DURAN, a Jewish Provencal family of rabbis and scholars, of whom the following are the most important :- I. PROFIAT DURAN, called also EPHODI. He was in 1391 com pelled to profess Christianity, but remained devoted to Judaism. His chief works were grammatical and philosophical. In the former realm his most important contribution was the Ma`aseh `Ephod (completed in 1403) ; in the latter, his commentary to the Guide of the Perplexed by Maimonides (q.v.).
SIMON BEN ZEMAH DURAN (1361-1441), rabbi of Algiers. He was one of the first of the mediaeval rabbis to be a salaried official of the synagogue. Before the 14th century the rabbinical post had been almost invariably honorary, and filled by men who derived their income from a profession, especially medicine. Duran wrote a systematic work on theology, Magen 'Aboth, but is chiefly famous for his numerous Responsa (known as Tashbaz), published in 1738-39, which gives valuable information as to social and religious conditions of his day. (I. A.) DURAN, AGUSTIN (1789-1862), Spanish scholar, was born in 1789 at Madrid, where his father was court physician. He was sent to the seminary at Vergara. He studied philosophy and law at the University of Seville, and was admitted to the bar at Valladolid. He held a post in the education department at Madrid (1821-23), but was suspended on account of his political opinions. In 1834 he became secretary of the board for the censorship of the press, and shortly afterwards obtained a post in the national library at Madrid. The revolution of 1840 led to his dismissal; but he was reinstated in 1843, and in 1854 was appointed chief librarian; he retired, however, in the following year. In 1828 he published anonymously his Discurso sobre el in flu jo que ha tenido la c-ritica moderna en la decadencia del teatro antiguo, which greatly influenced the younger dramatists of the day. He next endeavoured to interest his fellow-countrymen in their ancient, neglected ballads, and in the forgotten dramas of the 17th century. His Romancero general was published in 5 volumes (1828-32; later ed. 2 vols., 1849-51) ; Talia espanola (1834) is a reprint of old Spanish comedies. Duran's Romancero general is the fullest collection of the kind.
