Nostradamus Armageddon Prophecies

Do You See What Is Coming? Do You See What Is Already Here? Nostradamus Armageddon Prophecies (Many of his works have been constantly in print for 400 years) Nostradamus (1503-1566) In the year 1999 and seven months The Great King of Terror will come from the sky, He will bring back to life the great king of the Mongols. Before and after Mars [the God of war] reigns happily. After a great misery for mankind an even greater approaches. The great cycle of the centuries is renewed: It will rain blood, milk, famine, war and disease. In the sky will be seen a fire, dragging a tail of sparks. The Sun in 20 degrees Taurus [May 1-10, 2000?] There will be a great earthquake; the great theater full up will be ruined. Darkness and trouble in the air, on the sky and land, When the infidel calls upon God and the Saints. Saturn joined with (Scorpio) transiting toward Sagittarius, At its highest ascendant, Pest, Famine, Death through military hand, The century as well as the Age approaches its renewal. The sky will burn at forty-five degrees latitude, Fire approaches the great new city [New York City lies between 40-45 degrees] Immediately a huge, scattered flame leaps up When they want to have verification from the Normans [French]. At a latitude of forty-eight degrees At the end of Cancer (July 22) there is a very great drought. Fish in the sea, river and lake boiled hectic, Bearn and Biggore (Southwestern France) in distress from fire in the sky. Because of heat like that of the sun on the sea, The fish around Negrepont will be half-cooked. The local people will eat them When in Rhodes and Genoa there is lack of food. In a short time the colors of the temples; With black and white, the two will be intermingled. The red and yellow ones will carry off their possessions from (their temples). Blood, earth, plague, hunger, fire, maddened by thirst. Earthshaking fire from the center of the Earth Will cause the towers around the New City to shake: Two great rocks will war for a long time, And then Arethusa shall color a new river red. Leave, leave Geneva everyone! The grim reaper will change gold to iron Those against RAYPOZ [?] will be exterminated. Before the invasion the heavens will show signs. In the year when Saturn and Mars are equally fiery, The air is very dry, a long comet: From hidden fires a great place burns with heat, Little rain, hot wind, wars and raids. Mabus will soon die, then will come A horrible undoing of people and animals, At once one will see vengeance, One hundred powers, thirst, famine, when the comet will pass. The great mountain, 4,247 feet in circumference, After peace, war, famine, flooding, [The impact?] Will spread far, drowning great countries Even antiquities and their mighty foundations. In the Cyclades, in Perinthus and Larissa, [Greece] In Sparta, all of Peloponnesus: [also Greece] A great famine, plague through false dust [fallout?] Nine months it will last and through the whole peninsula. Very near to Auch, Lectoure and Mirande, [Southwestern France] Great fire in the sky for three nights will fall: A very stupendous and marvelous event will happen, Very soon after the earth will tremble. The speeches of Lake Leman [Geneva] become angered. The days drag out into weeks: Then months, then years, then all will fail, The authorities will damn their useless powers. At the founding of the new sect, The bones of the Great Roman [Peter?] will be found, The sepulchre covered by marble will appear, The earth trembles in April, badly buried. Rain, famine and war in Persia [Iran] will not cease, A trust too great will betray the monarch; For the end was planned and conceived in France, A secret sign for one to be more sparing. You will see, sooner and later, great changes made, Extreme horrors and vengeances: For as the moon [Islam?] is thus led by its angel, The heavens draw near to the reckoning. One day the two great leaders will become friends, Their great power will be seen to increase: The new land will be at the height of its power, To the bloody one the number [is] reported. The two will not remain united for long, And within thirteen years [they give in] to Barbary [Libyan/Arab] power. There will be such a loss on both sides That one will bless the Bark and cape. The great famine which I sense approaching Will often turn [up in various areas] then become worldwide. It will be so vast and long-lasting that [people] will grab Roots from the trees and children from the breast. The great mountain, seven stadia [4,247 feet] in circumference, After peace, war, famine, flooding, [The impact?] Will spread far, drowning great countries Even antiquities and their mighty foundations. The voice of the unusual bird is heard, In the pipe of the breathing floor: Bushels of wheat will rise so high, That man will devour his fellow man. In the Cyclades, in Perinthus and Larissa, In Sparta and the entire Pelopennesus: [the Balkans and all of Greece] Very great famine, plague through false dust, Nine months will it last throughout the entire peninsula. From the vain enterprise honor and undeserved complaint, Boats tossed about among the Latins, cold, hunger, waves Not far from the Tiber the land stained with blood, And diverse plagues will be upon mankind. Very great famine (caused) by a