First Generation
David Nieto
was the originator of the Netto family in England.
He
was born in 1654 in Venice141
but died on 10 Jan 1728 at London.141 The following details of
his life is an abstract from the online Jewish Encyclopaedia
Haham of the Sephardic community in London; born at Venice 1654; died in London
Jan. 10, 1728. He first practised as a physician and officiated as a Jewish preacher
at Leghorn, Italy. There he wrote in Italian a work entitled "Paschologia"
(Cologne, 1702), in which he dealt with the differences of calculation in the
calendars of the Greek, Roman, and Jewish churches, and demonstrated the errors
which had crept into the calendar from the Council of Nice until 1692. In 1702
Nieto succeeded Solomon Ayllon as ecclesiastical chief of the Portuguese Jews
in London; and two years after his settlement there he published his theological
treatise, "Della Divina Providencia, ó sea Naturalezza Universal, ó
Natura Naturante" (London, 1704). This work provoked much opposition against
him; and it was used by his opponents as ground for accusing him openly of Spinozism,
which at that period was equivalent to atheism. However, ebi Ashkenazi <view.jsp?artid=1953&letter=A>,
who was called in as arbitrator, decided in his favor ( akam ebi, Responsa,
No. 18).
Nieto was a powerful controversialist. In his "Ma eh Dan," or "Kuzari
ele Sheni" (London, 1714), written in Hebrew and Spanish on the model
of the "Cuzari" of Judah ha-Levi, he defended the oral law against
the Karaites, and showed that the contradictions of the Talmud lay not in essentials
but in externals. He waged war untiringly on the supporters of the Shabbethaian
heresies, which he regarded as dangerous to the best interests of Judaism, and
in this connection wrote his "Esh Dat" (London, 1715) against ayyun.
Nieto was one of the most accomplished Jews of his time and was equally distinguished
as philosopher, physician, poet, mathematician, astronomer, and theologian. A
prolific writer, his intercourse with Christian scholars was extensive, especially
with Ungar, the bibliographer. Nieto was the first to fix the time for the beginning
of Sabbath eve for the latitude of England.
See
family tree showing the descendants of David Nieto David Nieto and Sarah were married about 1690 and they had the following children:
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