Jewish pirates? This is not a joke and not a fiction! As it turns out, some of the most famous and respected pirates were Jews. They were not like the terrible sea wolves, which routinely draws our imagination - no, these sea captains were employees of Great Britain, Holland and other countries, they protect the coast and sea borders of these powers.


Despite the fact that the details and the details of the activities of Jewish pirates are not so distinct, and they have some mystical element, however, historians managed to combine facts and knowledge, and to recreate the big picture, which will allow us with curiosity and excitement to look at the almost unknown to the reader the world Jewish pirates.


In this article we will introduce you to eight interesting facts about the Jewish piracy.



Moses Henriques Cohen and the biggest robbery in the world


As a young man, Moses Cohen Henriques, living at home, in Portugal, the Inquisition persecuted and hiding from it. Being one of the famous Lisbon merchants, he, according to reports on the Jews of Portugal to 1605, continued to be a Jew, observant Judaism. It, like other 150 persecuted Inquisition Jews were painful and degrading tortured. Perhaps it is for this reason that Moses Cohen decided - to fight against Spain and Portugal, the countries of the ancestor-brutal Inquisition.


After escaping to Amsterdam Enriquez served as a secret agent working for the Dutch fleet, and thus, he was in the New World and settled in Jamaica, which at that time was a haven for Jews. In those years, the island of Jamaica has become a private area, he gave in 1494 to the private ownership of Christopher Columbus and his descendants. Exact ethnic origin of the discoverer of America is still a mystery. Many historians believe that he was a Jew. Whatever it was, for more than 100 years of Columbus's descendants managed to avoid sticky and grip of the Inquisition, and Jamaica remained an island of freedom, one of the remote corners where Jews can feel safe.


In 1655, poorly protected private land Columbus had been captured by Britain, but under British rule flourished religious freedom. By 1720 about 20% of all Jamaicans capital, Kingston, were descendants of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews who were fortunate enough to escape from the clutches of the Holy Inquisition.


Once in Jamaica, Enriquez, on the one hand, working for the Netherlands in its competition with the Spanish fleet, and on the other, - pursued a different goal: to disrupt Spain's colonial plans for an occupation of the New World.


Privateers (or, as they are called - corsairs) were engaged in sea robbery legally. Mercenaries from the privateer certificates (public document authorizing private ship to attack and seize ships hostile state) attacked enemy ports and cargo ships during military conflicts, to enrich themselves and replenish the treasury, paying part of the spoils of government. In peacetime, they continued to pirate activity, but then next to the British flag, or banner of free Dutch Republic rose "Jolly Roger".


With the tacit support of the Dutch and British governments Moses has teamed up with one of the most feared and famous pirates of his time - Sir Henry Morgan.


Together with the Dutch folk hero Admiral Piet Hein Peterson in 1628. Henriquez committed the largest robbery in the Caribbean. He captured the ships of the Spanish "Silver Fleet", which sailed from Cuba in Matanzas Bay. Production amounted to a myriad of silver and gold bullion total value of 11,509,524 guilders, equivalent in today's money anyway illiardu dollars. It was the largest theft in the history of the Spanish Navy.


When you capture the "Silver Fleet" not perish none Dutchman. Fleet yacht raced in Amsterdam with the news of the seizure of Spanish ships, and in January, Vice-Admiral Hein led his squadron in Holland. To unload the captured goodness took five days, the treasures were placed in a thousand carts and drove in triumph through the streets of Amsterdam after the coach of vice-admiral. "Hein welcomed as a foreign prince, who arrived on an official visit." Across the country have begun to shine festive lights.


In 1630, Moses Henriques, taking his fortune, together with a group of people close to him the Jews went to Brazil and settled there on the island, which has become his own pirate base.


But in 1654 he had to flee from South America. Once finally in Jamaica, he became an adviser to his old friend - king of the pirates Henry Morgan.


Moses Cohen piracy Egrikes left in his old age, when Sir Henry Morgan became vice-governor of Jamaica, and pardoned his old friend. The two friends lived out his days in Jamaica, breaking piracy forever.



Jean Laffitte - a war hero and a pirate


Author of the book "Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean" Edward Kritsler claims that the prototype image of Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp who starred in "Pirates of the Caribbean", served as Jean Lafitte (1776-1826), "kosher" gentleman of fortune. He was Sephardic and during the heyday of piracy "career" in Laffite was not one pirate ship, and a flotilla. Indeed, Jean Laffite - one of the most magical and remove the filibusters of all time. He was born in France about 1780. At one period of his life he became aware that his ancestors were Jews, and they were tortured Spanish Inquisition.


