This document, titled “Singular Proceso de Salomón Machorro (Juan de León),” detailed the Inquisition trial of a young Jewish man in Mexico in 1650. The following is a summary of each section from the paper’s introduction:

• 1. Judíos de “nación y religión” entre los marranos mexicanos: The case of Juan de León (Salomón Machorro) is unique in American Inquisition records because he was a practicing Jew from a region where Judaism was tolerated (Leghorn, Italy), rather than a secret practitioner (crypto-Jew) born in Spanish territory. While crypto-Jews could often save their lives by confessing, the Edict of Expulsion meant that unbaptized Jews entering Spanish territory faced the death penalty.
• 2. El comercio lícito e ilícito entre Acapulco y Manila: Many individuals, including those fleeing the Inquisition, moved between Acapulco and Manila due to intense trade opportunities. Salomón Machorro’s father, a merchant, died at sea while traveling to Mexico to establish a future for his son.
• 3. Causante del mayor cataclismo en la historia del criptojudaísmo americano: The massive crackdown on Jews in Mexico, known as the “Complicidad Grande,” was triggered by the denunciations of Gaspar de Robles. Robles, a member of the Enríquez family, informed inquisitors about hidden Jews in Mexico, leading to the arrest of the Méndez de Rivera family and eventually Juan de León.
• 4. El joven Salomón Machorro y la matrona Blanca Enríquez, dos guías espirituales: Shortly after his arrival in 1639, Salomón Machorro became a spiritual guide for Mexico’s crypto-Jewish community. He notably challenged the authority of the established leader, Blanca Enríquez, regarding the correct date for Yom Kippur, successfully insisting on following the Hebrew calendar.
• 5. Ansias mesiánicas de los marranos: Persecuted Jews in Mexico held strong messianic hopes, often believing a Messiah would be born in their own community. Trial records reveal their knowledge of prophetic figures like Elijah and Enoch, derived from both Jewish tradition and available Christian texts.
• 6. Simón Váez Sevilla, “cabeza” de los marranos de México: Simón Váez Sevilla was the wealthiest crypto-Jewish merchant and acted as a protector and advisor for the community. His home was a central meeting point for judaizers arriving from Spain, Peru, and the Philippines.
• 7. Salomón Machorro en las garras del Santo Oficio: Machorro was arrested in Querétaro in May 1642. During his first audience, he claimed he was born in Spain and baptized but later taken to Italy where his parents forced him into Judaism. Medical exams performed by the Inquisition provided conflicting reports on whether he was circumcised.
• 8. ¿Era Machorro apóstol de la religión judía en Nueva España?: The inquisitor Mañozca filed a massive 104-chapter accusation against Machorro, labeling him a “famous rabbi” sent to proselytize and spread the “reprobated Law of Moses”.
• 9. La celebración de Yom Kipur a través de las respuestas de Machorro: In his defense, Machorro initially denied being a rabbi or teaching others, though he admitted to observing certain rites like lighting candles and reciting prayers with the Rivera family during Yom Kippur.
• 10. Lentitud del procedimiento inquisitorial y peligrosa rectificación: After a year in prison, Machorro changed his story, claiming he was born in Italy and was never baptized. This was a dangerous tactic, as unbaptized Jews faced severe penalties for being in Spanish territory.
• 11. Respuestas de Machorro a las Publicaciones de Testigos: Trial records from 1644 to 1648 show Machorro undergoing intense questioning as inquisitors used spies to record his secret conversations in prison. Despite being subjected to severe torture on the “rack” in December 1648, Machorro refused to confess more than what was already known.
• 12. Curioso examen teológico de Guillermo Lombardo: While in prison, Machorro met the Irish conspirator Guillermo Lombardo, who wrote a theological opinion for him. Lombardo argued that the Inquisition could not require a baptismal certificate and that Machorro’s testimony of his own baptism should be sufficient.
• 13. Sentencia contra Juan de León: On July 8, 1650, after eight years of imprisonment, Machorro was sentenced to perform an auto de fe, receive 300 lashes, and serve eight years as a galley slave in Spain. Following his time in the galleys—a brutal environment described as an earthly “hell”—he was perpetually banished from the West Indies.

