Loria, Salomo, a noted rabbi, was born at Posen in 1510. Gifted with great talents, he devoted himself to a thorough research of Jewish literature. On ac- count of his onslaughts on Jewish tradition he became involved in manifold controversies with his colleagues, and was persecuted ; but, though personally disliked on account of his inclination to polemics, and not sparing even the private characteristics of living authorities, his just merits concerning the Talmud were recognised af- ter all, and his commentaries on six volumes of the Tal- mud are held in high reputation among the Talmudic Jews to this very day. He died in 1573. See Griitz, Gesch. d. Juden, ix, 4G7 sq. ; Ft'irst, Bibl. Jud. ii, 2G0 sq.
Lorin(us), Jean, a Jewish commentator on the Scriptures, distinguished in his day as an exegetical scholar, was born at Avignon in 1559; taught theology at Paris, Rome, and Milan, and died March 2G, 1G34, at Dole. For a list of his works, see Hoefer, Kouv. liiog. Generule, xxxi, 662.
Lorraine, Chakles de Guise, Cardinal of. See Guise, Chakles.
Lorsbach, Georg Wiliielji, a German theologian, M-as born at Dillenburg, in the duchy of Nassau, Feb. 29, 1752. In 1768 he entered the University of Herborn ; in 1771 he removed to that of Giittingen, and became there an enthusiastic student of the Oriental languages under Michaclis. After having flnished the academical course, he spent four years in private study in his fa- ther's house, preparing himself for the ministry. In 1778 he became rector at Sicgen; in 1786, at the gram- mar-school of his native place, and obtained, at the same time, the dignity of professor; in 1791, rector at the grammar-school of Herborn, and, at the same time, professor of Oriental languages at the academy there, and in the following year was appointed to lecture at the university of that place on history and exegesis. In 1793 he became the third professor ordinary of di- vinity ; in 1794, the second professor and a counsellor of the Consistorj'. Having become famous, by reason of his literan,' contributions, as an eminent Orientalist, he was, in 1812, called to the University of Jena as pro- fessor of Oriental literature. The theological faculty of Marburg bestowed on him the degree of doctor of di- vinity. He died March 30, 1816. "Hc belongs to the few and rare scholars of the ancient languages who
combined acnteness with extensive learning. De Sacy places him among the first German Orientalists. He published an A rchiv d.movf/enlandischen Literatur (Mar- burg, 1791-94, 2 bde. 8vo). See Doring, Gelehrte Thiol. Deutschkmds, vol. ii, s. v.
Lorsch, Convent of (otherwise Lauresham, Lau- resheim, nionasterium Laureucense, Laurissense, Laiiris- su), situated four miles from Heidelberg, was established about A.D. 764 by countess Williswinda (widow of count Bupert, who, by order of Pepin, conducted pope Ste- phen back to Komc) and her son Cancor. Its first ab- bot is said to have been a near relative of the founders, Chrodegang of Metz. The first establishment was on an island of the Weschnitz, dedicated to St. Peter; a sec- ond was soon erected on a hill in the neighborhood. Charlemagne greatly interested himself in this monas- tery, and added to it as endowment Ileppenheim (in January, 773) and Oppenheim (in September. 774\ and personall}' attended the consecration. Louis the Picus, Lothaire, Louis the German, and Louis III all confirmed successively the donations of Charlemagne. But one of the greatest sources of prosperity for the convent was its having received from Pome the relics of St.Nazarius, which brought it numberless presents and donations, and soon made it one of the most prosperous convents at the time. Lorsch also enjoys great litcrarj- fame. Its monks especially distinguiyied themselves by their literary pursuits, to which the A nnales Laureshamenscs bear witness. The early part of these annals (706-768) is evidently derived from those of the convent of Mur- bach, which were verj^ popular ; but after that time they are clearly original, and continue down to 803. Aside from the less important Annules Laurissenses minores, we must mention the Amiales Lau7-isse}ises, formerly called 2)lebeji or Loiseliani, which are the most important annals of the time. Eanke has lately discovered in them the official work of a Carlovingian court historian, which was afterwards used by Einhard as the basis of the annals bearing his name. Until the 11th century the convent enjoved great prosperity. Then its reverses commenced, and, after various struggles, it fell in the 12th century, till "a planta pedis usque ad verticem non fuit in CO sanitas." The moral condition of the Lorsch monastery had greatly deteriorated ever since the 11th centurj', and it became necessary to inaugurate a re- form. This task was intrusted to archbishop Sifried II of Mentz, A.D. 1229. His successor, Sifried III, however, \vas really the man who completed this task by subject- ing the monks to the Cistercian rule, " ut ordo," says Gregory IX in his brief, "de nigro conversus in album purgetur vitiis et virtutibus augeatur." By him also were subsequently installed into Lorsch some Prremon- strant canons of the convent of All Saints (diocese of Strasburg), and the pope approved it as a new organiza- tion Jan. 8, 1248. In the second half of the IGth century Lorsch was subjected to the rule of the electoral admin- istration. Vainly did the Prwmonstrants appeal to pope Alexander VII : the convent retained only the original foundation at Mentz and its dependencies. Not until after the completion of the treaty of Westphalia (1650) was a part of its other possessions restored to it. In 1651 the Palatinate renewed its claims to the lands of the convent, and questioned the propriety of the inde- pendence of Lorsch as a separate duchy, with repre- sentation in the Diet. The quarrel lasted nearly through the whole of the 18th century, but was finally settled in 1803, when the convent became the possession of the house of Hesse-Darmstadt. See Rettberg, A'. Geschkhte Deutschlands, i, 584 sq. ; K. Dahl, Beschreih. d. Fiiisten- thtans Lorsch (Darmstadt, 1812, 4to); Codex principis oliin Laureshamensis, etc., edit. Acadera. elector, sclent. Thoodoro-Palatina, vol. iii (Mannh. 1768, 4to) ; Heraog, Rtal-Encyklop, viii, 490.