Hug ha-’aresby Rabbi Solomon of Chelm: An Early Modern Geographical Treatise and its Sources

Abstract

The sanctity of the Land of Israel and its borders are fundamental concepts in Jewish texts, from the Bible and throughout the rabbinic literature. Nevertheless, Jewish graphical representations of this territory, whether as maps or other geographical illustrations, are both rare and late. An early, virtually unknown map of the Land of Israel, produced by Solomon b. Moses of Chelm (1717–1781), is presented and studied. Solomon, born in Zamośc, served as rabbi in Chelm, where he acquired great renown for his halakhic work Mirkevet ha-misneh (a commentary on Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah ). Ḥug ha- ʾ areṣ (not published until 1988), on the geography of Eretz Israel, is unique in its theme, contents, and especially its dependence on Latin sources. R. Solomon drew freely on Christian van Adrichom’s Theatrum Terrae Sanctae (1590) and on the map printed in Matthaeus Seutter’s Atlas Novus . The discovery that this supposed traditionalist made extensive use of Latin sources for geographical discussions that have a halakhic bearing is significant for our appreciation of an illustrious figure who is venerated in Orthodox circles.