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Bilingual Hebrew-Dutch edition of the book of Esther, translated into the former language by Samuel Israel Mulder. The title page is followed by a full page detailed copperplate illustrating the verse, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor” (Esther 6:9, 11). There is an introduction from Mulder, followed by the blessings to be said prior to reading the Megillah and the text, which is in two columns, the right column the Megillah in vocalized Hebrew, the left column the translation into Dutch. The volume concludes with the blessings said after the Megillah has been read and Shoshanat Ya’akov.
Samuel Israel Mulder was a Dutch educationist; born at Amsterdam June 20, 1792; died there Dec. 29, 1862. He was educated by his father and by David Friedrichsfeld, and then studied with his brother-in-law H. A. Wagenaar. His friends were Lehmans, Somerhausen, and Ullman, all of them members of the circle Tongeleth, who applied themselves to the study of the Hebrew language. Mulder composed at this time a Hebrew romance, "Beruria," and a psalm (see Delitzsch, "Zur Geschichte der Jüdischen Poesie," Leipsic, 1836).
Mulder was also a member of "Tot Nut en Beschaving," in the works of which many of his essays appeared. In 1812 Mulder became a Sabbath-school teacher; in 1817, a sworn translator at the tribunal; in 1835, inspector of religious schools; and in 1849, secretary of the Amsterdam congregation. From 1826 Mulder was regent (director) of the theological seminary Sa'adat Bahurim, which was reformed by him and which became in 1836 an institution subsidized by the state. Mulder was nominated its regent-secretary for life.
Mulder's reputation is chiefly due to his translation of the Bible, especially of the Pentateuch, Psalms, and Proverbs, which appeared in 1824 and has often been reprinted; it was the first translation into Dutch from the Hebrew. In collaboration with Lehmans he published (1825-31) the dictionary entitled "Nederlandsch-Hebreeuwsch Handwoordenboek" (2 vols.). In 1843 he began his "Bijbel voor de Israelietische Jeugd," which he finished in 1854 (17 vols.; translated into English by Perez of Philadelphia). Besides he published many books on the study of Hebrew, e.g.: "Chronologisch Handboekje," 1836; "Rudimenta" (a revision of Lehman), 1840; "Aardrijkskunde van het Heilig. Land," 1840; "Leesboekje," 1846; "Moreh Derek," 1861. Most of his essays and contributions to periodicals he collected in his "Verspreide Lettervruchten," 1844.
In 1843 the University of Giessen conferred upon Mulder the degree of Ph.D., and in 1860 he was decorated with the Order of the Netherlands Lion. |
