The Jewish Influence on the Renaissance

[Chuck-Star]

I'm presently reading "The Sistine Secrets: Michelangelo's Forbidden Message in the Heart of the Vatican"by Benjamin Blech & roy Doliner.

The main theme of this book is to recover the lost impact of Medici patronized Jews on the European Renaissance.  I previously concluded that the real power base of the Medici was in Persia, and this is consistent with the Medici bringing Eastern Jews with them to Italy as advisors, intellectuals, artists, etc. in support of establishing Medici culture there.  This new book has bearing on the Shakespeare authorship debate, as well, and the treatment of Jews in Shakespeare plays, especially "The Merchant of Venice".  To the point, the Medici rulers found Jews useful for political expediency, even as the Islamic rulers of Spain had earlier.  It was fundamentally an exploitative relationship.  We should not necessarily consider the Medici more enlightened on account of it.  It was rather royal business as usual.

[Ronald L. Hughes]

Maybe I am wrong, but I believe Sir Isaac Newton, suggested that the Phoenicians entered the Med. via their old area of control, which was the Red Sea!  Certainly connecting the Phoenicians with their successors the Venetians is possible?  The very area of the Levant, tends to support sea power and thereby sea trade in Salt, and not surprisingly both the Phoenicians and the Venetians controlled the salt trade!  I tend to feel that the control of Salt, is one of the most important and least studied subject in all of our past!

But, perhaps my memory is bad?

Regards,
Ron

[Chuck-Star]

Um, Ron, just what does your commentary above have to do with the Renaissance, Jews, or anything???  Or was the salt an ice-breaker/melter?

I really did create the Fomenko topic just for you, no kidding!!!