Isaac Abravanel

Statesman, financier, philosopher, author, and biblical commentator Isaac Abravanel was descended from a wealthy and prominent Portuguese family. Abravanel was a significant figure at the Portuguese royal court under Alfonso V, serving as the king’s personal financier. However, in 1483, under Alfonso’s successor, Jao II, accusations of conspiracy forced Abravanel to flee to Spain. There, too, he rose to prominence at the royal court as a financier and tax farmer. However, his attempts to bribe the monarchs to rescind the expulsion order of 1492 were unsuccessful. To avoid conversion, he fled to Naples, where he also became a servant at the royal court. Yet he did find respite there for long. When the French invaded Naples in 1494, Abravanel’s library was destroyed, and he spent the next decade wandering, finally settling in Venice in 1503. Throughout his life, Abravanel wrote biblical commentaries and works on theological and philosophical topics, including the coming of the Messiah, creation, prophecy, and reward and punishment. His biblical commentary, which covers all books of the Torah and Prophets, refutes Christian interpretations, tackles issues of authorship, and draws comparisons between the biblical monarchy and contemporary reality.