(SEPHARDICA).

Unpublished Writings of Two of Spain’s Most Important Conversos "None of Spain’s converts had made such great efforts to bring about the Christianization of all of Spain’s Jews and none had attained such success in his endeavors as Solomon ha-Levi, chief rabbi of Burgos, who went over to Christianity during the riots of 1391" - B. Netanyahu Historians have long agonized over the puzzling behavior of Pablo de Santa Maria (c.1350-1435) - previously, Solomon Halevi Chief Rabbi of Burgos, and later, in his new Christian identity, Bishop of Burgos. Did Pablo convert before or after the massacre of the Jews of Burgos in 1391? Was his conversion totally autonomous or were there predisposing factors? Was it, as some claim, Pablo’s fondness for the theological writings of Thomas of Aquinas? Or was it the taste of a better life as a courtier in the royal service of King Juan I? In its day, the Jewish community of Burgos was one of the three most prominent communities in all of Spain. Its rabbi, Solomon Halevi exchanged halachic opinions with R. Isaac bar Sheshet (see She’eloth u-Teshuvoth Riva"sh, nos. 187-192). Other than that, there has survived from Pablo’s former identity a Purim parody composed during the author’s sojourn in England (in the service of Juan I), signed "Ani Shelomo Halevi." The present work Suma de las Chronicas de España provides the history of Spain from antiquity until the year of its composition, 1412. It remains unpublished. Alonso of Cartagena (c. 1385-1456) succeeded his father as Bishop of Burgos. He wrote Defensorium Unitatis Christianae in defense of the Conversos. The polemic work on ff. 64r-99v. of our manuscript, transcribed from the Latin, has its origin in a protocol dispute between the Spanish and English delegations at the Council of Basel. See B. Netanyahu, The Origins of the Inquisition (1995), pp. 168-206; I. Abrahams, "Paul of Burgos in London," JQR, Vol. XII (1900), pp. 255-263; M. Steinschneider, Purim und Parodie (republished,1996), pp. 9-10, no. 22; EJ, Vol. XIII, cols. 3-4