This terrible discovery drastically changed the lives of Jean and was the cause of the growing contempt for the youth of Spain, which has never left the young man and forced to turn to the pirate trade in order to attack the Spanish possessions in the New World, owned by the Inquisition.


After moving to the French colony at New Orleans, Laffitte Jean Pierre and his brother founded forge and forging undercover management task performed otherwise secret: they accompanied ships from Colombia (Cartagena) to intercept the Spanish boats. It said that Laffitte knows Gulf Coast better than any cartographer.


After the adoption of the United States President Thomas Jefferson's bill to ban the importation of new slaves into the United States (1807) Laffite moved its operations in Barataria Bay off the coast of Louisiana, where by their superiors to serve thousands of people. Laffite was carried out illegal supply of slaves in the southern states of the USA. Their people and guns subsequently played a prominent role in the victory over the British Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans (1815).


Edward Bernard Glick argues that in 1815 the British tried to hire Laffite, so he led them through the swamp, for so they could get overlooked to the rear of the Americans and smash them. But instead he showed a pirate General Andrew Jackson of the British war plans - and so the Americans were victorious in the Battle of New Orleans. But the hero Jean Lafitte was not for everyone, and its reputation has been close to the crime: in 1813 the governor of Louisiana, William Claiborne announced a reward of $ 500 per head Laffite, a filibuster Laffitte said Claiborne that suggested by the head of the governor of $ 5,000 (Art. "Jewish roots Laffite")


It remains to add that for their help US General Andrew Jackson in the defense of New Orleans Lafitte asked him to close his eyes on pirate activity Laffite brothers. General Jackson agreed. Participation in the battle Laffite and his detachment was noted particular success. Jackson later called Laffite one of the "most capable fighters" in the Battle of New Orleans.


In 1817, under pressure from the authorities of Louisiana Lafitte moved to Texas Island Galveston, where he established a quasi-state and successfully led his trading business, a part of which is controlled by Hao de la Porta, Portuguese Jew of Spanish Texas, and among their regular customers and intermediaries was an adventurer and trader of slaves Jim Bowie, who continued to deliver contraband slaves South American growers. During these years Laffitte again turned to piracy, taking into its ranks thousands of followers around the territory of Texas Galveston Island.


In 1821, one of the captains laffitovskih without his permission attacked a plantation in Louisiana. Laffitte ordered to hang the guilty, and in honor sent after American sailors gave a banquet and hunting. But in the end Laffite was ordered to sink their ships, and within two months leave Galveston, which was full of them.


Preserving under his command ship just two of the once-mighty fleet, Laffitte with a handful of improvised settled on the islands of Isla Mujeres off the coast of Yucatan. Even in this difficult time he guarded his "good name" in the United States and did not attack the American ships. Until his death in 1825, Jean Lafitte remained one of the most feared pirates of the Spanish coast of America.


In Louisiana, for a long time were legends about the exploits of Captain Laffitte. The city of Lake Charles performed "smugglers days" annually in memory of Lafitte and his men. It is named Reserve off the coast of Barataria.



"Brotherhood of the Black Flag" and hidden treasures.


Sudel Deul was well known as a Dutch traveler, doctor, explored the New World, one of the discoverers of North and South America, allegedly Europeans acquainted with the culture, like potatoes. But it is much more famous for his son - a pirate Subatol Deul, one of the most feared pirate in the world. It is believed that the Dutch pirate Subatol Deul, seized for the British Chile under the plan Simon de Caceres, one of the founders of the "Brotherhood of the Black Flag". This brotherhood was founded it together with the Englishman Henry Drake - the son of the great British discoverer, Sir Francis Drake, who also became a pirate.


"Brotherhood of the Black Flag" is headed pirate gang who attacked Spanish ships along the coast of the modern State of Chile, Cuba and Jamaica. It is said that the pair landfilled 6,000 pounds of silver near the harbor Guayakan present in Chile.


No one has found the lost treasure of the filibuster, although searchers discovered documents written partly in Hebrew, and probably written by the Subatolem. "Brotherhood of the Black Flag" - the first pirate brotherhood in the world, and the Code of brotherhood - the world's first evidence of "social insurance" (it also takes into account financial compensation for injury and death).

