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Was Christopher Columbus Jewish? Why is it so hard to tell?

Say what??  I wrote what follows several years ago for the Purim Issue of a local informal publication.   I have always liked the possibility.  During the 500th year celebration of Columbus's 1492 voyage to America (or near about), two references to the subject in the regular media were, I thought, pretty crummy.  The first was in a TV documentary on Columbus produced in Italy which I think was shown on the A&E channel.  An Italian expert on Columbus and his voyages was asked what he thought of the possibility.  A paraphrase of his answer was "No way! He was very religious."   EXCUSE ME?  The other, I think, was in a major magazine, probably Time, but I'm not sure.  The logic presented was: Columbus was not a nice man.  Therefore, the Jews should find someone else to claim as their own.   So much for historical accuracy.

I wrote this originally in February 1992 for a Purim article.  I've revised it slightly to reflect both a change in writing style and the availability of more data.  This first article does not present evidence that Columbus was Jewish. The one that follows lists some of the "evidence."   The purpose of the first article is to show why Columbus's (or anyone else living in that time period's) origins are so obscure.

Was he or wasn't he....we'll never know. Purim is a time for celebration and retelling the story of a Queen who found it necessary to hide her Jewish heritage. It is a time when many dress up in costumes disguising their identities for fun. This year is the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyage to "the new world". There is controversy about how good a man he was and whether or not his contributions were worth the cost. Parsha Noah may provide a clue. The only sailor in the Chummash, Noah, was called a righteous man in his generation. The times we live in set the standards by which we should be judged.

Another controversy, usually ignored in the popular media, is whether or not Admiral Columbus was a Jew, disguised as a Christian (Converso or Marrano). There is significant circumstantial evidence that he was... and if so, he wasn't disguised for fun.  We do know that a converted Jew (Luis de Santange), with influence in the Spanish Court, provided financing for his voyage and that his crew contained Jewish members recently converted to Christianity.  We also know that his interpreter Luis de Torres, was baptized (from Judaism) shortly before the expedition, and was among the first ashore, when Columbus landed in Cuba on November 2, 1492.

So why is it so difficult to tell what his background was and what was living in Spain at that time really like?

We recall that the Jews were exiled to Babylonia where they established a center of learning. When this period ended, about the year 1000, the center of Jewish education moved to Spain for over 200 years. This was possible after the Muslims captured the Iberian Peninsula in 756. During the first 400 years of Moorish rule, the Jewish population flourished. Jews, Moslems, and Christians lived side by side in prosperity until about the 12th century when Moslem fanatics began to persecute those of other faiths. Many of our great scholars came from this environment. For example, the Rambam, Moses Maimonides, was born in Cordova during this golden era. His family was forced to flee from Moslem fanatics, however, when he was about 13 years of age.

Jews were dispersed throughout Europe following the Babylonian exile. The crusades started in 1095 ending reasonable living conditions for Jews. The crusaders slaughtered the Jewish populations of many communities in their path to Jerusalem. Subsequently, it became open season on Jews almost everywhere. Absurd libels about Jews were spread and horror followed throughout Europe. Jews suffered officially sanction degradation under both Islamic and Christian rule, often life threatening under the latter. Pope Innocent III, was particularly cruel. When he presided over the Fourth Lateran Council in Rome (1215), he insisted that the terrible laws suffered by the Jews and often Moslems be made more severe. The Jewish population was expelled from England, most of France, and most of Germany.

Spain presented a better environment than the rest of Europe. In the 12th through the 14th centuries, some tolerance was still shown to Jews. The Christians and Moslems were busy fighting each other over the ownership of the land. Jews performed vital functions in the Spanish administration and culture. Perhaps, the most important reason for tolerance was the expectation that Jews would succumb to gentle persuasion and convert to Christianity. Since the fundamental concepts of other religions do not make sense to those knowledgeable of our religious heritage, the voluntary conversion plan failed, as it usually does.