plague-ridden wave, Will extend through long rain the length of the Arctic pole: "Samarobryn" one hundred leagues from the hemisphere, They will live without law, exempt from politics. Those at ease will suddenly be cast down, The world put into trouble by three brothers; Their enemies will seize the marine city, Hunger, fire, blood, plague, all evils doubled. The horrible war which is prepared in the West, The following year will come the pestilence So very horrible that young, old, nor beast (will survive), Blood, fire, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter in France. Very near to Auch, Lectoure and Mirande, [Southwestern France] Great fire in the sky for three nights will fall: A very stupendous and marvelous event will happen, Very soon after the earth will tremble. With Mars and Mercury and the Moon in conjunction, Toward the south there will be extreme drought: In the depths of Asia one will say the earth trembles, The trembling of the earth at Mortara The tin island of St. George half sunk; Drowsy with peace, war will arise, At Easter in the temple abysses open. Sun twentieth of Taurus the earth will tremble very mightily, It will ruin the great theater filled: To darken and trouble air, sky and land, Then the infidel will call upon God and saints. I weep for Nice, Monaco, Pisa, Genoa, Savona, Siena, Capua, Modena, Malta: For the above blood and sword for a New Year's gift, Fire, the earth will tremble, water an unhappy reluctance. A very mighty trembling in the month of May, Saturn in Capricorn, Jupiter and Mercury in Taurus: Venus also in Cancer, Mars in Virgo, At that time hail will fall larger than an egg. From the three water signs will be born a man who will celebrate Thursday as his feast day. His renown, praise, rule and power will grow on land and sea, bringing trouble to the East. One who the infernal gods of Hannibal Will cause to be reborn, terror of all mankind Never more horror nor the newspapers tell of worse in the past, Than will come to the Romans through Babel (Iraq). Mabus then will soon die, there will come A horrible slaughter of people and animals: At once vengeance is revealed coming from a hundred hands, Thirst and hunger when the comet will run. One day the two great leaders will become friends, Their great power will be seen to increase: The new land will be at the height of its power (America), To the bloody one the numbers are reported. The rule will be left to two; they will hold it for a very short time. Three years and seven months passed, they will go to war: Their two vassals rebel against them, The victor is born on Armenian (?) soil. The Antichrist very soon annihilates the three, Twenty-seven years the blood of his war will last. The unbelievers are dead, captive, exiled; With blood, human bodies, water and red hail covering the earth. The chief of London through the realm of America, The Isle of Scotland will be tried by frost: King and "Reb" will face an Antichrist so false, That he will place them all into the conflict. Michel de Nostradame was born on December 14, 1503 at St. Remy in Provence, France to a family of "Christianized" Jews. He was taught a wide range of subjects by both his grandfathers. By the time that Michel began his formal education in Avignon, where he learned philosophy, grammar, and rhetoric, he was already well versed in classical literature, history, medicine, astrology (then a legitimate science), and herbal and folk medicine. Nostradamus (the Latin version of his name) first became well known due to his novel and very successful treatment of bubonic plague, the infamous Black Death that ravaged France in the early 16th century. His innovative cure consisted basically of cleanliness and vitamin C. The first step when he entered a village was to have all of the corpses removed from the streets. He then prescribed for his patients plenty of fresh air, unpolluted water, and his "Rose Pills," which consisted of rose petals (and, perhaps, rose hips), sawdust from green cypress, iris, cloves, calamus, and lign-aloes. He did not allow his patients to suffer "bleeding," then a popular, although futile, treatment for everything from a minor cold to the Great Plague. He truly was successful in combating a disease for which there appeared to be no cure and no relief. It is estimated that over one-quarter of the entire population of Europe was killed by the Black Death during its sporadic visits. In 1537, plague struck Agen, where Nostradamus was living with his wife and two children. He confidently began to treat his fellow citizens but, unfortunately, was unable to save his family from his old enemy. Distraught and questioning his own abilities, Nostradamus began to wander through Europe aimlessly for the next six years. It was during this time that he first became aware of the awakening of his prophetic powers. When plague broke out in Aix, capital of Provence, for nine months Nostradamus again applied his proven skills to save as many of the populace as possible. After the plague dissipated, the city showed its gratitude by bestowing upon him a pension for life. Ten years after the death of his wife and children, Nostradamus settled in Salon and remarried, eventually fathering three daughters and three sons. He had the upper floor of his house