"Brotherhood of the Black Flag" was the prototype for other larger pirate brotherhoods, such as "Coastal Brotherhood" Tortuga. The brotherhood of the "Black Flag" consisted of such famous fraybautery like brothers Cohen Henriques, Bartolomeu Portuguesa, Rock Brazileno, Abraham de Lucena and many other gentlemen of fortune ... Subatol Deul, besides those already mentioned his services, one of the companions of Moses Cohen Henriques, and founder pirated media and founder of the first Jewish magazine in the New World. The first pirate journal was written in Hebrew



Pirate tombstones in the Jewish cemetery


The island nation of Jamaica once appeared crowded by pirates; and some of them were Jews. Seven gravestones in the cemetery of the old Hunt's Bay in Kingston are unusual marks with Hebrew inscriptions and the famous skull and crossbones - the symbol of piracy. Likewise also marked gravestones in Bridgeport, the Bahamas and the old Jewish cemetery in Curacao.


Those who are buried in Hunts Bay, were transferred from the city of Port-Royal, which was once called the most dangerous city in the world. It is possible that these are the tombstones from the graves of seven Jewish pirates, who created the city of the terrible reputation of pirate center. It is the memory of the Sephardic Jews who settled in Jamaica and made the city the capital of Port-Royal Jewish pirates, who, in the end, in coordination with the Dutch, the British and the Turks made to kneel Spanish Empire, expelled the Jews.



Rabbi - Pirate


Despite the fact that Shmuel Executioners (in Russian literature, often known under the name of Shmuel Falaj), was born in Morocco (his father, the rabbi of Cordoba, fled to from Spain family) and was prepared in late 1500's to become a rabbi in Fez, Morocco (on therefore, it later became known as "Rabbi pirate"), he chose to dramatically change their destiny and become a merchant and navigator, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Morocco in the Netherlands.


There, he received permission from the Dutch Prince Maurice of Orange to engage in piracy and selling the thus obtained products. The executioners have been 8 frigates, robbed the Spaniards in the sea. In 1614, Shmuel 2 captured Spanish ship, but once in a storm, was forced to go to the English port, where it is, at the request of the Spanish ambassador, was arrested for piracy.


In a letter to Dudley Carleton, the British ambassador in Venice at the time of the executioners written as a dashing pirate Hebrew: "We have arrested a pirate-Jew who has won three awards in the Spanish city of Plymouth ... most likely, it is easy to get away from us, for he has the right to freely exit and re-entry under the visa and license of the King, in which we first did not believe it until we do not proved. "


As a result, the executioners acquitted and released thanks to the intervention of the Dutch. After a quick release Shmuel Falaj continued with the same lucrative pirate business. The executioners took part in the very first negotiations between the Europeans and the peoples of the Middle East: a peace agreement between the Netherlands and Morocco have been achieved as a result of negotiations.


When he died in 1616, he was buried with all the honors heroic. Each member of the Jewish community of Amsterdam joined the funeral procession, which was also attended by the elders of the city and the Prince of Orange, Maurice (Maurice of Nassau).



"Great Jew" (Flag Hajredin Barbarossa II)


Another famous pirate Sinan Rice escaped the Spanish Inquisition in the early 1500's, settled in Smyrna, today is the city of Izmir in Turkey. Sinan was the right hand of the mighty Mediterranean pirate of the XVI century, Hajredin, get the name of Barbarossa II of, in contrast to his older brother, also a famous pirate Barbarossa I. The name "Barbarossa" the brothers received for his red beard. After the death of his elder brother Hayreddin led a large pirate fleet, proclaimed himself Sultan and subdued almost the entire northern coast of Algeria.


Basic sea battles Barbarossa instructed Sinani, which was called "the great Jew" or "most famous Jewish pirate". Indeed, Sinan was an outstanding naval commander and for their command of sea navigation to him behind his acquaintance attributed to black magic. In 1534 Sinan with a squadron of 100 ships captured the city of Tunisia, knocking him out of the Spaniards. In 1535 the Spanish King Charles V directed against pirate Barbarossa II a powerful fleet of armed ships from Christian countries, collected by Pope Paul II, under the command of the famous naval commander Doria, but the Ottoman forces led by Rice and Barbarossa, defeated the Spanish fleet; after the defeat of the Spanish for 30 years could not gather strength for new battles and revenge. In this battle, Sinan was nicknamed "The Great Jew", which gave him the Spanish enemies. The Ottoman Empire Sinan rewarded and appointed Supreme Commander of the Navy. The power of the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean is preserved for many centuries.


