The letters written by Sara were, however, omitted from this publication. Shortly before his death, having despaired of these endeavors and in the hope of gaining merit for himself as a faithful Christian, he published the letters and poems which he had written to Sara ( 53 Lettere di Ansaldo Cebà, scritte a Sara Copia Sullam e dedicate a Mare Antonio Doria, Genoa, 1623).

Cebà's replies were, however, primarily aimed at inducing her to convert. In reply, Cebà praised Sara who, 'though a Jewess,' revealed in her writings her thorough humanistic education and the purity of her soul.

Sara lavished praise on Cebà for choosing the tragic figure of Esther as a literary theme, thus departing from the conventional use of motifs drawn from classical Greek and Roman sources, and even declared her spiritual love for him. When this work came to Sara's attention it aroused her enthusiasm, and from 1618 to 1622 the two writers exchanged sonnets, letters, and gifts. This correspondence, which was conducted at a remarkably high literary level (somewhat resembling the platonic 'game of love' then in vogue), arose from Cebà's publication of a verse epic on Queen Esther (1615–16). She became known through the sonnets and letters she exchanged with Ansaldo Cebà, a Genoese nobleman and monk. Born into a wealthy Venetian family – her father and uncle were benefactors of Leone *Modena and financed the printing of several of his works – Sara Sullam spent her life in Venice. SULLAM, SARA COPPIO (1592?–1641), Italian poet.

Sara copio sullam