Uriel da Costa Didn't Kill Himself: A Freethink Examination of Morals and Common Sense

A Healing Journey Into To The History and Identity of the Curiel / קוריאל / da Costa Lineage

A Historical Journey In Questioning Authority 

By Wendy Coriell

Uriel da Costa Didn't Kill Himself: A Freethink Examination of Morals and Common Sense explores the author's personal journey into the Curiel / קוריאל / da Costa lineage while uncovering long‑obscured truths about the life and tragic fate of Uriel da Costa. The narrative begins with the author's attempt to trace her father's family and the emotional discovery of a powerful ancestral connection.

This book argues that Uriel da Costa's death was not a suicide but the result of oppressive forces within his religious community—forces that silenced dissent, punished independent thought, and erased inconvenient truths. Through historical research, family lineage, and personal reflection, the author shows how Uriel’s story mirrors many modern examples of abuses of institutional power. 

 

Excerpt

"It was not apostasy, da Costa insisted, but a return: a return to the letter and the spirit of Scripture unburdened by the accretions of centuries. In Amsterdam's narrow streets, his voice read aloud a different account of fidelity — one that demanded, above all, the courage to ask whether piety or dogma commanded the soul."

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About the Book

Drawing parallels to contemporary issues—including a 2007 police killing in the author's own community—the book highlights how powerful institutions still manipulate narratives and escape accountability. Da Costa’s struggles, writings, and the brutality he suffered are shown as part of a larger pattern of suppressing free inquiry across generations.

Uriel da Costa was a visionary ahead of his time. His criticisms of contradiction, hypocrisy, and religious authority—especially in works like the Eleven Theses—were met with punishment meant to erase him. Instead, his voice resonates through history and through the author’s own family heritage.

About the Author

Photo of Wendy Coriell

Wendy Coriell is a writer and researcher dedicated to exploring the intersection of family history, hidden narratives, and the overlooked figures who shaped intellectual and cultural history. As a direct descendant of the Curiel / קוריאל / da Costa lineage, Wendy brings a deeply personal perspective to the story of Uriel da Costa, weaving rigorous historical research with lived family memory. Her work aims to restore voice to those whose stories were silenced, misunderstood, or erased.

Curiel / קוריאל / da Costa Lineage

This section gathers historical and genealogical material related to the Curiel/Coriell (קּוריאל) family tradition and its complex connections to the da Costa name. The Curiel (also spelled Curiel/Curiell/Coriell) families were part of the Iberian Jewish converso networks and later reemerged in Dutch, Portuguese, and global diasporas. Below is a brief, research-oriented summary and a starting point for deeper archival tracing.

The Coriell Lineage

A working lineage starting with Abraham Coriell (research note: dates and records should be confirmed with primary sources). This section is intended for family history and genealogical reference.

  1. Abraham Coriell — (founder figure in family tradition; archival records to be added)
  2. — (descendants, branches, and notes)

If you have family documents, baptisms, burial records, or immigration papers, please contact the author to help populate this lineage.

Family: Coriell Relations & Memories

Vern Coriell

A notable family member. More background and context are available in online entries. Vern Coriell — Fancyclopedia.

Carl Yale Coriell Jr.

(Author's father) Carl Yale Coriell Jr. served in the U.S. military and took part in Operation Crossroads (Bikini Atoll). Memorial record: Find a Grave — Carl Y. Coriell.

Imogene Snyder Coriell

(Author's grandmother) Memorial and dates: Find a Grave — Imogene L. Coriell.

Imogene Laverne Coriell Chamberlin Zavodny

(Author's aunt) Memorial information: Find a Grave — Imogene Laverne.

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