Esperança de Israel

Esperança de Israel, meaning "Hope of Israel," is a significant work by Manasseh ben Israel, a prominent Hebraic scholar and rabbi in 17th-century Amsterdam. Published in 1650, this book was instrumental in Manasseh's efforts to persuade the English Parliament to allow Jews to resettle in England, a country where they had been banned since 1290.1

In Esperança de Israel, Manasseh ben Israel discussed his belief that the messianic era would begin only after the Jewish people had been dispersed throughout the world. He also reported the alleged discovery of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel in South America, a claim that supported his broader vision of Jewish redemption and resettlement. The book's dedication to the English Parliament underscored its purpose: to advocate for the readmission of Jews into England, a goal that Manasseh pursued vigorously during his time in London.12