Uriel da Costa

Uriel da Costa (; also Acosta or '''d'Acosta'''; – April 1640) was a Portuguese Sephardi philosopher who was born a New Christian but returned to Judaism, whereupon he questioned the Catholic and rabbinic orthodoxies of his time. This led him into conflict with both Christian and Jewish institutions: his books were placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum and several Jewish authorities excommunicated him. His iconoclastic life culminated in suicide in c. 1640. Provided by Wikipedia