Abraham Miguel Cardoso

For other people named Miguel Cardoso, seeMiguel Cardoso (disambiguation).

For the Portuguese footballer, seeMiguel Filipe Nunes Cardoso.

Abraham Miguel Cardozo(alsoCardoso;c. 1626–1706) was aSabbateanprophet and physician born in Rio Seco, Spain.

Biography

A descendant ofMarranosfrom around the city ofCelorico,in the province ofBeira,Portugal, he studied medicine at theUniversity of Salamancatogether with his older brotherFernando Isaac,and while the latter was given to his studies, Michael spent his time in singing serenades under ladies' balconies. After having completed his education, he left Spain forVenice.There, probably at the instigation of his brother, he embracedJudaismand received the name "Abraham". Later he established himself as a physician atLivorno,but did not meet with much success until his recommendation by theGrand Duke of TuscanytoOthman,the bey ofTripoli.

Becoming thereafter fairly prosperous, Cardoso married two wives, and began to devote himself tokabbalisticspeculations, in which he appears to have been previously initiated at Livorno byMoses Pinheiro.With the appearance of the Shabbethaian movement, he assumed the character of a prophet, pretending to have had dreams and visions, and sent circulars in all directions to support the Messianic claim ofSabbatai Zevi.Cardoso's pretended or actual belief in theMessiahwas not renounced even when Zevi embracedIslam;he justified the latter on the plea that it was necessary for him to be counted among the sinners, in order that he might atone for Israel's sins, in a common messianic interpretation toIsaiahLIII that resembles in many ways the early Christian messianic interpretation of that chapter. Later Cardoso gave himself out as "Messiah ben Ephraim", asserting that the Messiah is he who teaches the true conception of God. This conception Cardoso expounded in nearly all his writings: that the true God is not the "En-Sof", but the "Keter 'Elyon", the first being a passive power which has no connection with the world.

Being endowed with great eloquence, Cardoso had many followers, but many enemies as well. An influential personage,Isaac Lumbroso,by spending much money, obtained his banishment fromTripoli.Cardoso then wandered from place to place, trying to lead people astray by his prophecies and visions, but meeting no success, as the rabbis had issued warnings against his vagaries. In 1703 he settled atCairoand became the physician of thepashaofEgypt.Three years later, in 1706, he was assassinated by his nephew during a discussion on money matters.

Works

Cardoso was the author of many Kabbalistic and polemical works, of which only two are still extant:

• Boḳer Abraham(Dawn of Abraham), a Kabbalistic work in two volumes (Neubauer,Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS.No. 1441), an extract of which was published by Isaac Lopez inKur Maẓref ha-Emunot,
• Ha-Ketab(The Writing), published in Weiss'sBet ha-Midrash,1865.

Cardoso's other works were:

• Zeh Eli;
• Ḥokmato Shel Abraham Abinu
• Sefer ha-Ma'or
• Or Ẓaḥ we-Meẓuḳḳaḳ
• Wikkuaḥ Kellali
• Sullam Ya'aḳob
• Ḥereb Pipiyyot
• Elohe Abi
• Shema'Ḳaddishah
• Ṭob Adonai la-Kol
• Derush Amen
• Ereẓ Yisrael
• Sod Ḥai 'Alamin
• Derush ha-Ketab
• Solet Neḳiyyah
• Raza de-Razin

See also

• Jewish Messiah claimants

Jewish encyclopedia bibliography

• Heinrich Grätz,Gesch. der Juden,x.228, 229, 301;
• Kahana,Eben ha-To'im,pp. 53 et seq.;
• Moses Gaster,History of Bevis Marks,pp. 109 et seq.

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Richard Gottheil and Isaac Broydé (1901–1906)."Cardoso, Miguel".InSinger, Isidore;et al. (eds.).The Jewish Encyclopedia.New York: Funk & Wagnalls.