Public library services for Canadians with print disabilities
  • Mobile accessibility tips
    • Change contrast
      • AYellow on black selected
      • ABlack on yellow selected
      • AWhite on black selected
      • ABlack on white selected
      • ADefault colours selected
    • Change text size
      • Text size Small selected
      • Text size Medium selected
      • Text size Large selected
      • Text size Maximum selected
    • Change font
      • Arial selected
      • Verdana selected
      • Comic Sans MS selected
    • Change text spacing
      • Narrow selected
      • Medium selected
      • Wide selected
  • Register
  • Log in
  • Français
  • Home
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Recommended
  • For libraries
  • Help
  • Skip to content
      • Change contrast
        • AYellow on black selected
        • ABlack on yellow selected
        • AWhite on black selected
        • ABlack on white selected
        • ADefault colours selected
      • Change text size
        • Text size Small selected
        • Text size Medium selected
        • Text size Large selected
        • Text size Maximum selected
      • Change font
        • Arial selected
        • Verdana selected
        • Comic Sans MS selected
      • Change text spacing
        • Narrow selected
        • Medium selected
        • Wide selected
  • Accessibility tips
CELAPublic library services for Canadians with print disabilities

Centre for Equitable Library Access
Public library service for Canadians with print disabilities

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Français
  • Home
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Recommended
  • For libraries
  • Help
  • Advanced search
  • Browse by category
  • Search tips
Breadcrumb
  1. Home

Diary of a Black Jewish Messiah: The Sixteenth-Century Journey of David Reubeni through Africa, the Middle East, and Europe (Stanford Studies in Jewish History and Culture)

By Alan Verskin

Adventurers and explorers, History

Synthetic audio, Automated braille

Summary

In 1524, a man named David Reubeni appeared in Venice, claiming to be the ambassador of a powerful Jewish kingdom deep in the heart of Arabia. In this era of fierce rivalry between great powers, voyages of fantastic discovery, and… brutal conquest of new lands, people throughout the Mediterranean saw the signs of an impending apocalypse and envisioned a coming war that would end with a decisive Christian or Islamic victory. With his army of hardy desert warriors from lost Israelite tribes, Reubeni pledged to deliver the Jews to the Holy Land by force and restore their pride and autonomy. He would spend a decade shuttling between European rulers in Italy, Portugal, Spain, and France, seeking weaponry in exchange for the support of his hitherto unknown but mighty Jewish kingdom. Many, however, believed him to favor the relatively tolerant Ottomans over the persecutorial Christian regimes. Reubeni was hailed as a messiah by many wealthy Jews and Iberia's oppressed conversos, but his grand ambitions were halted in Regensburg when the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, turned him over to the Inquisition and, in 1538, he was likely burned at the stake. Diary of a Black Jewish Messiah is the first English translation of Reubeni's Hebrew-language diary, detailing his travels and personal travails. Written in a Hebrew drawn from everyday speech, entirely unlike other literary works of the period, Reubeni's diary reveals both the dramatic desperation of Renaissance Jewish communities and the struggles of the diplomat, trickster, and dreamer who wanted to save them.

Title Details

ISBN 9781503634442
Publisher Stanford University Press
Copyright Date 2023
Book number 5161580
Report a problem with this book

Diary of a Black Jewish Messiah: The Sixteenth-Century Journey of David Reubeni through Africa, the Middle East, and Europe (Stanford Studies in Jewish History and Culture)

FAQ

How is CELA responding to COVID?

Answer: The health and safety of our staff and patrons is our primary concern.

Read about our COVID plan.

Go to Frequently Asked Questions page

About us

The Centre for Equitable Library Access, CELA, is an accessible library service, providing books and other materials to Canadians with print disabilities.

  • Learn more about CELA
  • Privacy
  • Terms of acceptable use
  • Member libraries
  • Expanded delivery options project

Follow us

Keep up with news from CELA!

  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Blog
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube

Suggestion Box

CELA welcomes all feedback and suggestions:

  • Join our Educator Advisory Group
  • Apply for our User Advisory Group
  • Share your story or ideas for our site and services
  • Suggest a title for the collection
  • Report a problem with a book

Contact Us

Email us at help@celalibrary.ca or call us at 1-855-655-2273 for support.

Go to contact page for full details

Copyright 2023 CELA. All rights reserved.