transformed into a private study, where he installed his magical equipment: astrolabe, magic mirrors, divining rods, and a brass bowl and tripod, designed after the type used by the great Delphic oracles. Under cover of night, he would retire to his study where he would sit before the tripod upon which simmered the brass bowl filled with water and pungent herbs (probably bay laurel or a combination of herbs). For a few years, Nostradamus struggled with the dilemma of whether he should make his findings public. In 1550, he published his first almanac of prophecies -- twelve four-line poems called "quatrains." Each quatrain gave a general prophecy for the coming year. The acclaim that he received due to the almanac encouraged Nostradamus to continue. He produced an almanac every year for the rest of his life. His most famous work, The Centuries, was begun in 1554. Eventually these prophecies were to consist of ten volumes of 100 quatrains each. Centuries 1 through part of 4 were published in Lyons in 1555. The remainder of 4 and the subsequent Centuries through 7 were published later that same year. The last three were printed in 1558, but Nostradamus decided not to have them widely distributed. The Centuries have remained constantly in print for over 400 years. In his own time as is true today, Nostradamus' quatrains have received mixed responses. The combination of French, Provencal, Greek, Latin, and Italian written as riddles, puns, anagrams, and epigrams are complex and demand that the potential interpreter have knowledge in a wide range of subjects. Many people from the 16th century through modern times have been enthralled by the prophecies and have tried to make sense of them. Some quatrains could fit descriptions of just about any era. Others are more exact, and it is those quatrains that have established the well-earned reputation of Nostradamus as one of the world's greatest prophets. To the ignorant, closed mind, Nostradamus was a creature of the devil, babbling in cryptic, evil verse. From philosophers, Nostradamus continues to draw praise and curses. Poets remain perplexed by the meaning of his wild verses. Interpretation is open to all. Except for those prophecies that were fulfilled in his own time and acknowledged by the prophet himself, no one can give a final, definite interpretation to any of the prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled. This is an area that is open to individual, solitary study. Perhaps that was the intent. According to witnesses, Nostradamus stayed alert to the end of his life, even though he was in great pain caused by arthritis, gout and dropsy. When his assistant wished him goodnight on July 1, 1566, Nostradamus replied, "You will not find me alive at sunrise." As one might expect, he had predicted his own death. In his last almanac, Nostradamus had written: On his return from the Embassy, the King's gift put in place, He will do nothing more. He will be gone to God. Close relatives, friends, brothers by blood (will find him) Completely dead near the bed and the bench. On the morning of July 2, the assistant escorted family and friends to the study, where Nostradamus had spent the previous night. They found his body on the floor between the bed and a bench that he had placed there for aid in getting out of bed. His wife carried out his last wishes, that he be interred standing upright and that his coffin be enclosed within the walls of the Church of the Cordeliers of Salon. The translation from Latin of the inscription on his tomb reads: "Here rest the bones of the illustrious Michel Nostradamus, alone of all mortals, judged worthy to record with his near divine pen, under the influence of the stars, the future events of the entire world. He lived sixty-two years, six months and seventeen days. He died at Salon the in year 1566. Let not posterity disturb his rest. Anne Posart Gemelle wishes her husband true happiness." [From: Nostradamus: The New Revelations by John Hogue] "Christianized" Jews in the Time of Nostradamus In the 15th and 16th centuries, religious feeling against Jews was strong and hateful. Devout Christians condemned them as Christ-murderers. Rumors that Jews had poisoned water supplies, thus causing the Black Death, were rampant. The Inquisition was in full swing in Europe. Throughout Europe, particularly in Spain, Jews were presecuted and killed. Many from Spain and other ghettos flocked to Provence where they found sanctuary -- until 1501. In that year, Charles of Maine, heir to the throne of Provence, died, and the region was formally acquired by France. The new French king, Louis XII, decreed that all Jews must be baptized as Christians or be banished. Members of Nostradamus' family were baptized and were accepted in St. Remy as model Christians by the time he was born. However, in private, they followed the Jewish faith and preserved their religious and cultural traditions. This may help to explain why Nostradamus had to be exceedingly cautious when exercising his prophetic skills and publishing The Centuries. This was an era without constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. Indeed, it seems as if the only guarantee one would have while expressing unorthodox thoughts was that of personal harm in one form or another. Stumble It!

