Francisco Nunes Pereyra Homen (alias David Abendana)

The first person to assume the surname of Abendana was the Marrano Francisco Nuñez Pereyra, who fled from Spain through dread of the Inquisition at the beginning of the sixteenth century and settled in Amsterdam, where he married his cousin Justa Pereyra.

The children born of this marriage died, and, their death being attributed by his wife to the fact that he had not been received into the Covenant of Abraham, they separated until that rite was performed. He took the name David Abendana, and was one of the founders of the first synagogue in Amsterdam.

He died Feb. 14, 1625. He left two sons, Manuel and Abraham.

Manuel was ḥakam of the Amsterdam congregation and died June 15, 1667, having contributed much to the spiritual edification of his brethren. Besides those mentioned below, the names of other members of the Abendana family will be found in the lists at the end of D. H. de Castro, "De Synagogue de Portugeesch-Israelietisch Gemeente te Amsterdam, 1875." There is a modern Spanish name "Abendann" ("Jew. Quart. Rev." x. 520).

c.1519 •Ponte de Lima is a town in the district of Viana do Castelo, Portugal, named after the long medieval bridge that passes over the Lima river.

•Miguel 'Francisco' LOPES HOMEM is recorded as being from Ponte de Lima and it has been assumed that his parents and siblings were also from there.

•The Abendana seal shown above is from the Archives of the Amsterdam Portuguese Congregation.