From Christianity to Judaism

Yosef Kaplan is Bernard Cherrick Professor of Medieval and Modern Jewish History and Director of the School of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has published extensively on early modern Jewish history and on the western Sephardi diaspora; his most recent book is An Alternative Path to Modernity (2000).

• Preface to the Hebrew EditionPreface to the English EditionList of platesMaps and TablesList of AbbreviationsFrom Portugal to Spain: The Alvares de Orobio Family University Studies: Osuna and Alcalá • The Plague at Málaga, 1637: Baltazar Alvares’ AccountA Long Brush with the Inquisition, 1639–1643Isabel Luis and Andrés de Narváez • Violante de Paz, her Children, and her Brother José de Castro • Manuel Alvares and Santiago LuisBuilding a Career in AndalusiaProfessor at Seville and Service to the Duke of Medinaceli • Scientific Discussion of Phlebotomy • CádizImprisoned by the Seville InquisitionFreedomThe Last Years in Spain • Toulouse • Associations with the Price of Condé and the King of France • Amsterdam: The Dutch JerusalemDoubt and CertaintyOrobio de Castro’s Questions to Rabbi Moses Raphael d’Aguilar • Isaac Orobio and Juan de Prado: Intellectual Ferment in Sephardi AmsterdamPhilosopher, Communal Leader, PhysicianRaymond Lull’s Philosopht Debated • Communal Activity within the Portuguese Congregation • Medical Practice in Amsterdam • Personal Standing and Material CircumstancesIsaac Orobio and SabbateanismFacing Calvinists and CatholicsDebate with a Huguenot on Salvation • ‘Divine Forewarning’ against Catholic ‘Idolatry’ • Tracts on the ‘Seventy Weeks and the ‘Suffering Servant’ • Judaism vis-à-vis ChristianityPhilosophers, Theologians, and PoetsSpinoza and Metaphysics: Meeting the Challenge • A ‘Friendly Conversation’: Isaac Orobio and Philip van Limborch • Poets, Poetasters, and Patrons: The Academia de los Floridos • Last DaysThe Intellectual World of Orobio de CastroThe Hispanic Heritage • Between Scholasticism and Fideistic Scepticism • Political and Social AttitudesFrom Crypto-Judaism to Open JudaismA New Jewish Perspective on Converso Life • The Jewish World: From Dreams to Reality • Israel and the Gentiles • The Jewish Fate: Exile and RedemptionEpilogueAppendicesA The Iconography of Isaac OrobioB Poetical Account of the Plague of Málaga, 1637, by Baltasar Alvares (Isaac Orobio de Castro)C Schedule of Moveable Property of Baltasar (Isaac) Orobio Sequestrated by the Inquisition at Cádiz, August 1654D Membership of the Academia de los FloridosE Manuscripts of Works by Isaac Orobio de CastroF Orobio’s Letters to Prado’s Son: A Textual ComparisonG Translations of Orobio’s Works in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth CenturiesH Works Attributed to OrobioBibliographyName IndexPlace IndexSubject Index

'Excellent and even extraordinary ... Kaplan's book is more than a biography, even more than a study of an entire community: it is a treasure-house of information and new source material that will make it one of the most important works of Jewish history published in many years... [a] model study of one of the most compelling figures in the world of early modern Jewry.' David S. Katz, English Historical Review