For one account of the battle, see Smith, “Ayn Jalut.” For updated research, see
Amitai-Preiss,Mamluk-Ilkhanid War.
Idel,Messianic Mystics, 58.
Ibid., 63.
Ibid.
Ibid., 81 – 82.
CHAPTER 4
David Reuveni’s journal, entitledSipur David ha-Re’uveni(Story of David
the Reubenite), was preserved in manuscript form in the Bodleian Library at
Oxford. The document was edited and published in Palestine by Aescoly in 1940
(Aescoly et al.,Sipur David ha-Re’uveni). Aescoly published in the same book a
collection of related documents and studies that are being used here as well.
Aescoly also added a long essay on David, parts of which were previously published
in English (Aesˇcoly, “David Reubeni,”). Lea Sestieri published an Italian translation
and a scholarly edition of the manuscript with an appendix containing related
documents (Sestieri,David Reubeni). In 1993 , a facsimile of the 1940 edition was
published with two new introductory articles dealing with the messianic image of
David and with the history of the manuscript by Elias Lipiner and Moshe Idel (in
separate pagination).
“Lettera di Ser Marco Foscarioratorin corte,” in Sestieri,David Reubeni, 203.
For a study concerning the debates relating to David’s identity as an imposter, focusing
on questions of truth and authority in the early modern period, see Eliav-Feldon,
“Invented Identities.”
Aescoly et al.,Sipur David ha-Re’uveni, 172.
The original runs as follows: “dicendo che per la via del mar Rosso cum Ie nave
de Portagallo facilmente si potria satisfar a tal effecto... offerendosi andar in persona a
far tal effetti, promettendo me se haverano il modo de artellarie, ehe tenirano tutti li
machometani in guerra et che subiugerano la Meca.” “Lettera di Ser Marco Foscari
oratorin corte,” in Sestieri,David Reubeni, 203.
“Deposition fece Zuambatista Ramusio,” in Aescoly et al.,Sipur David
ha-Re’uveni.
Adler,Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, 71 – 72.
Ramusio published theTravelsonly in 1559 , but he had the manuscript years
before. See Jackson, “Marco Polo and His ‘Travels.’”
Marco Polo,The Travels, 87 – 107.
See a summary in Eliav-Feldon, “Invented Identities,” 206 – 209.
Aescoly et al.,Sipur David ha-Re’uveni, 1 – 26 (Hebrew pagination). See also, in
the same volume, Aescoly, “David Reubeni,” 38 – 39 ; and Eliav-Feldon, “Invented Iden-
tities,” 210 – 211.
11 .“Depositionfece Zuambatista Ramusio,” in Aescoly et al.,Sipur David ha-
Re’uveni, 189.
