Judah ben Jacob Neḥama was born into a prosperous and respected family in Salonica.  His father, Jacob, served as an agent for English companies in Salonica. Among other activities, the Neḥama family transported merchandise (the precise nature of the products remains unknown) through the Austrian shipping company Lloyd, which engaged in trade throughout the Mediterranean Basin from its headquarters in Trieste, and also represented the interests of the Hapsburg dynasty in the region. Neḥama studied at the Tal…