The book of prophecies ( Spanish El Libro de las Profecías ) was written by Christopher Columbus between 1502 and 1504. Columbus began to write this work in anticipation of his fourth trip to America and finished already upon its completion. He was assisted by Gaspard de Gorrizio, the Carthusian monk of the monastery of St. Mary (Santa Maria de las Cuevas) in Seville [1] [2] .
Content
General Description
The book consisted of 84 pages, of which only 70 have survived. Written in Spanish (with some inclusions in Latin ), includes 385 quotes from the Bible and the Holy Fathers , including 326 from the Old Testament and 59 from the New Testament . Columbus substantiates his divine destiny to open the way, as he thought, to the East Indies , to which he has confirmation in the Bible, declares that the ultimate goal of his voyages is the evangelization of the Indians and the extraction of gold for the restoration of Jerusalem. Columbus, apparently, believes that the whole history of mankind until the end of time was somehow predicted in the Holy Scriptures [1] .
Contents
This work sets out a medieval eschatological view , according to which the End of the World and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ must be sent:
1. The spread of Christianity around the world.
2. Finding Eden - according to medieval belief, the biblical Eden should be located on the top of the mountain, so that it will not be affected by the first stage of the destruction of the world by flood.
3. The last Crusade should lead to the conquest of the Holy Land from Muslims , after which Christ must come to the place where he lived and died - Jerusalem .
4. The last world ruler should be elected - they, according to Columbus, were the Catholic Majesties Ferdinand and Isabella , in view of the undoubted imperial power and religious zeal that the Spanish monarchs embodied. The world emperor will have to lead the aforementioned crusade against Muslims and salute Christ in Jerusalem upon reaching the previous premises.
Current rating
The book echoed the point of view of medieval monastic authors, such as Joachim of Flore , who influenced the views of the navigator. Christopher Columbus is the only interpreter of the Bible of his kind without a theological education who not only was convinced of the predetermination of his actions by God before his birth, but in fact, through his actions, undoubtedly influenced the fate of mankind [1] .
See also
- Book of Privileges Columbus
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 El "Libro de las Profecías" (1504) de Cristóbal Colón: La Biblia y el descubrimiento de América . Religión y Cultura, LIII, 2007, (361-406)
- ↑ Institución Colombina: El Libro de las Profecías de Cristóbal Colón.