In 1544 the "great Jewish" Sinan Rice captured the stronghold of the Portuguese port of Suez in the Red Sea. The flagship Sinan always flew a flag with six-pointed Star of David.


At the end of his life Barbarossa dictated memoirs Sinan Rice, who, in turn, has left five manuscript volumes. Today they are exhibited in the Topkapi Palace, the main residence of the Turkish padishahs in Istanbul, and Istanbul University Library.



Israel Communications in the Caribbean


Thoughts about the Land of Israel never left the Jewish sailors, pirates and privateers. In honor of the Jewish homeland they called their ships, "The Prophet Shmuel", "Queen Esther," "Shield of Abraham", "Beautiful Sarah," and others. Jacob Kuriel of the ancient and noble family of Sephardic, was first officer of the Spanish Royal Navy, but in 1492 fled from the Inquisition and chose the fate of a pirate. On his personal frigate, consisting of exiled Jews team he took to board the Spanish ships in the Caribbean. Later, Jacob led a small squadron of three fast ships in which he maintained strict discipline, the laws of kashrut and the observance of the Sabbath command. His courage and luck were legendary.


Revenge in full measure to the Spaniards, Kuriel settled in Safed and became interested in Kabbalah. After his death, he was buried next to the great Kabbalist, the Arizal - Rabbi Yitzhak Luria, whose works he studied during his lifetime.


Another Jewish navigator in the Caribbean was David Abarbanel, which is not by chance called in the same way as the famous Rabbi Yitzchak Abarbanel: he was a descendant of the famous dynasty of the Spanish rabbis, but also joined the British privateers, or buccaneers, after in the early 1700s it family was destroyed by the servants of the Inquisition.


David took his nickname "Captain David" and sailed with the British sailors. We already know that individuals, seized merchant ships of the Spaniards with the permission of his government, not called pirates, or "pirates". "Privateers," or "Dogs" was a kind of "authorized" public figures. David Abarbanel commanded his ship, which he gave the name "Jerusalem" and was particularly renowned for being discovered Easter Island with its large stone statues.



Israeli security forces have become world leaders in the fight against piracy


Jewish times pirates on the high seas remained far in the past. Today, Israeli security forces have become world leaders in the fight against piracy and protection of cargo and passenger ships from attacks by modern pirates.


One of the Israeli companies to combat piracy, Mano International Security (Mano International Security) has gained international recognition in 2009 when the Israeli security service has beaten off a brazen attempt by Somali pirates attacked an Italian cruise ship «Melody», 180 nautical miles from Seychelles where he went on a Saturday night, and about 600 miles off the coast of Somalia. Captain Ciro Pinto vessel (Ciro Pinto) said that armed pirates approached the port side of the ship under cover of darkness on a big rubber boat. Somewhere nearby the ship was to support them. Pirates tried to take Melody boarded, firing into the air at the same time of the machine, but the actions of the Israeli security service ship turned out to be effective and successful. The ship has suffered little damage, none of the passengers was not injured. According to the captain, all confined to a small panic, which, of course, there was on board at the time of the attacks corsairs. "I will never forget what happened. I had a feeling that I am at war, "- said Pinto.


"We are faced with resistance for the first time" - so spoke one of Somali pirates after the attack. "The guys acted precisely in accordance with the rules, and I am proud of them" - said company spokesman Mano International Security.


Recently, an attack by Somali pirates on various civil court and even warships markedly increased.


In the same 2009, in the summer, Israel opened the world's first training courses for specialists in the fight against piracy. During the course, the guards are taught tactics and vessels protection strategy used by Israeli naval forces, methods of gathering information about the intentions of the pirates to release the ship into the sea, a way to reflect the attack on the ship and its prevention.


Israeli security guards and bodyguards are in great demand all over the world. Recently, more and more Israelis, who have experience of real combat operations, enter the service on naval vessels as guards.


michaelnizovskiy

http://www.imrey.org/2017/07/23/8-малоизвестных-фактов-о-еврейских-пир/