[1] Or "Magdolos" (Herod, ii. 159), i.e. some "Migdal" (tower) of
Judaea, not the Migdol of Exod. xiv. 2; Jer. xliv. 1.
[2] See _Zeit. f. Alttest. Wissenschaft_ (1902), pp. 170 seq., 312
seq.; _Journ Bib. Lit._ (1903), p. 50.
JÓSIKA, MIKLOS [NICHOLAS], BARON (1794-1865), Hungarian novelist, was
born on the 28th of April 1794 at Torda in Transylvania, of aristocratic
and wealthy parents. After finishing the usual course of legal studies
at Kolozsvár (Klausenburg), he in 1811 entered the army, joining a
cavalry regiment, with which he subsequently took part in the Italian
campaign. On the battlefield of Mincio (February 8, 1814) he was
promoted to the grade of lieutenant. He served in the campaign against
Napoleon, and was present at the entry of the Allied Troops into Paris
(March 31, 1814). In 1818 Jósika resigned his commission, returned to
Hungary, and married his first wife Elizabeth Kallai. The union proving
an unhappy one, Jósika parted from his wife, settled on his estate at
Szurdok in Transylvania, and devoted himself to agricultural and
literary pursuits. Drawn into the sphere of politics, he took part in
the memorable Transylvanian diet of 1834. About this time Jósika first
began to attract attention as a writer of fiction. In 1836 his _Abafi_
laid the foundation of his literary reputation. This novel gives a vivid
picture of Transylvania in the time of Sigismund Bátori. Jósika was soon
afterwards elected member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and of
the Kisfaludy Society; of the latter he became, in 1841, director, and
in 1842 vice-president. In 1847 he appeared at the Transylvanian diet as
second deputy for the county of Szolnok, and zealously supported the
movement for the union of Transylvania with Hungary proper. In the same
year he was converted to Protestantism, was formally divorced from his
wife, and married Baroness Julia Podmaniczky, herself a writer of
considerable merit, with whom he lived happily until his death. So great
was Jósika's literary activity that by the time of the revolution (1848)
he had already produced about sixty volumes of romances and novels,
besides numerous contributions to periodicals. Both as magnate of the
upper house of the Hungarian diet and by his writings Jósika aided the
revolutionary movement, with which he was soon personally identified,
being chosen one of the members of the committee of national defence.
Consequently, after the capitulation at Világos (Aug. 13, 1849) he found
it necessary to flee the country, and settled first at Dresden and then,
in 1850, at Brussels, where he resumed his literary pursuits
anonymously. In 1864 he removed to Dresden, in which city he died on the
27th of February 1865. The romances of Jósika, written somewhat after
the style of Sir Walter Scott, are chiefly of an historical and
social-political character, his materials being drawn almost entirely
from the annals of his own country. Among his more important works may
be specially mentioned, besides _Abafi_--_The Poet Zrinyi_ (1843); _The
Last of the Bátoris_ (1837); _The Bohemians in Hungary_ (1839); _Esther_
(1853); _Francis Rákóczy II._ (1861); and _A Végváriak_, a tale of the
time of the Transylvanian prince Bethlen Gábor, 1864. Many of Jósika's
novels have been translated into German.
See K. Moenich and S. Vutkovich, _Magyar Irók Névtára_ (1876); M.
Jókai, "Jósika Miklós Emlékezete," _A Kisfaludy-Társaság Evlapjai, Új
folyam_, vol. iii. (1869); G. W. Steinacker, _Ungarische Lyriker_
(1874). Cf. also Jósika's autobiography--_Emlékirat_, vol. iv. (1865).
JOSIPPON, the name usually given to a popular chronicle of Jewish
history from Adam to the age of Titus, attributed to an author Josippon
or Joseph ben Gorion.[1] The name, though at one time identified with
that of the historian Josephus, is perhaps a corruption of Hegesippus,
from whom (according to Trieber) the author derived much of his
material. The chronicle was probably compiled in Hebrew early in the
10th century, by a Jewish native of south Italy. The first edition was
printed in Mantua in 1476. _Josippon_ subsequently appeared in many
forms, one of the most popular being in Yiddish (Judaeo-German), with
quaint illustrations. Though the chronicle is more legendary than
historical, it is not unlikely that some good and even ancient sources
were used by the first compiler, the _Josippon_ known to us having
passed through the hands of many interpolators. The book enjoyed much
vogue in England. Peter Morvyn in 1558 translated an abbreviated version
into English, and edition after edition was called for. Lucien Wolf has
shown that the English translations of the Bible aroused so much
interest in the Jews that there was a widespread desire to know more
about them. This led to the circulation of many editions of _Josippon_,
which thus formed a link in the chain of events which culminated in the
readmission of the Jews to England by Cromwell. (I. A.)