The Lisbon Massacre of 1506 and the Royal Image in the Shebet Yehudah

The Lisbon Massacre of 1506 and the Royal Image in the Shebet Yehudah examines a violent anti-Jewish riot in early 16th century Portugal through the lens of Solomon Ibn Verga's Hebrew chronicle Shebet Yehudah. Yerushalmi analyzes Ibn Verga's account of the massacre against historical records and documents from the period. The book investigates how Ibn Verga portrayed the Portuguese monarchy's role in the events, particularly King Manuel I's response to the violence. It compares the chronicle's depiction of royal authority and justice with other contemporary sources and historical evidence. The work reconstructs the sociopolitical context of early modern Portugal and its Jewish community, examining the tensions between Christian and Jewish populations in Lisbon. Through careful source analysis, it reveals the complex dynamics between royal power, popular violence, and minority communities. Yerushalmi's study raises broader questions about historical memory, the reliability of chronicles, and how persecuted groups perceive and write about authority figures during times of crisis. The book contributes to understanding how historical narratives are shaped by the perspectives and purposes of their authors.

This appears to be an academic text with limited public reader reviews available online. A search of Goodreads, Amazon, and academic review sites found no consumer ratings or reviews. The book has been cited and reviewed in academic journals, where scholars note its analysis of how Portuguese royal authority responded to anti-Jewish violence. Reviewers credit Yerushalmi's close reading of the Shebet Yehudah text and his examination of how both Jewish and Christian sources depicted the massacre. Academic reviewers point to the book's focused scope as both a strength and limitation - it thoroughly analyzes one specific historical text but does not attempt to provide a comprehensive history of the massacre itself. No star ratings or review aggregates were found on major book platforms. The book appears to be primarily used by researchers and scholars rather than general readers.

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🔹 The Lisbon Massacre of 1506 began when New Christians (converted Jews) were blamed for a drought and subsequent famine, leading to the death of approximately 2,000 people over several days of violence. 🔹 The Shebet Yehudah, written by Solomon ibn Verga in the 16th century, is one of the few contemporary Jewish sources that documented the massacre, making it invaluable for historical research. 🔹 Author Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi was a groundbreaking scholar who held the first chair in Jewish history at Harvard University and later became director of Jewish studies at Columbia University. 🔹 The book examines how Portuguese King Manuel I's response to the massacre affected his royal image, as he ordered the execution of the riot's leaders and restored property to surviving New Christians. 🔹 The massacre occurred during Passover, when two Dominican friars interpreted a natural light effect in a church as a miracle, and a New Christian's skeptical comments sparked the initial violence.