In 1582, after his time with the Maronites, Eliano was sent directly to Egypt in order to attempt once again to convert the Copts to Catholicism. With the financial backing of King Henry III of France and the help of Paolo Mariani, the French consul in Alexandria and a close associate of Coptic Patriarch John XIV, Eliano hoped that he could convince the Copts to conduct a synod that would mark an important first step toward full Coptic conversion. This chapter follows Eliano’s efforts to transfer the work he was conducting in Lebanon to Egypt. Eliano emphasized his textual skills and his ability to navigate the cultural landscape of Egypt. The chapter ends with Eliano finally convincing the Copts to hold a synod to debate ways to reconcile Catholic and Coptic theology and Christology. This chapter illustrates how, because of fears that Eliano’s Jewish past could still be his undoing, he became preoccupied with proving his sincerity by converting the Copts. However, his ability to do so hinged on his Jewish past as the font of his missionary toolkit.

This chapter begins with the Coptic synod and its subsequent unraveling. First, while many Coptic theologians approved it, the patriarch refused to recognize the accord. Secondly, the synod was rejected in Rome because it was seen as heretical. Moreover, when the mission’s patron, Henry III, changed consuls, the new consul Cristoforo Vento and Eliano came to blows. In turn, Vento told the Ottoman officials that a Portuguese Jew named David Moze had evidence that Eliano aimed to overthrow Ottoman authority in Egypt. Eliano was arrested and nearly executed. Upon his release, Eliano went to great lengths to prove that his arrest was not the machinations of a Jew who wanted to punish him for his apostasy. While Eliano was eventually able to return to his work with the Copts one he successfully proved that Vento and not Moze was the culprit of the conspiracy against him, the mission’s breakdown and the confrontation with the Jews that led to his arrest are reminders that Eliano’s Jewish past, however helpful it might have been in allowing him to scour religious texts and engage in theological debates, was always potential fodder for accusations of renegadism and opportunism.

This chapter follows Eliano’s successful mission in Lebanon, which included the preparation of a printing press in Rome, sending Lebanese seminarians to Italy, a general synod, and dozens of pastoral visits to Lebanese villages. Nevertheless, his superiors remained skeptical of him. In turn, Eliano needed to find new ways to prove to his superiors that he could lead. In previous missions, he relied on his missionary empathy and emphasized that he alone could aid in conversion because of his own experiences. In this mission, Eliano emphasized his textual and pastoral skills that were grounded in his knowledge of Semitic languages as well as knowledge of colloquial Arabic. He also used his knowledge of scriptural exegesis to liken himself to biblical heroes of the faith, such as the prophet Elijah or John the Baptist – his namesakes. Given that his ability to do all of this was honed during his Jewish youth, Eliano surreptitiously promoted himself to his superiors as the only Jesuit who could safeguard the Maronites. This allowed Eliano to bolster his status as Jesuit by emphasizing his Jewishness while successfully distancing himself from anxieties that he was a crypto-Jew.

This chapter begins with a brief sketch of Eliano’s time as preacher and professor of Hebrew and Arabic at the Jesuit college in Rome (1563–77). During this period, however, leading Jesuits moved away from admitting men of Jewish lineage into the Society of Jesus. As the only Jewish-born Jesuit, Eliano found himself on the outs with his superiors, such as when Eliano was not trusted to lead the mission to Lebanon called by Pope Gregory XIII in 1577. Yet, his skills were deemed valuable, so he was relegated to interpreter and translator for the mission’s superior, Tommaso Raggio. However, once the mission began, Raggio's inexperience was evident. In turn, neither Eliano nor the Maronites wished to work with Raggio, and the mission was aborted within months. This chapter ends with Eliano’s return to Rome. Chapter Three illuminates the tension that Jesuit leaders had with Eliano. On one hand, they saw in him a uniquely skilled Jesuit because his Jewish youth trained him for this very work. On the other hand, increased institutional skepticism of Jewish-lineage Jesuits meant that his superiors were unwilling to let him lead, lest his potential crypto-Judaism sabotage the mission.

Eliano arrives in Egypt in order to secure the Catholic conversion of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Within weeks, numerous Jews accused him of apostasy and renegadism. While Eliano was able to avoid intrigues by fleeing to the desert with the Coptic Patriarch, the breakdown of talks with the Copts meant that Eliano was back in Alexandria within a year of arriving. While his family seemed keen to avoid all contact with him, other Jews, angry with Eliano for having converted, accused him of blaspheming Islam and converting to Catholicism under spurious circumstances. They bribed the Ottoman governor, resulting in Eliano’s arrest. Eliano fled Egypt in duress and spent the winter of 1562–3 on Cyprus. The chapter ends with his return to Rome. Chapter 2 underscores just how entangled Eliano’s Jewish and Catholic identities were. On one hand, he was selected for this mission because of his experience with Semitic languages and his time as a merchant in Egypt. Yet, other Jews believed he was an opportunist who used his Jewish background for personal gain as a Jesuit. This tension remains a thread throughout the rest of the book, but evolves based on the given circumstances.