JEWISH PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

Swashbuckling Jewish buccaneers, roaming the Caribbean, plundering the Spanish Main? But seriously folks: Here’s the little-known history of some unintended consequences of the Spanish Inquisition.

At the dawn of the Age of Discovery, writes Jamaica-based historian Kritzler in his debut, Jews had been compelled by the Inquisition to convert to Christianity or suffer the auto-da-fé, but many of these conversos secretly maintained their ancient faith. By the 17th century, some headstrong descendants of the Jews banished by Spain in 1492 emerged as navigators, corsairs and pirates. These adventuresome Hebrews were an interesting lot. They were politicians, international adventurers and licensed privateers in geopolitical competition as much as mere robbers on the high seas. Covert Jews who never really converted, code-named “Portugals” by those with whom they dealt, sailed with Columbus and da Gama and plundered with Cortés and Pizarro. Under Barbarossa, a Portugal named Sinan commanded a fleet of 100 ships. Rabbi Palache kept a kosher cuisine aboard his privateer. Seafaring Jews operated from Holland in its Golden Age and practiced international intrigue from Jamaica, where religion was of no consequence. They settled in Curaçao and New Amsterdam (to the consternation of Peter Stuyvesant). Portugal conquistadores looted Mexico, and converso traders connived with Cromwell and the King of Spain at the same time. Cutlasses at the ready together with the occasional holy text, they traded in the sugar of Brazil and the silver of Peru, with some intentions noble and other motives base. Kritzler supplies squalls of detail, occasionally at the risk of distracting attention from the overarching narrative. He believes that the fabled gold mine of Columbus is actually on the island of Jamaica, and he and a sponsor have already staked a preemptive mining claim.

Surprising adventures on the high seas with some rogues of the Diaspora.