COSTA, URIEL DA

(1585–1640)

   A Jewish scholar from Hamburg, Germany, where he was excommunicated because of his heterodox ideas. Da Costa settled in Amsterdam and there got into trouble again with the rabbis and the Portuguese community, who upheld the ban (cherem) for disseminating his belief that the human soul is not eternal. In the end, he retracted his deviant ideas and committed sui cide. With Baruch Spinoza and Juan de Prado (c. 1615–c. 1670), da Costa was one of the few individuals to be excommunicated by the Jewish community in the 17th century.

(1585-1640)

   Portuguese rationalist. He was born in Oporto into a marrano family. After moving to Amsterdam in c. 1615 he returned to Judaism, but he was later excommuni-cated because of his heretical views about rabbinic doctrine and practice. His subsequent attack on the Bible led to a second ban.