Bahia
THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
Bahram
quent dread of the Inquisition, would either willingly join or feebly oppose an invasion, and all that was needful was to treat them well and give them
The Dutch were not mistaken when their fleet was sent against Bahia, they obtained from the Jews all the information they required. The city was
captured in 1623, and, true to the policy mentioned, Willekens, the Dutch commander, at once issued a proclamation offering liberty, free possession of their property, and free enjoyment of their religion to all who would submit. This brought over about two hundred Jews, who exerted themselves to make others follow their example. Unfortunately for the Jews, Bahia was recaptured by the Portuguese in 1625; and though the treaty provided for the safety of other inhabitants, the New Christians who had placed such trust in the Hollanders were abandoned, and five of them were put Many of the New Christians seem to have to death. remained, however, for they are again mentioned in Probably those who were allowed to remain 1630. had been " reconciled " by confiscation of property. The Portuguese city of Recife was captured by the Dutch in 1631, and immediately thereafter most
Jews
or
New Christians removed
Removed to
from Bahia and elsewhere to that city. became the center of Jewish population, and was subsequent^ described as being "chiefly inhabited by Jews." But the authorities of Bahia became more intensely bigoted than before, and the slightest suspicion of Judaism meant transportation for trial. After 1631, Jews appear in Bahia only individually, and then invariably in connection with arrest and trial by the Inquisition at Lisbon. The melancholy fate of Isaac de Castro Tartas may serve as an Recife.
It
illustration.
Contrary to the advice of his friends,
he left Dutch territory to visit Bahia in 1646. He was at once seized, transported, and tried at Lisbon for Judaizing, and subsequently was burnt at an auto da fe.
Toward the end of the seventeenth century, Portugal banished to Brazil many New Christians who had become "reconciled." In time these became a distinct class at Bahia, and by the middle of the eighteenth century transportation of New Christians to Lisbon from Bahia and other cities had become so common that whole plantations lay idle in consequence, and ruin resulted. It was partly this that led the Marquis de Pombal to have laws enacted removing
all disabilities
The present
constitution of Brazil guarantees to conscience and worship.
all liberty of
Bibliography
Robert Southey, History of Brazil, London, Spanish and Portuguese South the Colonial Period, London, 1884; Neuboff's History ot Brazil, In Pinltertoii's Travels; Adolpne de Beaucbamp, Histoire du Bresil. 1815; F. Pyrard, Voyage, Hiihner, in 9 Publications Amer. Jew. Hint. etc.; L. Soc; (}. Kohut, Martyrs of the Inquisition, in South America, in 4 idem; Kayserling, Qeschiehte clerJuden in Portugal, Sepharclim also sketches in Publications Amer.
1822; Robert Grant Wilson,
liberty of conscience."
of the
442
from
New
Christians,
ma-
king it penal for any one to reproach another for his Jewish origin, or to keep lists of persons of Jewish
America During
Jew. Hist. Soc. Nos.
documents,
GOSSA
most effective
of accusation, and owing to these liberal proNew Christians were ultimately absorbed in the Catholic population of Brazil. After 1765, and throughout the nineteenth century, Jews are not mentioned as a class at Bahia. The city contains some Jewish residents to-day,
means
shortened to
A
physician of the thirteenth century. court physician to King James I. of Aragon, and in that capacity was present at the conquest of Majorca, where he rendered valuable service as interpreter between the Arabic-speaking Majorcan Moors and the conqueror, who understood only the Limousin dialect. In the dispute concerning Maimonides' writings, Bahiel made himself by his zeal the leading representative of the philosopher's defenders. In 1232 he wrote the appeal to the Jewish congregations of Aragon to recognize the excommu:
He was
upon Solomon ben Abraham
nication pronounced
of
Montpellier and his associates. Solomon Bahiel Brother of the preceding was also a physician and interpreter in the suite of King James I. He was the author of the Arabic procla:
mation in which the Moors were notified of the conquest of Majorca and summoned to acknowledge their submission ("Chronica del Glorios. e Invict. Rey En. Jaeme," Valencia, 1557, xl.). In the Maimonidean controversy Bahiel sided with his brother. He died in 1264. The "Confirmacion en Favor de Mosse hi jo de Bahiel" and "a Favor de Salomon Bahiel," in regard to the legacy of Solomon Alfaquin, may perhaps refer to two sons of Solomon Bahiel. They are dated 3 Kal. April, 1264, and 6 Id.
May,
1264.
Kayserling, Oesch. der Juden in Spanien unci Portugal, i. 160, 218 Iggerot ha-Ramham, ed. Prag, pp. 34a, 35b; Brull, Jahrbllcher, iv. 22; Gratz, Qesch. der Juden, vii. 33, 57 Jacobs, Sources, pp. 285, 286.
Bibliography
M. K.
g.
BAHIR (full title, SEFER HA-BAHIR=" The Luminous Book "), or MIDRASH R. NEHUNYA BEN HA-KANAH Pseudonymous work attrib:
uted to the tanna Nehunya ben ha-Kanah, a contemporary of Johanan ben Zakkai (first century) because it begins with the words, "R. Nehunya ben ha-
Kanah said " (njpn p N'Oim '") "ION). however, to the work is to be found Authorship neously Ascribed,
visions the
and a list of the leading merchants published by the Bureau of American Republics contains a considerable number of unmistakable Jewish names, though these seem to be mainly of German origin.
He.
«m; in Spanish BAHIEL) BEN MOSES OF SARA-
Erroits
3.
L.
BAHIEL 6ntD;
descent.
This deprived the Holy Office of
and
1
A.
No reference, in
Jewish
liter-
ature before the thirteenth century, which fact is sufficient to dispose of the idea that the authorship can be ascribed to Nehunya. Nahmanides, in his commentary on the Pentateuch (Gen. i.), or, according to Steinschnei-
Ephraim ben Samson (compare "Hebr. Bibl." was the first to quote the work under the title " Midrash R. Nehunya ben ha-Kanah." The "Bahir" contains cabalistic explanations on the vowels and accents, which were introduced into Hebrew about the seventh century. The opinion now prevailing is that the " Bahir " was written in the thirteenth century by Isaac the der,
1872, xii. 116; 1874, xiv. 132)
