Abraham Miguel Cardoso
Encyclopedia
Abraham Miguel Cardozo was a Shabbethaian prophet and physician born in Spain. A descendant of the Marranos in the Portuguese
city of Celorico, he studied medicine together with his brother Fernando Isaac, and while the latter was given to his studies, Michael spent his time in singing serenades under ladies' balconies. After having completed his education, he left Spain
for Venice
. There, probably at the instigation of his brother, he embraced Judaism
and received the name "Abraham". Later he established himself as a physician at Livorno
, but did not meet with much success until his recommendation by the Grand Duke of Tuscany to Othman
, the bey of Tripoli
.
Becoming thereafter fairly prosperous, Cardoso married two wives, and began to devote himself to kabbalistic speculations, in which he appears to have been previously initiated at Livorno by Moses Pinheiro
. With the appearance of the Shabbethaian movement, he assumed the character of a prophet, pretending to have had dreams and visions, and sent circulars in all directions to support the Messianic claim of Shabbethai. Cardoso's pretended or actual belief in the Messiah
was not renounced even when Zevi embraced Islam
; he justified the latter on the plea that it was necessary for him to be counted among the sinners, in order that he might atone for Israel's sins, in a common messianic interpretation to Isaiah
LIII that resembles in many ways the early Christian messianic interpretation of that chapter. Later Cardoso gave himself out as "Messiah ben Ephraim", asserting that the Messiah is he who teaches the true conception of God. This conception Cardoso expounded in nearly all his writings: that the true God is not the "En-Sof", but the "Keter 'Elyon", the first being a passive power which has no connection with the world.
, by spending much money, obtained his banishment from Tripoli
. Cardoso then wandered from place to place, trying to lead people astray by his prophecies and visions, but meeting no success, as the rabbis had issued warnings against his vagaries. In 1703 he settled at Cairo
and became the physician of the pasha
of Egypt
. Three years later, in 1706, he was assassinated by his nephew during a discussion on money matters.
Cardoso's other works were:
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
city of Celorico, he studied medicine together with his brother Fernando Isaac, and while the latter was given to his studies, Michael spent his time in singing serenades under ladies' balconies. After having completed his education, he left Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
for Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. There, probably at the instigation of his brother, he embraced Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and received the name "Abraham". Later he established himself as a physician at Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, but did not meet with much success until his recommendation by the Grand Duke of Tuscany to Othman
Osman I
Osman I or Othman I or El-Gazi Sultan Osman Ghazi, or Osman Bey or I. Osman, Osman Gazi Han), nicknamed "Kara" for his courage, was the leader of the Ottoman Turks, and the founder of the dynasty that established and ruled the Ottoman Empire...
, the bey of Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
.
Becoming thereafter fairly prosperous, Cardoso married two wives, and began to devote himself to kabbalistic speculations, in which he appears to have been previously initiated at Livorno by Moses Pinheiro
Moses Pinheiro
Moses Pinheiro, an Italian Jew who lived at Livorno in the seventeenth century, was one of the most influential pupils and followers of Shabbethai Ẓebi....
. With the appearance of the Shabbethaian movement, he assumed the character of a prophet, pretending to have had dreams and visions, and sent circulars in all directions to support the Messianic claim of Shabbethai. Cardoso's pretended or actual belief in the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
was not renounced even when Zevi embraced Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
; he justified the latter on the plea that it was necessary for him to be counted among the sinners, in order that he might atone for Israel's sins, in a common messianic interpretation to Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
LIII that resembles in many ways the early Christian messianic interpretation of that chapter. Later Cardoso gave himself out as "Messiah ben Ephraim", asserting that the Messiah is he who teaches the true conception of God. This conception Cardoso expounded in nearly all his writings: that the true God is not the "En-Sof", but the "Keter 'Elyon", the first being a passive power which has no connection with the world.
Life
Being endowed with great eloquence, Cardoso had many followers, but many enemies as well. An influential personage, Isaac LumbrosoIsaac Lumbroso
Isaac Lumbroso was a chief rabbi of Tunis and rabbinical author.He was prominent in Tunisian Jewry, being judge of the community about 1710, an epoch coinciding with the schism which divided the Jews of the city into two camps, native Tunisians and Gournis or Italians...
, by spending much money, obtained his banishment from Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
. Cardoso then wandered from place to place, trying to lead people astray by his prophecies and visions, but meeting no success, as the rabbis had issued warnings against his vagaries. In 1703 he settled at Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and became the physician of the pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Three years later, in 1706, he was assassinated by his nephew during a discussion on money matters.
Works
Cardoso was the author of many Kabbalistic and polemical works, of which only two are still extant:- Boḳer Abraham (Dawn of Abraham), a Kabbalistic work in two volumes (Neubauer, Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS. No. 1441), an extract of which was published by Isaac Lopez in Kur Maẓref ha-Emunot,
- Ha-Ketab (The Writing), published in Weiss's Bet ha-Midrash, 1865.
Cardoso's other works were:
- Zeh Eli;
- Ḥokmato Shel Abraham Abinu
- Sefer ha-Ma'or
- Or Ẓaḥ we-Meẓuḳḳaḳ
- Wikkuaḥ Kellali
- Sullam Ya'aḳob
- Ḥereb Pipiyyot
- Elohe Abi
- Shema'Ḳaddishah
- Ṭob Adonai la-Kol
- Derush Amen
- Ereẓ Yisrael
- Sod Ḥai 'Alamin
- Derush ha-Ketab
- Solet Neḳiyyah
- Raza de-Razin
Jewish encyclopedia bibliography
- Heinrich Grätz, Gesch. der Juden, x.228, 229, 301;
- Kahana, Eben ha-To'im, pp. 53 et seq.;
- Moses GasterMoses GasterMoses Gaster was a Romanian-born Jewish-British scholar, the Hakham of the Spanish and Portuguese congregation, London, and a Hebrew linguist. He was also the son-in-law of Michael Friedländer, principal of Jews' College. The surname Gaster is taken from Spanish Castro, indicating his Sephardic...
, History of Bevis Marks, pp. 109 et seq.