When this became clear, the tolerance shown to Jews disappeared. Suddenly, all Jews had to identify themselves by wearing a round yellow patch over their heart. Sound familiar? Savage pogroms started in Seville and spread throughout the Jewish quarters of Toledo, Valencia, Barcelona, and Seville. Thousands of Jews were slaughtered. Many others "voluntarily" converted to Christianity. The sincerity and religious loyalty of the "new Christians" or conversos (marranos) were always suspect. Instead of eliminating persecution, conversion made it worse.

In 1412, a law was passed in Spain depriving Jews and Moslems of the right to hold office, bear arms, drink or eat with Christians, change residences etc. etc. Jews were required to wear their hair and beards long. Although he was not born in Spain, we have a good idea of the world Columbus faced. Some say he was the child of two conversos. Initially conversos prospered achieving high positions in court, in the Church, and marrying into important families. They became a threat on all fronts.

After 1449, these laws were extended to conversos and included forbidding the right to testify in court against Christians. Although Jews were under constant pressure to convert, the conversos began to have it worse.

The Franciscan friar Alonso de Espina published a book called the "Fortalitium Fidei" in 1460. The book listed blood libels, "host degradations", and a variety of satanic misdeeds allegedly committed by conversos and Jews. One of his objectives was to show that the conversos were bad Christians (heretics) and therefore subject to the horrors of the Inquisition. Fortunately, at the time, Spain did not have an active Inquisition. Instead the Conversos became victims of bloody riots in Toledo and Valladolid and were expelled from Cordova in 1473.

Then the political system of Spain changed for the worse. Queen Isabelle of Castile and King Ferdinand of Argon, married and became the "Catholic monarchs", partially uniting Spain. The Prior of the Dominican monastery of St. Paul in Seville, Alfonso de Hojeda, preached to the Queen about the heretical nature of the conversos.  Prior to her ascendancy to the throne, the infamous Tomas de Torquemada made Isabelle promise to eliminate heresy when she gained the throne. Were the Conversos committing heresy (for Catholicism)? Certainly, many did. Most did not convert due to a change of belief but through a hope for physical survival. They practiced keeping Kosher and observed the Sabbath and holidays in secret. Some sincere converts reported those that still practiced the faith of their fathers. We have many stories of brave Jews practicing Judaism in secret and in the open. We have many more stories of martyrs burned at the stake, alive or just after being murdered.

Queen Isabelle restored the Inquisition in Castile in 1478 to search out heretic conversos. King Ferdinand extended its influence to Argon, a short time later. Torquemada was appointed Chief Inquisitor the autumn of 1483.  An edict was published requesting all citizens to report anybody they suspected of heresy. Now the successful Converso, heretic or not, could be removed by renouncing him or her to the Inquisition... anonymously. So many were reported that the tribunal was quickly forced to move to larger quarters outside of the city. There were some outstanding acts of individual and group resistance but all apparently failed. More than 700 were burned at the stake and 5,000 others received lesser punishments in the first 3 years. 13,000 Conversos were condemned over 12 years.  Their property was divided between the Pope and the King.

Ironically, Jews that refused conversion were not in danger from the Inquisition, where it did exist.

On March 31, 1492 the Edict of Expulsion (also called the Alhambra Decree) was signed.  Every Jew in Spain was forced to choose between conversion to Christianity or leaving the country forever without their possessions. 150,000 Jews left Spain, many first went to Portugal, and following expulsion to the Ottoman Empire. On July 31st (7th of Av), the last Jew left Spain according to some sources and August 2nd (9th of Av), according to others. Columbus sailed on August 3, 1492.  He did insist, however, that all of his crew be on board August 2nd, which was the not only the day all Jews had to leave Spain but also the 9th of AV.

Small wonder, Columbus's Jewish roots, if genuine, are obscure. If he were known to be a Jew, he could not have received support at the Court of Isabelle and Ferdinand. If he were known to be a Converso, his fate might have been worse. It is tragic that so many Jews gave up so much hoping to be spared persecution.  It is ironic that they were rewarded with a higher level of persecution. Worst of all, Queen Isabelle, responsible for such persecution, torture and death is revered and admired by many.

Jerold H Feinstein saftyrma@erols.com