Christopher Columbus, who was known in Spain as Cristóbal Colón and didn't speak Italian, signed his last will and testament on May 19, 1506, and made five curious -- and revealing -- provisions.
Two of his wishes -- tithe one-tenth of his income to the poor and provide an anonymous dowry for poor girls -- are part of Jewish customs. He also decreed to give money to a Jew who lived at the entrance of the Lisbon Jewish Quarter.
On those documents, Columbus used a triangular signature of dots and letters that resembled inscriptions found on gravestones of Jewish cemeteries in Spain. He ordered his heirs to use the signature in perpetuity.
According to British historian Cecil Roth's "The History of the Marranos," the anagram was a cryptic substitute for the Kaddish, a prayer recited in the synagogue by mourners after the death of a close relative. Thus, Columbus' subterfuge allowed his sons to say Kaddish for their crypto-Jewish father when he died. Finally, Columbus left money to support the crusade he hoped his successors would take up to liberate the Holy Land.
Hello
I hope this finds you well.
If you were unable to attend my recent presentation about Stealing Renoir (https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...), there is a short video at: (https://author.amazon.com/home).
My newest book, Mystery Island (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JX2GNHJ/) is available and I’m “working” on the presentation. This is a murder mystery and the clues are historical. I’ll be reading excerpts and presenting some of my research at the Northeast Regional Branch Library on Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 7p to 8p. Free! It’s located at 15 Bellevoir Circle, Louisville, KY 40223, in the Shelbyville Road, S. Hurstbourne Pkwy. area.
I’m in the process of getting my books into the Louisville library system and will have two talks in March, one at the Jeffersontown Branch, 10635 Watterson Trail, Louisville, KY 40299, and one at the St. Matthews Branch, 3940 Grandview Ave., Louisville, KY 40207. No dates yet.
This is great news about the library dates in March because they will help with promotion. It would be a big help if you would leave a review on Amazon. https://author.amazon.com/marketingAndReports/customerReviews
About those historical clues in Mystery Island: there is compelling evidence that Christopher Columbus was Jewish. Part of the motivation behind his voyage to the New World may have been a search for New Canaan. (Two of the characters in Mystery Island borrow the names of the two Jewish men who financed his voyage and provide some helpful clues toward solving the mystery.)
At the top left-hand corner of all but one of the 13 letters written by Columbus to his son Diego contained the handwritten Hebrew letters bet-hei, meaning b'ezrat Hashem (with God's help). This is also a clue, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise.
The terms of Columbus’ Will, the Spanish Diaspora, his departure date: some of these are clues, as well.
About Stealing Renoir: thousands of paintings that the Nazis stole from citizens and museums were traded or sold—sometimes for as little as five or ten dollars. It’s estimated about 5,000 pieces went up in a bonfire, including canvases by Gustav Klimt, Camille Pissarro, Marc Chagall, Edvard Munch, and Pablo Picasso. Nobody has had more paintings stolen than Picasso, which is why I’m working on “Stealing Picasso.” (Available next year.)
That’s about all the news that fits. Thank you for your support. Happy Reading!