Elijah ben Elkanah Capsali (Hebrew: אליהו בן אלקנה קפשאלי; c. 1485 – after 1550) was a notable rabbi and historian.
Capsali, an important historian of Muslim and Ottoman history, has a medieval historical approach, with early modern subject matter.
His father Elkanah Capsali, served as the head of the Cretan Jewish community, and taught Elijah in his early years.
[6] In c. 1528 he became the Chief Rabbi of Crete, during which he associated himself with several great scholars of his time such as, Jacob Berab and Joseph Karo.
Additionally he wrote several notable historical works, which were praised for their vivid and detailed descriptions of Ottoman Jewry, many of which provide interregnal accounts used by modern historians.