est ina . ▁The ▁Bar ▁K ok h ba ▁revol t ▁caused ▁a ▁sp ike ▁in ▁anti - S emit ism ▁and ▁Jewish ▁per sec ution . ▁The ▁en su ing ▁ex ile ▁from ▁J ude a ▁greatly ▁increased ▁the ▁percent ▁of ▁Jews ▁who ▁were ▁dispers ed ▁throughout ▁the ▁D ias por a ▁instead ▁of ▁living ▁in ▁their ▁original ▁home . ▁ ▁Z ion ▁is ▁a ▁hill ▁near ▁Jerusalem ▁( now ▁in ▁the ▁city ), ▁widely ▁symbol izing ▁the ▁Land ▁of ▁Israel . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁Joseph ▁N asi , ▁with ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁tried ▁to ▁gather ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁Jews , ▁first ▁to ▁migr ate ▁to ▁Cy pr us , ▁then ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Ven ice , ▁and ▁later ▁to ▁res ett le ▁in ▁T iber ias . ▁N asi ▁– ▁who ▁never ▁converted ▁to ▁Islam ▁– ▁eventually ▁obtained ▁the ▁highest ▁medical ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁emp ire , ▁and ▁act ively ▁participated ▁in ▁court ▁life . ▁He ▁convinced ▁S ule iman ▁I ▁to ▁interven e ▁with ▁the ▁Pope ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁Ott oman - subject ▁Portuguese ▁Jews ▁imprison ed ▁in ▁An con a . ▁Between ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries , ▁N asi ' s ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁practical ▁attempt ▁to ▁establish ▁some ▁sort ▁of ▁Jewish ▁political ▁center ▁in ▁Palest ine . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁S abb ata i ▁Ze vi ▁( 1 6 2 6