Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Was Columbus secretly a Jew ?
Christopher Columbus bids farewell to his son Diego at Palos, Spain, before embarking on his first voyage on August 3, 1492.STORY HIGHLIGHTSSunday marks the 508th anniversary of the death of Christopher ColumbusCharles Garcia: Columbus was a Marrano, or a Jew who feigned to be a CatholicHe says that during Columbus' lifetime, Jews became the target of religious persecutionGarcia: Columbus's voyage was motivated by a desire to find a safe haven for JewsEditor's note: Charles Garcia is the CEO of Garcia Trujillo, a business focused on the Hispanic market, and the author of "Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows." A native of Panama, he now lives in Florida. Follow him on Twitter: @charlespgarcia. Lea este artículo en español/Read this article in Spanish.(CNN) -- Today marks the 508th anniversary of the death of Christopher Columbus.Everybody knows the story of Columbus, right? He was an Italian explorer from Genoa who set sail in 1492 to enrich the Spanish monarchs with gold and spices from the orient. Not quite.For too long, scholars have ignored Columbus's grand passion: the quest to liberate Jerusalem from the Muslims.