Nostradamus Armageddon Prophecies

Do You See What Is Coming? Do You See What Is Already Here? Nostradamus Armageddon Prophecies (Many of his works have been constantly in print for 400 years) Nostradamus (1503-1566) In the year 1999 and seven months The Great King of Terror will come from the sky, He will bring back to life the great king of the Mongols. Before and after Mars [the God of war] reigns happily. After a great misery for mankind an even greater approaches. The great cycle of the centuries is renewed: It will rain blood, milk, famine, war and disease. In the sky will be seen a fire, dragging a tail of sparks. The Sun in 20 degrees Taurus [May 1-10, 2000?] There will be a great earthquake; the great theater full up will be ruined. Darkness and trouble in the air, on the sky and land, When the infidel calls upon God and the Saints. Saturn joined with (Scorpio) transiting toward Sagittarius, At its highest ascendant, Pest, Famine, Death through military hand, The century as well as the Age approaches its renewal. The sky will burn at forty-five degrees latitude, Fire approaches the great new city [New York City lies between 40-45 degrees] Immediately a huge, scattered flame leaps up When they want to have verification from the Normans [French]. At a latitude of forty-eight degrees At the end of Cancer (July 22) there is a very great drought. Fish in the sea, river and lake boiled hectic, Bearn and Biggore (Southwestern France) in distress from fire in the sky. Because of heat like that of the sun on the sea, The fish around Negrepont will be half-cooked. The local people will eat them When in Rhodes and Genoa there is lack of food. In a short time the colors of the temples; With black and white, the two will be intermingled. The red and yellow ones will carry off their possessions from (their temples). Blood, earth, plague, hunger, fire, maddened by thirst. Earthshaking fire from the center of the Earth Will cause the towers around the New City to shake: Two great rocks will war for a long time, And then Arethusa shall color a new river red. Leave, leave Geneva everyone! The grim reaper will change gold to iron Those against RAYPOZ [?] will be exterminated. Before the invasion the heavens will show signs. In the year when Saturn and Mars are equally fiery, The air is very dry, a long comet: From hidden fires a great place burns with heat, Little rain, hot wind, wars and raids. Mabus will soon die, then will come A horrible undoing of people and animals, At once one will see vengeance, One hundred powers, thirst, famine, when the comet will pass. The great mountain, 4,247 feet in circumference, After peace, war, famine, flooding, [The impact?] Will spread far, drowning great countries Even antiquities and their mighty foundations. In the Cyclades, in Perinthus and Larissa, [Greece] In Sparta, all of Peloponnesus: [also Greece] A great famine, plague through false dust [fallout?] Nine months it will last and through the whole peninsula. Very near to Auch, Lectoure and Mirande, [Southwestern France] Great fire in the sky for three nights will fall: A very stupendous and marvelous event will happen, Very soon after the earth will tremble. The speeches of Lake Leman [Geneva] become angered. The days drag out into weeks: Then months, then years, then all will fail, The authorities will damn their useless powers. At the founding of the new sect, The bones of the Great Roman [Peter?] will be found, The sepulchre covered by marble will appear, The earth trembles in April, badly buried. Rain, famine and war in Persia [Iran] will not cease, A trust too great will betray the monarch; For the end was planned and conceived in France, A secret sign for one to be more sparing. You will see, sooner and later, great changes made, Extreme horrors and vengeances: For as the moon [Islam?] is thus led by its angel, The heavens draw near to the reckoning. One day the two great leaders will become friends, Their great power will be seen to increase: The new land will be at the height of its power, To the bloody one the number [is] reported. The two will not remain united for long, And within thirteen years [they give in] to Barbary [Libyan/Arab] power. There will be such a loss on both sides That one will bless the Bark and cape. The great famine which I sense approaching Will often turn [up in various areas] then become worldwide. It will be so vast and long-lasting that [people] will grab Roots from the trees and children from the breast. The great mountain, seven stadia [4,247 feet] in circumference, After peace, war, famine, flooding, [The impact?] Will spread far, drowning great countries Even antiquities and their mighty foundations. The voice of the unusual bird is heard, In the pipe of the breathing floor: Bushels of wheat will rise so high, That man will devour his fellow man. In the Cyclades, in Perinthus and Larissa, In Sparta and the entire Pelopennesus: [the Balkans and all of Greece] Very great famine, plague through false dust, Nine months will it last throughout the entire peninsula. From the vain enterprise honor and undeserved complaint, Boats tossed about among the Latins, cold, hunger, waves Not far from the Tiber the land stained with blood, And diverse plagues will be upon mankind. Very great famine (caused) by