I leave here different than when I first came. I am no longer a girl, but a woman, a woman greatly loved by the man I greatly love, and that is no small thing in a world full of hatred and cruelty. And I am a woman with child. I have not told Antonio. Nor will I tell him until we reach Cadiz, for he will worry so all during the voyage home. But these are not the only changes. In this dangerous and uncertain place, I have come to terms with who I am: a Jewess who has found her Messiah and Savior. And though I will forever walk between these two worlds I am at peace.
Now I return to Castile with a husband who helped save King Fernando. Perhaps that in itself will not be enough to ensure us a happy and serene life; or enough to keep us safe from the malice of the Inquisition. But even if it does not, I am content, for I have learned from Antonio that though we live in a cruel world, we need not be cruel.
With a sigh, I pull the stone of Zebulun from my pocket and place it on the table. It will go with the letter that I am finally ready to compose. After all, a woman must have some security. I finger the stone for a moment and smile. Then slowly, I pick up the quill, dip it into the ink pot, and begin the last letter I will ever write on these shores.
Dear Sister,
I call you that, Maria, for that is what you have been to me. No sister could have been kinder. What would I have done without you in this strange, harsh land? What would I have done the first day on board the Tortoise when you . . . .
THE END
Glossary
Bells
Jewish Months and Feasts
Glossary
arquebuse: a type of gun fired by a matchlock and trigger, and supported on a forked-shaped rest while firing
Ashkenazi: Jews from Central and Eastern Europe
auto-de-fe: public execution of heretics
Avignon cloth: cloth from France
Aylsham cloth: English cloth, highly prized and found in the royal palaces of England
batatas: sweet potatoes
beata: a pious woman who lived withdrawn from the world, either alone or in a small community attached to a Franciscan or Dominican order
berakhots: Jewish benedictions
binnaclelamp: a lamp attached to the ship’s compass box
brigandine: a flexible coat of armor comprised of metal rings or scales
buren: flat stone griddle for cooking cassava bread
caballero: gentleman, knight
cacique: a Taino chief
camlet: Oriental cloth made of silk and camel hair
carvel: a small, fast moving sailing ship used by the Spaniards and Portuguese
catheads: wood or iron beam to which the anchor is hoisted and fastened
cedula: royal decree
chasuble: a sleeveless outer vestment worn by a priest at Mass
Cipango: Japan
codpiece: a bag or flap placed in the front of a man’s tight stocking-like pants during the 15th and 16th centuries
confites: sweets made of almonds, pine nuts, hazelnuts or other fruits and seeds and covered with sugar
consulta: conference toward end of trial held by the Inquisition
conucos: Taino mounds
converso: convert from Judaism to Christianity; usually implies a forced conversion
courtier: aristocrat, noble
cowl: the hood of a monk’s cloak
crypto Jew: a convert from Judaism to Christianity but one who continued to secretly practice his/her Jewish faith
cubit: 18-22 inches; the length from a man’s middle finger to his elbow
cuirasse: dagged leather breastplate
sleeves: irregularly shaped
deadeyes: a round, flat block of wood used to fasten a ship’s shrouds or ropes
doublet: a man’s close fitting jacket
ducats: gold or silver coins valued from 83 cents to $2.32
empanadas: Española/ pastry filled with various types of food
Hispañola: present day Haiti and the Dominican Republic
farthingale: a hoop frame made of whalebone or other material and worn under a woman’s shirt to fill it out
fenugreek: a clove-like plant whose bitter seeds are used to season food
forecastle: forenoon the upper deck of a ship
watch: from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
fortnight: 2 weeks, 14 days
galingale: an aromatic root of the ginger family
gold florin: a gold coin probably worth about $200 in current US dollars
grains of paradise: peppery seeds from West Africa
graylag : a wild gray goose
guayas: dirges of sorrow and affliction
gudgeon: a shaft or metal pin at the end of an axle on which a wheel turns
gunwale: the upper edge of the side of a ship
halakah: Jewish oral or traditional law
hawseholes: holes in a ship’s bow through which a cable or large rope is passed
hidalgos: minor nobles
jerkins: a short, close-fitting jacket, usually sleeveless
Kaddish: prayer, usually of mourning
La Isabela: Columbus’s settlement in Haiti
Lanzas: fierce fighting men who formed part of cavalry during the reconquest of Spain from the Moors, and who later formed part of the King’s national police force, often called the Santa Hermandades or Holy Brotherhood
las buas: scabs or sores resulting from venereal disease
league: the distance of two crossbow shots
mail: body armor made of small metal rings or scales
Maimonides: famous Spanish rabbi, philosopher and theologian who lived from 1135 to 1204, still revered and studied even today
marrano: term often used for Jews who converted to Christianity, and means pig or swine
menorah: a 7-branch or 9-branch candelabrum used in Jewish celebrations
mikvah: ritual bath
nao: large 3 or 4 masted ship—stable and big enough to carry provisions for long sea voyages
Neilah: the concluding service of Yom Kippur
niddah: a state of defilement when a wife cannot have relations with her husband due to her menstrual cycle or childbirth
nuncio: person who issued announcements to the general populace on behalf of the Inquisition. The Inquisition’s spokesman.
