David Reubeni

David Reubeni
Bornca. 1490
Khaybar (claimed)
Diedca. 1541
Spain or Portugal
NationalityUnknown
Occupationreligious prophet

David Reubeni (1490–1535/1541?) was a Jewish political activist, described by the Shengold Jewish Encyclopedia as "half-mystic, half-adventurer." Reubeni presented military and political plans to various Christian rulers in Europe. His proposals, which combined political-military strategies with eschatological elements, along with his origin and enigmatic personality, remain partially understood.

Reubeni managed to secure an audience with king John (João) of Portugal in November 1525, supported by a letter of recommendation from Pope Clement VII. Reubeni consistently asserted that he was the son of the deceased "King Suleiman of Ḥabor" and claimed to have served as the Minister of War for that kingdom, now ruled by his elder brother, King Joseph of Ḥabor. Some scholars regard his claims of nobility as fraud.[1] According to his accounts, this kingdom had 300,000 "Israelite" subjects. Initially, the Portuguese king was intrigued by Reubeni's proposals and agreed to provide Portuguese arms. However, after five months, Reubeni fell into ill-repute with the king of Portugal, who perhaps distrusted his motives, and was asked by the king to leave his kingdom.[2] Reubeni was subsequently taken to Spain and was assigned to the Inquisition in Llerena, where he is presumed to have been executed around 1541.

  1. ^ Elias Lipiner, O Sapateiro de Trancoso e o Alfaiate de Setúbal, Rio de Janeiro 1993, pp. 318–319 (Portuguese); the translation of which text reads: "...Acenheiro, who was a contemporary of these two men, and who boasted of living during the past occurrences relative to the king, Don Manuel, and to the king, Don João (John) III, [and who testified]: 'everything that I've seen by the eye, I have written in those days,' refers especially to the chronicles of Reubeni, and thus has he written: 'In November of 1525, David the Jew entered the kingdom of Portugal, at Santarém, in the court of this King at Almeirim. Now he would say that he was from the Ten Tribes, among other lies [and] things that were not true, things which principally concern the Turkish Jews, during which time he was arrested by the court of the Emperor Carlos (Charles), and was then brought to Lherena, unto the inquisitors, where he was confined at the castle in the said village, where he was kept in the Inquisition prison, until they came to their deserved end. Even unto this time, 1535, he has been incarcerated there in the Inquisition prison of Lherena.' (Acenheiro, Chronicles, p. 116 e 350-351)"
  2. ^ Aaron Zeev Aescoly, The Story of David Hareuveni: Based on the Oxford Manuscript, Bialik Institute: Jerusalem 1993 (Hebrew)