Subject: Jews in the Americas

This 1650 edition of Menasseh Ben Israel's *Mikveh Yisrael* (Hope of Israel), printed in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) by Semuel ben Israel Soeiro in Amsterdam, is a seminal work arguing that the Lost Tribes of Israel are to be found in the Americas. The book prominently features the account of Aharon Levi (Antonio de Montezinos), who describes encountering South American Indians—descendants of the tribes of Reuben and Levi—who maintained ancient Jewish practices. This work's popularity led to translations in Dutch, Latin, Hebrew, Yiddish, and English, significantly influencing the readmission of Jews to England in 1655.