Meshullam ben Menahem of Volterra (Hebrew: משולם בן מנחם; d. 1508), also known asMeshullam da Volterra, was anItalian Jewish businessman who traveled to theHoly Land and surrounding Jewish communities. His works provide concise and important details about the nature and conditions ofOttoman Jewry.^[1]

Meshullam da Volterra was born in the mid 15th century inVolterra,Italy. His father, Menahem ben Aaron was a wealthy fancier who in 1460 was worth 100,000ducats. In his early years Meshullam gained notable wealth by trading precious stones, and according toAbraham Portaleone, Meshullam even wrote a book on jewellery. He later took over his father's successful loan-bank inFlorence, where he became friendly withLorenzo de Medici whom he once sent a gift of game. It was during this time that Meshullam began to develop an interest in Jewish literature and philosophy which inspired him to visit the Holy Land. In spring of 1481 he undertook a journey toJerusalem, going by way ofRhodes toAlexandria, where he apparently saw a beautiful manuscript of theHebrew Bible, which the natives claimed had been written byEzra. In Cairo, where he bought gems, and was greeted bySolomon ben Joseph. On July 29, he reached Jerusalem, where at that time there were only 250 Jewish families. He then passed throughJaffa andDamascus toCrete, where he was shipwrecked, and lost his precious stones. His life was saved by a German Jewish physician, and Meshullam finally reachedVenice in October. Meshullam wrote in Hebrew an account of his journey called Massa Meshullam mi-Volterra be-Erez Yisrael (מסע משולם מוולטרה בארץ-ישראל) which contains a wealth of information about the cities he visited as well as their Jewish communities and traditions; he also gives much information of economic interest. While occasionally noting local legends, he is often sceptical about them. He also shows some familiarity with classical literature. His style is readable and attractive although containing some grammatical errors and numerous Italian expressions. Meshullam died in 1507 or 1508 in Venice.^[2][3]

• 15th-century travelers
• 15th-century Italian Jews
• 15th-century Italian businesspeople
• 1508 deaths
• 15th-century births
• People from Volterra
• Holy Land travellers
• Medieval Jewish travel writers
• 15th-century travel writers

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata