Chapter XIX: From the Expulsion From Spain to the Persecution in Poland

(1492-1648 C. E.)

1493 _Most Spanish Jews leave Portugal_; all remaining
behind are sold as slaves.

Simon Duran II (1439-1570), rabbi of Algiers.

1494. ISAAC ABRABANEL, minister of finance to two kings of
Naples.

1496. Manoel of Portugal orders the Jews to accept baptism
or leave the country.

1497. Manoel seizes Jewish children and has them baptized;
many Jews accept baptism; =all others banished
from Portugal=.

1498. THE EXILES SETTLED IN NAVARRE BANISHED.

1499. The Jews of Nuremberg banished.

1502. _Judah Leon Abrabanel_ (Medigo, 1470-1530) writes
his “Dialogues of Love.”

_Asher Lämmlein_ proclaims himself the forerunner of
the Messiah.

1503(about). Abraham Farissol (1451-1525), scholar at the court
of Ferrara.

_Gershon Cohen Soncinus_ establishes a _Hebrew
printing office_ in Prague.

Jacob Polak (1460-1530), the alleged originator of
the PILPUL METHOD OF TALMUD STUDY.

1504. _Abraham Zacuto_ finishes his chronicle, “Sefer
Yochasin.”

1506. Massacre of Marranos in Lisbon.

1507. Beginning of the feud between JOHN REUCHLIN and the
Humanists on the one side and, on the other,
PFEFFERKORN, the tool of the Dominicans led by
Hoogstraten, Victor von Karben, Arnold von
Tongern, Ortuinus Gratius, and the theological
faculties of various universities. The Talmud and
the Jews attacked and defended before Maximilian
I, Popes Alexander VI and Leo X. The last
publication by Pfefferkorn in 1521, near the
beginning of Luther’s Reformation.

1507(about). Obadiah Sforno, Jacob Mantin, Abraham de Balmes, and
ELIAS LEVITA (1468-1549), Hebrew grammarians,
teachers of Hebrew to Christians. Introduction of
Hebrew studies into German and French universities
through the efforts of Egidio de Viterbo,
Reuchlin, and Augustin Justiniani.

1514 (about). _Obadyah di Bertinoro_ (1470-1520), Talmudist and
preacher, improves Jerusalem.

1516. VENICE SETS APART A SPECIAL QUARTER FOR A GHETTO.

1517(about). David Ibn-Abi Zimra (1470-1573) _abolishes the
Seleucidæan era_ for the Egyptian Jews.

1518(about). _Samuel Abrabanel_ (1473-1550) employed as financier
by the viceroy of Naples; _Benvenida Abrabanela_.

1519(about). _Joseph ben Gershon Loans_ (Joslin of Rosheim,
1478-1554), representative and protector of the
German Jews.

1520(about). _Elias Mizrachi_ (1455-1527), chief rabbi of Turkey.

1523 (about). _Elias Kapsali_ (1490-1555), historian.

1524. The Jews of Cairo threatened with destruction by
Achmed Shaitan, viceroy of Egypt.

João III of Portugal employs Henrique Nunes
(Firme-Fé) as a spy upon the Marranos.

David Reubeni in Rome under the protection of Pope
Clement VII.

1529. SOLOMON MOLCHO (Diogo Pires, 1501-1532) begins his
Messianic agitation.

1530(about). Portuguese Marranos burnt by order of the Bishop of
Ceuta.

1531. CLEMENT VII ISSUES A BULL ESTABLISHING THE
PORTUGUESE INQUISITION FOR MARRANOS.

1532. Marranos forbidden to leave Portugal.

Molcho burnt by Emperor Charles V at Mantua.

Clement VII stops the proceedings of the Portuguese
Inquisition at the instance of Marranos.

1535. Eighteen hundred Marranos liberated from the
Portuguese Inquisition in obedience to a bull of
Paul III.

1535(about). Moses Hamon (1490-1565), physician to Sultan
Selim I.

1536. Paul III sanctions the Portuguese Inquisition.

1538. _The ordination of rabbis (Semicha)_ re-introduced
by _Jacob Berab_.

1541. Most of the Jews leave Naples, where they are
threatened with social degradation.

1542. The Jews of Prague banished.

Luther attacks the Jews.

1548. Portuguese Marranos again liberated on the
interference of Paul III.

1550. The Jews banished from Genoa.

1552. _Samuel Usque_ finishes his “Consolations for the
Sorrows of Israel.”

