How a seventeenth-century rabbi convinced England to end its centuries-old ban on Jews

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Menasseh ben Israel was a polymath who bridged worlds, from printing the first Hebrew books in Amsterdam to lobbying Oliver Cromwell. Driven by a belief that the Jewish diaspora was a prerequisite for the Messiah, he orchestrated a diplomatic mission that fundamentally reshaped the future of Jewish life in England.

Born in 1604 as Manoel Dias Soeiro, Menasseh ben Israel emerged from a family fleeing the Portuguese Inquisition. Settling in Amsterdam, he became a central figure in the city's vibrant Jewish intellectual life. By 1626, he had established the first Hebrew printing press in Holland, and his 1632 work, El Conciliador, earned him international acclaim for its efforts to reconcile apparent biblical contradictions. His intellectual network was vast, encompassing correspondence with major thinkers like Hugo Grotius and Gerardus Vossius.

The trajectory of his life shifted in 1644 after meeting Antonio de Montezinos, who claimed that the indigenous peoples of the Andes were descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. This encounter fueled Menasseh’s messianic fervor; he believed that the global dispersion of Jews was a divine signal that the Messiah’s arrival was imminent. To hasten this, he turned his sights toward England, where Jews had been officially expelled since 1290. He argued that their readmission would not only benefit English commerce but also fulfill the conditions necessary for redemption.

In 1655, Menasseh traveled to London to petition Oliver Cromwell. While he failed to secure a formal, written decree for resettlement, his efforts were pivotal. The Whitehall Conference, convened by Cromwell, resulted in a legal opinion from judges Glynne and Steele that no law explicitly forbade Jewish presence in England. This opened the door for their gradual return. Despite his diplomatic efforts, Menasseh’s later years were marked by personal tragedy, including the death of his son Samuel. He died in 1657 in the Netherlands, leaving behind a legacy as a scholar, kabbalist, and a tireless advocate for his people.

Historians continue to debate the primary motivations behind his mission. While some, like Ismar Schorsch, suggest his focus on England as a final destination for the diaspora was a later development designed to appeal to English millenarians, others like Henry Méchoulan argue that these messianic themes were fundamental to his work from the start. Regardless, his ability to navigate the complex religious and political landscape of the seventeenth century remains a testament to his influence.

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