António José da Silva (o Judeu) nasceu no Rio de Janeiro em 1705 e faleceu em Lisboa em 1739. Oriundo de uma família cristã-nova que se refugiara no Brasil, vem para Portugal com a família. Forma-se em Direito na Universidade de Coimbra e em 1737 é preso com a própria esposa, ambos acusados de actividades judaizantes pela Inquisição. É executado em 1739 num auto-de-fé. Conhecido como comediógrafo de teatro de marionetas, as suas peças foram representadas no Teatro do Bairro Alto, onde conheceram grande sucesso popular. Das obras destacam-se: Vida do Grande D. Quixote de la Mancha (1733), Esopaida ou Vida de Esopo (1734), Os Encantos de Medeia (1735), Anfitrião ou Júpiter e Alcmena (1736), Labirinto de Creta (1736), Guerras do Alecrim e Manjerona (1737), Variedades de Proteu (1737), Precipício de Faetonte (1738), etc.

Born in Rio in 1705, died in Lisbon in 1739. From a family of new Christians who fled to Brazil, he returned to Portugal with his family. He was imprisoned by the Inquisition twice, first with his mother in 1726 when he was tortured so badly he could not write his name. His mother spent 3 years in jail. The second time, he was imprisoned in 1737 with his wife, who was his cousin, Leonor Maria de Carvalho whose parents had also been burned by the Inqusition. he was garroted and burned while his plays enjoyed great success. He was a graduate in law from Coimbra University.