Volume 4: Jewish Consumption and Material Culture in the Early Modern Period, 2007, University of Maryland

Presentation

Praises Which Zealous [Men] Dedicated to the Wonderful Memory of Abraham Nunez Bernal

An Introduction

Limor Mintz-Manor, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

The book Praises that zealous [men] dedicated for the pleasant memory of Abraham Nunez Bernal, who was burned alive sanctifying the Name of his Creator in Cordova on May 3rd, 5415 that was published in Amsterdam in approximately 1655, includes many poems in Spanish written by elite members of the Sephardic community in the city. The book was dedicated to the memory of two Conversos, relatives of a community member in Amsterdam, that were sentenced by the Spanish Inquisition and burned at the stake in Cordoba.

In the following poems (as well as others in this book) the legendary phoenix is used as a metaphor for the martyrs, who chose to die while keeping their Jewish faith. This symbolic Martyrdom associated with the phoenix was widespread in the writings of the members of the community. The phoenix appears in other texts and images of the community in several contexts symbolizing martyrdom, resurrection and revival.

Bibliography

Miriam Bodian, Hebrews of the Portuguese Nation. Conversos and Community in Early Modern Amsterdam, Indianapolis 1997. (general)

Yosef Kaplan, Bom Judesmo: The Western Sephardic Diaspora, in: David Biale (ed.), The Cultures of the Jews: A New History, Vol. 3, New York 2002. (general)

H. den Boer, 'Exile in Sephardic Literature of Amsterdam', Studia Rosenthaliana 35 (2001), pp. 187-199.

A.K. Offenberg, 'Jacob Jehuda Leon (1602-1675) and His Model of the Temple', in: J. van den Berg & E.G.E. van der Wall (eds.), Jewish-Christian Relations in the Seventeenth Century. Studies and Documents, London 1988, pp. 95-115.

J. Poesch, 'The Phoenix Portrayed', The D.H. Lawrence Review 5 (1972), pp. 200-237.

Leo and Rena Fuks, The Inauguration of the Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1675, Arquivos do centro cultural português, vol XIV Paris 1979.

Websites including relevant images:

Dedication of The Portuguese Synagogue Drawn by Romeyn de Hooghe :
http://www.jtsa.edu/library/exhib/sanctuary/01.shtml

The Portuguese Synagogue Drawn by Emanuel de Witte (and more):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam_Esnoga

The official website of the synagogue:
http://www.esnoga.com

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