Authorship, History and Impact of the Centinela contra Judíos

A rare surviving document from the Archivo General de Indias in Seville sheds light on the authorship, historical context, and widespread dissemination of Centinela contra Judíos, a 17th-century anti-Semitic text. Originally published in 1674 by a Franciscan missionary returning from the Philippines, the work was reprinted twelve times—eight in Spanish and four in Portuguese—and partially republished in Mexico over a century later. Contradictory accounts by Fray Trujillo are clarified through archival evidence, revealing its role in early modern Spain’s colonial mission. Written in accessible vernacular Spanish, the text targeted both literate laymen and clergy, reflecting its broad intended readership.

Soyer, F. (2014). Authorship, History and Impact of the Centinela contra Judíos. Popularizing Anti-Semitism in Early Modern Spain and Its Empire, 47–74. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004268876_004