Abraham Usque and the Bible of Ferrara
Italy as a refuge for Sephardic Jews
After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (1492) and Portugal (1497), many Sephardim embarked on a years-long search for refuge and safety. One of the places that offered temporary protection was Renaissance Italy, a country that was culturally open, politically fragmented, and more religiously diverse than it appears at first glance. The city of Ferrara, in particular, became an important center for the Sephardic diaspora in the 16th century. Abraham Usque, a prominent publisher and translator, also worked in this environment. He created the "Ferrara Bible," a significant work for Sephardic Judaism.
Ferrara: A place of relative safety
In the 16th century, Ferrara belonged to the domain of the Este dynasty, which, compared to other Italian princely houses, pursued a relatively tolerant policy toward Jews. Duke Ercole II d'Este allowed Jewish refugees to settle in his city. This openness made Ferrara an important refuge, especially for conversos from the Iberian world who, after their forced baptism in Spain or Portugal, now wanted to openly return to Judaism.
In this environment, an active Sephardic community was able to establish itself with its own schools, synagogues and a flourishing publishing business.
Abraham Usque: From Converso to Jewish Publisher
Abraham Usque, originally born Duarte Pinhel in Portugal, was himself a converso, a Jew forced to convert to Christianity. In 1543, he fled the Inquisition to Italy and settled in Ferrara. where, under the liberal policies of the d'Este family, one of Italy's largest Jewish communities had developed. There, Abraham Usque returned to Judaism and reassumed his Hebrew name. In Ferrara, he founded a printing press specializing in Jewish texts in Ladin (Judeo-Spanish). This language was continued to be spoken by many Sephardic Jews even after their expulsion.
Usque saw himself not only as a publisher, but also as a cultural mediator: he wanted to make their religious and linguistic roots accessible again to the Sephardic communities who, after centuries of expulsion, lived scattered throughout Europe and the Ottoman Empire.
The Ferrara Bible: A Work for a Persecuted Community
The most important work from Usque's printing press is the "Biblia en lengua española traduzida palabra por palabra de la verdad Hebrayca", better known as the Bible of Ferrara , which appeared in 1553. It is the first complete translation of the Tanakh (the Hebrew Old Testament) into Spanish, which is not based on the Latin Vulgate, but directly on the original Hebrew text.
The edition appeared in two versions: one dedicated to Duke Ercole II d'Este, and one for Jewish readers, dedicated to Doña Gracia Nasi, an influential Jewish patroness. The Bible was written in clear, elegant Spanish, without rabbinic commentaries, to make it as accessible and readable as possible.
Conclusion: Spiritual development in the diaspora
For many Sephardic Jews in the 16th century, Italy was a stopover in their search for security, identity, and cultural continuity. Ferrara offered space for spiritual development and religious rebirth. It was in this atmosphere that Abraham Usque created the Ferrara Bible, a work that remains a significant testimony to Sephardic cultural history.
In fall 2025, the JCOM will explore the music and culture of Sephardic Jews in the project THE KEYS OF TOLEDO. This project is funded by the Foundation for Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) as part of the "National Socialist Injustice" educational program.
Current concert dates at www.jcom.de/konzerte .