a plague-ridden wave, Will extend through long rain the length of the Arctic pole: "Samarobryn" one hundred leagues from the hemisphere, They will live without law, exempt from politics. Those at ease will suddenly be cast down, The world put into trouble by three brothers; Their enemies will seize the marine city, Hunger, fire, blood, plague, all evils doubled. The horrible war which is prepared in the West, The following year will come the pestilence So very horrible that young, old, nor beast (will survive), Blood, fire, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter in France. Very near to Auch, Lectoure and Mirande, [Southwestern France] Great fire in the sky for three nights will fall: A very stupendous and marvelous event will happen, Very soon after the earth will tremble. With Mars and Mercury and the Moon in conjunction, Toward the south there will be extreme drought: In the depths of Asia one will say the earth trembles, The trembling of the earth at Mortara The tin island of St. George half sunk; Drowsy with peace, war will arise, At Easter in the temple abysses open. Sun twentieth of Taurus the earth will tremble very mightily, It will ruin the great theater filled: To darken and trouble air, sky and land, Then the infidel will call upon God and saints. I weep for Nice, Monaco, Pisa, Genoa, Savona, Siena, Capua, Modena, Malta: For the above blood and sword for a New Year's gift, Fire, the earth will tremble, water an unhappy reluctance. A very mighty trembling in the month of May, Saturn in Capricorn, Jupiter and Mercury in Taurus: Venus also in Cancer, Mars in Virgo, At that time hail will fall larger than an egg. From the three water signs will be born a man who will celebrate Thursday as his feast day. His renown, praise, rule and power will grow on land and sea, bringing trouble to the East. One who the infernal gods of Hannibal Will cause to be reborn, terror of all mankind Never more horror nor the newspapers tell of worse in the past, Than will come to the Romans through Babel (Iraq). Mabus then will soon die, there will come A horrible slaughter of people and animals: At once vengeance is revealed coming from a hundred hands, Thirst and hunger when the comet will run. One day the two great leaders will become friends, Their great power will be seen to increase: The new land will be at the height of its power (America), To the bloody one the numbers are reported. The rule will be left to two; they will hold it for a very short time. Three years and seven months passed, they will go to war: Their two vassals rebel against them, The victor is born on Armenian (?) soil. The Antichrist very soon annihilates the three, Twenty-seven years the blood of his war will last. The unbelievers are dead, captive, exiled; With blood, human bodies, water and red hail covering the earth. The chief of London through the realm of America, The Isle of Scotland will be tried by frost: King and "Reb" will face an Antichrist so false, That he will place them all into the conflict. Michel de Nostradame was born on December 14, 1503 at St. Remy in Provence, France to a family of "Christianized" Jews. He was taught a wide range of subjects by both his grandfathers. By the time that Michel began his formal education in Avignon, where he learned philosophy, grammar, and rhetoric, he was already well versed in classical literature, history, medicine, astrology (then a legitimate science), and herbal and folk medicine. Nostradamus (the Latin version of his name) first became well known due to his novel and very successful treatment of bubonic plague, the infamous Black Death that ravaged France in the early 16th century. His innovative cure consisted basically of cleanliness and vitamin C. The first step when he entered a village was to have all of the corpses removed from the streets. He then prescribed for his patients plenty of fresh air, unpolluted water, and his "Rose Pills," which consisted of rose petals (and, perhaps, rose hips), sawdust from green cypress, iris, cloves, calamus, and lign-aloes. He did not allow his patients to suffer "bleeding," then a popular, although futile, treatment for everything from a minor cold to the Great Plague. He truly was successful in combating a disease for which there appeared to be no cure and no relief. It is estimated that over one-quarter of the entire population of Europe was killed by the Black Death during its sporadic visits. In 1537, plague struck Agen, where Nostradamus was living with his wife and two children. He confidently began to treat his fellow citizens but, unfortunately, was unable to save his family from his old enemy. Distraught and questioning his own abilities, Nostradamus began to wander through Europe aimlessly for the next six years. It was during this time that he first became aware of the awakening of his prophetic powers. When plague broke out in Aix, capital of Provence, for nine months Nostradamus again applied his proven skills to save as many of the populace as possible. After the plague dissipated, the city showed its gratitude by bestowing upon him a pension for life. Ten years after the death of his wife and children, Nostradamus settled in Salon and remarried, eventually fathering three daughters and three sons. He had the upper floor of his