Moses Pinheiro (d. 1689) was an

Italian Jew Italian Jews (; ) or Roman Jews (; ) can be used in a broad sense to mean all Jews living in or with roots in Italy, or, in a narrower sense, to mean the Italkim, an ancient community living in Italy since the Ancient Roman era, who use the It ...

who lived in

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...

in the seventeenth century. He was one of the most influential pupils and followers of

Sabbatai Zevi Sabbatai Zevi (, August 1, 1626 – ) was an Ottoman Jewish mystic and ordained rabbi from Smyrna (now İzmir, Turkey). His family were Romaniote Jews from Patras. His two names, ''Shabbethay'' and ''Ṣebi'', mean Saturn and mountain gazelle, ...

. He was held in high esteem on account of his religious and kabbalistic knowledge; and, as the maternal grandfather of

Joseph Ergas Rabbi Joseph ben Emanuel Ergas also known as Joseph Ergas (; – 3 Sivan 5490 / 1730) was an Italian rabbi and kabbalist, one of the leading critics of Nehemiah Hayyun and Sabbateanism in general. Biography He was born in Livorno in 1685 to Ra ...

, the well-known anti-

Sabbatean The Sabbateans (or Sabbatians) are a variety of Jewish followers, disciples, and believers in Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676), an Ottoman Jewish rabbi and Kabbalist who was proclaimed to be the Jewish Messiah in 1666 by Nathan of Gaza. Vast ...

, he had great influence over the Jews of Leghorn, urging them to believe in Sabbatai. Even later, in 1667, when Shabbethai's apostasy was rumored, Pinheiro, in common with numerous other adherents of Zevi, still believed him to be the messiah. Pinheiro was "the center of the Shabbatean group in Livorno", and he maintained a correspondence with Shabbetai Zevi over the years, after his return from

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

to Livorno in 1667. He spent some time with Sabbatai in Constantinople in 1666-67.

Nathan Nathan or Natan may refer to: People and biblical figures *Nathan (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Nathan (surname) *Nathan (prophet), a person in the Hebrew Bible *Nathan (son of David), a biblical figu ...

stayed at Pinheiro's house on his visit to Italy in 1668. Pinheiro was the teacher of

Abraham Miguel Cardoso Abraham Miguel Cardozo (also Cardoso; c. 1626–1706) was a Sabbatean prophet and physician born in Rio Seco, Spain. Biography A descendant of ''Marranos'' from around the city of Celorico da Beira in Portugal, he studied medicine at the Univer ...

, whom he initiated into the

Kabbalah Kabbalah or Qabalah ( ; , ; ) is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of Mysticism, mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ...

and into the mysteries of Sabbateanism.

Notes

References

* Grätz, Gesch. 3d ed., x. 190, 204, 225, 229, 312 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pinheiro, Moses Italian Sephardi Jews Italian people of Portuguese descent Livornese Jews 17th-century Italian rabbis Sabbateans