ollero: pottery maker of cooking and table goods
pantofles: w ooden platforms worn under shoes to keep them from getting ruined in the dirty streets
Pater Noster: the Lord’s prayer, the Our Father
pogroms: persecution of Jews, usually of a violent nature
posada: an inn
quarterdeck: the after-part of the upper deck of a ship, usually reserved for officers
Quinsay: the city of the great Khan
Rashi: famous medieval French rabbi whose works are still studied by Jews
ratlines: any of the thin pieces of rope that serve as a ladder for climbing the rigging
reales: the standard silver coin of Spain during time of novel
redan: a fortification of walls or parapets
Responsas: scholarly responses to issues and questions facing Jews of that day
Sephardic: Jews from the Iberian Peninsula
Shema: a prayer, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.”
sinar: an apron-like cloth used to hold rags and worn during a woman’s menstrual flow.
slickstone: something heavy and easy to slide over cloth and clothing to remove wrinkles
spars: any pole, as a mast yard, boom, or gaff supporting a ship’ssails
stomacher: an ornamental triangular piece of cloth on a woman’s garment that covers the chest and abdomen
surcoat: a loose, short cloak often worn over armor
surplice: a loose, white, wide-sleeved cloak worn over a priest’s cassock
tally sail: to attach two corresponding sails together
Talmud: Jewish civil a
nd religious laws consisting of the Mishnah (text) and Gemara (commentary)
Tanakh: canon of the Hebrew Bible
tefillin: small leather boxes containing Torah scriptures that Jewish men wear while praying in the morning
tejas: curved clay roof tiles
Torah: the Pentateuch or first five books of the Old Testament
trencher: stale slice of bread used as a plate
trepan: to open the skull with a boring tool
tuyere: the pipe or nozzle through which air is forced into a blast furnace or forge
venera: an image of the Virgin, usually on a silver medal
waist hatch: the main hatchway leading to the bowels of a ship and though which cargo can be lowered
zemis: idols, both large and small, of Taino gods
Bells:
Martine—midnight
Lauds—3 a.m.
Prime—6 a.m.
Tierce—9 a.m.
Sext—midday
None—3 p.m.
Vespers—6 p.m.
Compline—9 p.m.
Jewish Months:
Nissan—March/April/ The first month in Jewish calendar. Passover
is in this month.
Lyar—April/May
Sivan—May/June. Shavout is in this month
Tammuz—June/July
Ave—July/August. Tisha B’Av is in this month
Elul—August/September
Tishrei —September/ October. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur,
Sukkot are in this month
Mar Cheshvan—October/November
Kislev—November/December. Hanukah is in this month.
Tevet—December-January
Adar—February/March. Purim is in this month.
When Christopher Columbus returned to Spain in chains, Queen Isabela was outraged. He never faced trial, and on May 9, 1502, embarked on his fourth and final voyage to the Indies. Though this voyage was of little value, the realization he had discovered an entirely new continent rather than a quick route to the Indies was finally dawning. He died May 20, 1506 at age fifty-five. Queen Isabela herself died three weeks after his return from his third voyage.
In 1509 the title of Viceroy was finally returned to the Columbus family and, Christopher’s son was appointed Viceroy of the Indies. He served until 1524.
In just fifteen years, from 1493 to 1508, the Taino population in Española/Hispañiola (modern day Haiti and Dominican Republic) went from over one million to just sixty thousand. To compensate for the dwindling workforce, the Spaniards, in 1502, brought five caravels of African slaves to Santo Domingo, thus beginning the importation of black slaves that lasted for years. By 1524, Tainos ceased to exist as a people group.
After La Isabela—located in what is now Haiti—was abandoned, Santo Domingo became the capital of Española/Hispañiola and is currently the national district capital of the Dominican Republic.
The Inquisition raged on in Castile and Aragon, and spread to Portugal. To escape, many conversos fled to the New World. By 1509, King Ferdinand was charging conversos 20,000 ducats to emigrate for a two-year period where many of them returned to their former faith. Word quickly spread that the New World was a safe haven for conversos. They came and settled in outposts scattered across Jamaica, Barbados, Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, and the American Southwest. But by 1515 the Inquisition was arresting conversos in Santo Domingo, and by 1524 it made its way to Mexico where it was not abolished until 1834.
By the beginning of the 16th century, the Spaniards’ cruelty in both the Inquisition and their colonization policies caused them to be called La Leyenda Negra, the Black Legend.
What a debt we Christians owe the Jews! From them come the Old Testament and the springboard to the New. But more importantly, from them comes our Jewish Savior, Yahshua, Jesus.
Even a superficial study of history reveals the suffering and persecution of the Jews after the Diaspora, the scattering. Nation after nation treated them with contempt, forced them to live in isolation or forced them to convert under penalty of death. And if that were not enough, they often confiscated their property and wealth, all making possible the atrocities seen during the World War II Holocaust. Sad to say, this was done more often than not by “Christians.” Yet throughout the ages, the Jews survived, and in many cases prospered. Is there any doubt that God’s hand is on them? Or that they are truly God’s chosen?
