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Las excelencias de los Hebreos
Isaac Fernando Cardoso, before 1615— after 1680
Las excelencias de los Hebreos (The Excellences of the Hebrews)
Amsterdam: D. de Castro Tartas, 1679
Isaac Fernando Cardoso was a renowned physician and philosopher of Jewish origin highly respected by both Jews and Christians for his knowledge and wisdom. Born in Portugal into a family who were among the Marranos, those forced to hide their Jewish faith, Cardoso later lived in Spain, where he completed his education. He could openly embrace and convert back to Judaism after moving to Venice ca. 1643, possibly fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. Cardoso’s renowned work Las excelencias de los Hebreos, written in Spanish, is a quintessence of his spiritual return to Judaism. It stands out among other proselytizing works for its much broader and detailed explanation of Judaism, emphasizing its core values for Christian readers and denouncing common prejudices of the time. The striking woodcut on this title page features an idyllic tableau, with a hand stretched out from the sky and holding flowers. The inscription El que me esparsio me recogera…, which frames the upper part of this woodcut, translates to “He who scattered me will gather me.”
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