house transformed into a private study, where he installed his magical equipment: astrolabe, magic mirrors, divining rods, and a brass bowl and tripod, designed after the type used by the great Delphic oracles. Under cover of night, he would retire to his study where he would sit before the tripod upon which simmered the brass bowl filled with water and pungent herbs (probably bay laurel or a combination of herbs). For a few years, Nostradamus struggled with the dilemma of whether he should make his findings public. In 1550, he published his first almanac of prophecies -- twelve four-line poems called "quatrains." Each quatrain gave a general prophecy for the coming year. The acclaim that he received due to the almanac encouraged Nostradamus to continue. He produced an almanac every year for the rest of his life. His most famous work, The Centuries, was begun in 1554. Eventually these prophecies were to consist of ten volumes of 100 quatrains each. Centuries 1 through part of 4 were published in Lyons in 1555. The remainder of 4 and the subsequent Centuries through 7 were published later that same year. The last three were printed in 1558, but Nostradamus decided not to have them widely distributed. The Centuries have remained constantly in print for over 400 years. In his own time as is true today, Nostradamus' quatrains have received mixed responses. The combination of French, Provencal, Greek, Latin, and Italian written as riddles, puns, anagrams, and epigrams are complex and demand that the potential interpreter have knowledge in a wide range of subjects. Many people from the 16th century through modern times have been enthralled by the prophecies and have tried to make sense of them. Some quatrains could fit descriptions of just about any era. Others are more exact, and it is those quatrains that have established the well-earned reputation of Nostradamus as one of the world's greatest prophets. To the ignorant, closed mind, Nostradamus was a creature of the devil, babbling in cryptic, evil verse. From philosophers, Nostradamus continues to draw praise and curses. Poets remain perplexed by the meaning of his wild verses. Interpretation is open to all. Except for those prophecies that were fulfilled in his own time and acknowledged by the prophet himself, no one can give a final, definite interpretation to any of the prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled. This is an area that is open to individual, solitary study. Perhaps that was the intent. According to witnesses, Nostradamus stayed alert to the end of his life, even though he was in great pain caused by arthritis, gout and dropsy. When his assistant wished him goodnight on July 1, 1566, Nostradamus replied, "You will not find me alive at sunrise." As one might expect, he had predicted his own death. In his last almanac, Nostradamus had written: On his return from the Embassy, the King's gift put in place, He will do nothing more. He will be gone to God. Close relatives, friends, brothers by blood (will find him) Completely dead near the bed and the bench. On the morning of July 2, the assistant escorted family and friends to the study, where Nostradamus had spent the previous night. They found his body on the floor between the bed and a bench that he had placed there for aid in getting out of bed. His wife carried out his last wishes, that he be interred standing upright and that his coffin be enclosed within the walls of the Church of the Cordeliers of Salon. The translation from Latin of the inscription on his tomb reads: "Here rest the bones of the illustrious Michel Nostradamus, alone of all mortals, judged worthy to record with his near divine pen, under the influence of the stars, the future events of the entire world. He lived sixty-two years, six months and seventeen days. He died at Salon the in year 1566. Let not posterity disturb his rest. Anne Posart Gemelle wishes her husband true happiness." [From: Nostradamus: The New Revelations by John Hogue] "Christianized" Jews in the Time of Nostradamus In the 15th and 16th centuries, religious feeling against Jews was strong and hateful. Devout Christians condemned them as Christ-murderers. Rumors that Jews had poisoned water supplies, thus causing the Black Death, were rampant. The Inquisition was in full swing in Europe. Throughout Europe, particularly in Spain, Jews were presecuted and killed. Many from Spain and other ghettos flocked to Provence where they found sanctuary -- until 1501. In that year, Charles of Maine, heir to the throne of Provence, died, and the region was formally acquired by France. The new French king, Louis XII, decreed that all Jews must be baptized as Christians or be banished. Members of Nostradamus' family were baptized and were accepted in St. Remy as model Christians by the time he was born. However, in private, they followed the Jewish faith and preserved their religious and cultural traditions. This may help to explain why Nostradamus had to be exceedingly cautious when exercising his prophetic skills and publishing The Centuries. This was an era without constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. Indeed, it seems as if the only guarantee one would have while expressing unorthodox thoughts was that of personal harm in one form or another.