Regarded from the point of view of these ideas, Manasseh of the “_Conciliador_” appears to us in his proper light. Broad-minded, highly accomplished, interested in all the discoveries of his time――an important period for discoveries――he sincerely believed in Montezinos’ report concerning his distant brethren, while, on the other hand, his great devotion to Palestine and his belief in Abrabanel’s predictions made the question of the Lost Ten Tribes for him not one of curiosity but one of vital importance for the national salvation. _Judah and Israel_ are to return――where, then, is _Israel_? Is the Return thinkable so long as _Israel_ is lost? All the legends concerning the _Sambatyon_ and the various reports of Eldad _ben_ Mahli Ha’dani (_fl._ 9th century) concerning the tribe of Dan and the “Sons of Moses” who live somewhere as an independent, strong nation, were essentially the reflex of a powerful national aspiration. The descendants of _Judah_, _Benjamin_ and half of the tribe of _Manasseh_ felt themselves too weak, too humiliated and too few in number to achieve the great work of Restoration, but believing as they did in the impossibility of the disappearance of the ancient nation, they were sure that the descendants of _Israel_, uniting with and absorbed by other nations though they might be at present, would one day be awakened to consciousness as to their origin and join _Judah_ in repopulating the ♦Holy Land. This is the reason why they were so fascinated by the reports respecting the Lost Ten Tribes. Is it to be wondered at that _Marranos_ were particularly ready to believe in this miracle? Were they not themselves like one of the Lost Ten Tribes in that, after all the tortures of the Inquisition, and after having apparently been ultimately denationalized, converted and absorbed, they had reasserted themselves and were now awakening to a new Jewish revival? Considering that these aspirations happened to coincide with the hope for the Restoration and the rediscovery of the Lost Ten Tribes, in which reformed Christianity, and especially the Puritans, believed, we can fully realize the popularity which Manasseh’s ideas had gained in these circles, and we can quite understand how they led to the readmission of the Jews to England. ♦ “Loly” replaced with “Holy” CHAPTER V. MANASSEH’S _NISHMATH CHAYYIM_ The most important of his Hebrew writings――Quotations from Gebirol, Bedersi, _R._ Kalonymus, _R._ Zerahiah Ha’levi, and others――Plato, Aristotle and Philo――_Cabbalistic_ ideas――_R._ Isaac Luria――Miracles and Christian Saints――Manasseh’s Jewish Nationalism――“The Jewish Soul”――The _Zohar_――_R._ Jehudah Ha’levi――The holiness of the Land of _Israel_――_R._ David Carcassone, the messenger from Constantinople.