1553. The Talmud confiscated under Julius III in Italy.

=1554.= =Joseph Karo= (1488-1575), Kabbalist and Talmudist,
finishes his code, the =Shulchan Aruch=.

1555. Paul IV issues a severe bull against the Jews.

The Marranos of Ancona imprisoned and tried by the
=Inquisition=.

1555. _Amatus Lusitanus_ (1511-1568), physician.

1556. Sultan Solyman demands from Paul IV the release of
Turkish Marranos; _Donna Gracia Mendesia_
(1510-1568).

1559. The Talmud burnt at Cremona; prayer books burnt in
Vienna.

1560(about). JOSEPH BEN JOSHUA COHEN (1496-1575), historian,
writes his “Annals.”

JOSEPH IBN-VERGA completes the martyrology “Shebet
Jehuda,” begun by his grandfather and father.

1561. The Jews of Prague banished.

1564. _Pius IV permits the publication of the Talmud
without its name, and after having been submitted
to censorship._

1566. Pius V enforces all the canonical restrictions
against the Jews.

_Joseph Nassi_ (d. 1579) made Duke of Naxos by
Sultan Selim II.

1568. ISAAC LURYA LEVI (1534-1572), Kabbalist, pretends to
be the Messiah of Joseph.

CHAYIM VITAL CALABRESE (1543-1620),
Kabbalist, associate of Lurya.

1569. All the Jews in the Papal States except those of
Rome and Ancona expelled.

1570. AZARYA BEN MOSES DEÏ ROSSI (1514-1578), scholar.

1570(about). _Solomon Lurya_ (1510-1573) and MOSES BEN ISRAEL
ISSERLES (1520-1572), author of the “MAPPA,”
the continuation of the Shulchan Aruch, Polish
Talmudists.

1574. Solomon ben Nathan Ashkenazi negotiates peace
between Venice and Turkey.

1576. Stephen Bathori allows the Jews of Poland to carry
on trade without restrictions.

1579. Gracia Nassi establishes a Hebrew printing press in
Turkey. Esther Kiera, Turkish court-Jewess,
publishes Hebrew books.

1581. Gregory XIII forbids the employment of Jewish
physicians, re-ordains the confiscation of Hebrew
books, and re-introduces the _compulsory Christian
sermon for Jews_.

1586. Sixtus V permits Jews in the Papal States and the
printing of the Talmud.

David de Pomis (1525-1588), physician.

1586(about). The Jews of Poland establish the SYNOD OF THE FOUR
COUNTRIES; Mordecai Jafa probably its first
president.

1587. _Gedalya Ibn-Yachya_ (1515-1587), historian, has his
work printed.

1592. DAVID GANS (1541-1613) publishes his history.

1593. Isaac ben Abraham Troki (1533-1594), Karaite,
publishes his “CHISUK EMUNAH.”

Clement VIII expels the Jews from all the Papal
States except Rome and Ancona.

THE FIRST MARRANO SETTLEMENT MADE IN HOLLAND AT
AMSTERDAM under Jacob Tirado.

1597. The Jews expelled from various Italian
principalities; Ferrara ceases to harbor Marranos.

1604. Clement VIII issues a bull of absolution for
imprisoned Portuguese Marranos.

1612. _Portuguese Jews granted right of residence in
Hamburg._

1614. Vincent Fettmilch’s attack upon the Jews of
Frankfort.

1615. The Jews of Worms banished.

1616. Jews re-admitted into Frankfort and Worms.

1617. _Lipmann Heller_ (1579-1654) completes his
“_Tossafoth Yomtob_.”

1619. Permission accorded the Jews of Amsterdam to profess
their religion.

1621(about). _Sara Copia Sullam_ (1600-1641), poetess.

1623. _Excommunication of Uriel da Costa_ (1590-1640).

1630. Suffering of the Jews during the Thirty Years’ War
(1618-1648).

1639(about). A _Talmud Torah_ opened in Amsterdam. Saul Levi
Morteira, Isaac Aboab de Fonseca, and MANASSEH
BEN ISRAEL, rabbis of Amsterdam.

1641(about). LEO BEN ISAAC MODENA (1571-1649); Joseph Solomon
Delmedigo (1591-1655); and Simone Luzzatto
(1590-1663), scholars not wholly in accord with
the Judaism of their time.

1646. The Jews in Brazil side with the Dutch in their war
with the Portuguese.

1648. Beginning of the COSSACK PERSECUTIONS OF THE JEWS
IN POLAND UNDER CHMIELNICKI.