The Sufferings of Israel

Samuel Usque and the Consolations

By: Juan Marcos Bejarano Gutierrez

Narrated by: Adam Picot

Length: 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Does suffering serve a divine purpose?

Samuel Usque in his The Consolations for the Tribulations of Israel examines the trials and misfortunes of the Jewish people in an effort to both comfort and encourage Anusim (i.e., forced or coerced converts to Christianity). For Usque, “history” serves a divine purpose. And in the context of his audience, the Anusim, it serves to alleviate their pain, to convince them of the reasons for their current predicament, and to convince them that an immanent redemption was soon to be realized. To achieve this, they should return openly to Judaism.

Usque also seeks to address the great challenges presented by Christianity, principally that God has replaced the Jewish people, and the destruction of the Second Temple was proof that God's covenantal relationship with Israel had been terminated.

Biographically speaking, we know very little about Samuel Usque, but it appears likely that he was born shortly after the forced conversions of 1497 in Portugal. He mentions quite briefly that he was part of the diaspora of Castile, referencing the initial expulsion in 1492. His real name is unknown to us; Usque may have some relation to the town of Huesca, which figured prominently in the history of the Jews of Aragon, but his Christian name remains unknown.

Educationally speaking, Usque was a man of high culture and was well-versed in the Bible and the Apocrypha, as is seen throughout The Consolations. He was also familiar with classical authors such as Plato, Ovid, and Lucan. He appears conversant with sources such as Josephus and made extensive use of the medieval Yosippon. He was acquainted with strains of Jewish mysticism and was knowledgeable of classical Jewish sources such as the Talmud, Midrash, and even the Rambam's works. While Portuguese appears to have been his native tongue, he also understood Hebrew, Spanish, Latin, and most likely Greek.

Because of its length and style, The Consolations have often proven inaccessible to many readers. This work focuses on providing a review of the key concepts.

©2022 Juan Marcos Gutierrez (P)2022 Juan Marcos Gutierrez