The case of Salomón Machorro (Juan de León) is considered singular in the history of the American Inquisition for several key reasons:

• Unique Legal Status: Machorro’s case is the only known record in the American Inquisition of a practicing Jew from a region where Judaism was tolerated (Leghorn/Pisa, Italy). Unlike “crypto-Jews” born in Spanish territory who were baptized and could save their lives by confessing, Machorro was an unbaptized Jew entering Spanish territory. Under the Edict of Expulsion, this was a capital offense punishable by death.
• Spiritual Leadership: Shortly after arriving in Mexico in 1639, the 20-year-old Machorro rapidly became a spiritual authority for the crypto-Jewish community. He notably challenged the established leader, Blanca Enríquez, over the correct date of Yom Kippur, successfully insisting on the Hebrew calendar over traditional community practices.
• Extensive Documentation: The trial is historically significant due to the sheer volume of material. The Inquisition’s accusation against Machorro consisted of 104 chapters—the most extensive “litany of Jewish crimes” found in American Inquisition records.
• Revelation of Religious Practices: The trial records provide a highly detailed look at the clandestine religious life of Jews in Mexico, including specifics on fasting, prayers, burial rites, and messianic expectations. It also documented his use of secret communications with other prisoners while in the Inquisition’s cells.
• Interaction with Historical Figures: While imprisoned, Machorro shared communications and theological debates with the Irish conspirator Guillermo Lombardo (Guillén de Lampart), who wrote a formal theological opinion on Machorro’s behalf regarding the validity of his baptism.
• Endurance and Conviction: Despite eight years of imprisonment and undergoing severe torture on the “rack” in December 1648, Machorro refused to provide new confessions or name additional accomplices beyond what was already known to the inquisitors.

On July 8, 1650, after being imprisoned for eight years, Juan de León (Salomón Machorro) received a multi-part sentence from the Inquisition:

• Public Penance and Abjuration: He was ordered to appear in an auto de fe at the church of Santo Domingo in Mexico City, wearing a penitential habit (sambenito) with a rope around his neck and carrying a green wax candle. There, he was required to publicly abjure his “errors” and heresies.
• Physical Punishment: He was sentenced to be paraded through the public streets stripped from the waist up and given 300 lashes.
• Forced Labor: He was condemned to serve eight years as a galley slave in Spain, rowing without pay.
• Perpetual Banishment and Restrictions: He was perpetually banished from the West Indies (the Americas), as well as from Seville and Madrid.
• Ineligibility and Loss of Rights: He was declared “unfit” (inhábil), meaning he could never hold public or ecclesiastical office. He was also prohibited from wearing luxury items such as gold, silver, pearls, or silk, and forbidden from riding horses or carrying weapons.
• Confiscation of Property: All of his assets were confiscated by the Royal Treasury.
• Religious Obligations: For the remainder of his life, he was required to hear Mass every Sunday and feast day, perform specific pilgrimages and prayers (including five Paternosters and Ave Marias) every Saturday, and confess and receive the sacrament three times a year.

The book titled Singular Proceso de Salomón Machorro (Juan de León), compiled and analyzed by Boleslao Lewin, provides a detailed historical account and the original trial records of a 17th-century Inquisition case in Mexico.

Historical Significance

The case is considered “singular” because it involves an unbaptized Jew from a region where Judaism was tolerated (Italy) entering Spanish territory, which carried a death penalty under the Edict of Expulsion. Unlike “crypto-Jews” born in Spanish lands who could seek mercy by confessing, Machorro’s legal status as an unbaptized foreigner presented a unique legal challenge for the Holy Office.

Key Figures and Context

• Salomón Machorro (Juan de León): A young man from Leghorn/Pisa who arrived in Mexico in 1639 and quickly became a spiritual authority for the clandestine Jewish community.
• The “Complicidad Grande”: The trial took place during a massive Inquisition crackdown in Mexico (1640s), triggered by the denunciations of Gaspar de Robles.
• Clandestine Leadership: Machorro challenged the established spiritual leadership of Blanca Enríquez regarding the Hebrew calendar, specifically the correct date for Yom Kippur.
• Guillermo Lombardo (Guillén de Lampart): An Irish conspirator who met Machorro in prison and wrote a theological opinion on his behalf regarding the validity of a person’s word concerning their own baptism.

The Trial Records

The book reproduces extensive documentation of the eight-year legal process (1642–1650):

• Detailed Accusations: The Inquisition filed a 104-chapter accusation against Machorro, labeling him a “famous rabbi” and dogmatist.
• Testimony and Spying: The records include testimonies from numerous crypto-Jews and detailed reports from spies who recorded secret conversations between Machorro and other prisoners.
• Torture: Machorro was subjected to severe torture on the “potro” (the rack) in December 1648 but refused to provide new information.

The Sentence (July 8, 1650)

After eight years of imprisonment, Machorro was sentenced to:

• Public penance in an auto de fe wearing a penitential habit (sambenito).
• 300 lashes administered through the public streets.
• Eight years as a galley slave in Spain, serving at the oar without pay—a punishment described as “temporal hell”.
• Perpetual banishment from the West Indies and Madrid.
• Lifelong religious restrictions and loss of all civil rights.