Calasio, Mario Di
Calasio, Mario di
Friar Minor and lexicographer, born at Calasio in the Kingdom of Naples about 1550; died at Rome, 1 February, 1620. Having entered the Franciscan Order, he devoted himself to the study of Hebrew with such success that the pope called him to Rome, where he taught Hebrew in the Franciscan convents of Ara Coeli and San Pietro in Montorio. Calasio enjoyed the special favour of Paul V who made him his confessor and bestowed upon him all the titles and privileges generally accorded to doctors of theology. When he was dying he caused the Passion to be read to him and expired while chanting the Psalms of David in Hebrew. Calasio’s reputation as a scholar in the Semitic languages rests mainly upon his “Concordantiae Sacrorum Bibliorum Hebraicorum” which was published at Rome in 1622, two years after his death. Another, though inferior, edition of the same work appeared at London in 1747. Besides this work Calasio wrote a “Dictionarium Hebraicorum” and “Canones Generales linguae sanctae”.
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APOLLINAIRE in Vig., Dict. de la Bible (Paris, 1899), II, 54-55.
STEPHEN M. DONOVAN Transcribed by Matthew Reak
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IIICopyright © 1908 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Calasio, Mario Di
named from a village of that name in the Abruzzo, where he was born in 1550. He became a Franciscat, and devoted himself to Hebrew, in which he soon became so great a proficient that Pope Paul V made him D.D. and professor of Hebrew at Rome. He is best known by his Hebrew Concordance, which occupied him during forty years, even with the aid of other learned men. He was about to commit this work to the press, whenhe died, in 1620. It appeared under the title Concordantice Sacrorum Bibliorum Hebraicce cur convenientiis ling. Arab. et Syr. (Rome, 1621, 4 vols. fol.). Another edition was published by Romaine at London in 1747, but it is not considered so accurate as that of 1621. He is said to have died chanting the Psalms in Hebrew. Biog. Univ. 6:504.