Now, anti-Semitism is rearing its head yet again as anti-Jewish sentiment begins to sweep across Europe. Like in days of old, Jews are named the cause of all problems. Even in their own land of Israel, Jews are vilified as the stumbling block to peace. Nothing can be further from the truth. And Arab nations vow to “wipe them off the map,” while Christian denominational churches propose “boycotts” of Israeli products. Even the United States government, once a strong ally of Israel, has made unreasonable demands of giving up “more land” and refuses to stand firmly with our best friend in the Middle East.
I believe the time is fast coming when Christians will be faced with a choice: to either stand with Israel and God’s chosen, or to do what so many Christians did during Hitler’s Holocaust—turn a blind eye and deaf ear.
We need to remember that Jesus was a JEW and that His apostles were all JEWS, and that there would be no Christianity without them.
May we learn the lessons of the past and stand strong for our wonderful Lord and Savior, and His people.
Blessings to all,
Sylvia Bambola
Website: http://www.sylviabambola.com
Email: sylviabambola45@gmail.com
When researching for this novel I came across many contradicting facts. One small example relates to the number of Indians Christopher Columbus brought back with him from his first voyage. One source puts this figure at six, another seven, and still another claims ten. Therefore, I have tried to take my information from the most valid or scholarly sources, using, for example, information from Columbus’s own logs and letters, and the information from Kathleen Deagan and Jose Maria Cruxent who spent ten years excavating the site at La Isabela. Many other respected resources were used as well (see below). Even so, while the historical figures and events are accurate, the main characters are fictitious, and I have employed poetic license when needed, some of which I detail below:
1)Although Fray Alonso is a fictitious character, he is a reasonable composite of the 15th century clergy, in general, and those involved in the Inquisition, in particular.
2)Most historians claim no women came on Christopher Columbus’s second voyage. However, Consuelo Varela, the Spanish historian, believes at least one woman did. Her name, Maria Fernandez. The remains of a female European substantiates the fact that a Spanish woman did live in La Isabela. It is also possible that women were among those who came with Antonio de Torres in the winter of 1494 since Ferdinand Columbus, referring to the spring of 1495, wrote that the Christians “numbered only six hundred and thirty, most of them sick, with many children and women among them,” indicating the presence of Christian women. Since few Tainos converted it is safe to assume these Christian women were European.
3)The name of Isabel’s ship, the Tortoise, is fictitious as well as the characters of Doctor Spinoza, Doctor Martinez and Arias Diaz
4)Fray Buil is a historical figure and depicted accurately except for his sermon on the Feast of the Epiphany dedicating La Isabela and his interaction with Isabel. The sermon is purely a fabrication but reflects his position on the matters mentioned. His many disputes with Christopher Columbus caused him to threaten to withhold the sacraments from him, and Buil finally left La Isabela in disgust to become one of Columbus’s most outspoken critics at court.
5)Though there was a hospital in La Isabela I was unable to find a description of it, and so my depiction is pure invention
6)Though the sequence of events is accurate, I have, beginning with the first hurricane, compressed the timeline for the sake of the story.
While the story suggests the passing of perhaps a year from the time of the hurricane to the time when Christopher Columbus was sent back to Spain in chains, in reality more than four and a half years passed, depending on whose dates you use, as different scholars claim different dates for the hurricanes.
7)I have not used the standard measurements of that day (arrobas, quintales, and cahices) but converted it to present day measurements to avoid confusion.
8)Christopher Columbus went by several names throughout the years, Cristobal Colon being the one most used and the one by which he was most likely known in Spain. However, since he is best known in modern times as Christopher Columbus, I have used that name in my novel. Also, I have used the more familiar spelling of Seville rather than the correct one of Sevilla, but chose to use the correct spelling of Espanola, Queen Isabel and King Fernando rather than the more familiar versions of Hispaniola, Queen Isabela and King Ferdinand.
Below are some of my research sources but by no means all, nor does it include some of the excellent sources I found on the internet.
Christopher Columbus, The Four Voyages; translated by J. M. Cohen
Columbus’s Outpost among the Tainos, Kathleen Deagan and Jose Maria Cruxent
Christopher Columbus and the Conquest of Paradise; Kirkpatrick Sale
The Ships of Christopher Columbus; Xavier Pastor
Life in a Medieval City; Joseph and Frances Gies
Fast and Feast, Food in Medieval Society; Bridget Ann Henisch
A Drizzle of Honey, The Lives and Recipes of Spain’s Secret Jews; David M. Gitlitz & Linda Kay Davidson
The Tainos, Rise and Decline of the People Who greeted Columbus; Irving Rouse
A Brief History of the Caribbean; Jan Rogozinski
The Origins of the Inquisition in Fifteenth Century Spain; B. Netanyahu
The Spanish Inquisition; Joseph Perez
Sephardi Jewry; Esther Benbassa & Aron Rodrigue
Heretics or Daughters of Israel, The Crypto-Jewish Women of Castile; Renee Levine Melammed
Hidden Heritage, The Legacy of the Crypto-Jews; Janet Liebman Jacobs