The Beards of the Redeemer

Abstract

In this paper we study the story of the North African redeemer Ibrahim Ezerchel between 1502 and 1515. His collaboration with the Castilian merchant Bernardino Pardo and the lawsuits in which both of them got involved for different reasons. On the background, the redemption of Christian captives in Maghrib as a business and the frequent betrayals that took place. In this sense, the sources available show that Ibrahim Ezerchel and Bernardino Pardo were quite unpopular.