Israel of Jerusalem

Israel, a Jew of Ashkenazic descent, left his home in the Italian town of Perugia for Jerusalem. Between 1517 and 1523, he wrote letters—two of which have survived—to the wealthy Abraham of Perugia, who supported Israel financially. In the first letter, Israel expresses his gratitude to Abraham. He then describes the customs of the Jews living in the land of Israel, their prayers, their occupations, the yeshivas, the food they ate, and their style of dress. He also portrays interactions between Arabs and Jews. Following the Ottoman conquest of the land of Israel in 1517, many sought to discern signs of the coming redemption; Israel describes some of these signs in his letter.