrew grammar Shoresh Yehudah, by Juda Neumark, director of Bashuysen's printing-office in Hanau. Bashuysen published Abravanel's commentaries on the Pentateuch, and intended to edit the entire work in four volumes. He also entertained the idea of amplifying Otho's Historia Doctorum Mishnicorum by adding the Amoraim.

Among Bashuysen's other works may be mentioned:

"Panegyricus Hebr. de Ling. Hebr."

"Institutiones Gemarico-Rabbin."

"Exercit. Paradoxa de Nova Methodo Discendi per Rabbinos Ling. Hebr.".