Oliger Paulli

Oliger (Holger) Paulli (1644–1714), also spelt as Olliger Paulli, was a wealthy Danish merchant from an influential family, pamphleteer, religious fanatic, and publisher. He was renowned for his over-zealous activities for the return of Jewish people to their promised holy land.

He was well known for claiming his great-grandfather, "Simon Paulli (Sr.)", as a Jew and descendant of the royal line of David. His controversial promulgations and religiously fanatical publications such as The Dove of Noah and The Triumph of the Stone cut without Hands created hopes and theological tensions among major religions of those days.

He was born in 1644 at Copenhagen. His father Simon Paulli was a reputed Anatomist and royal physician to Frederick III of Denmark. His grandfather, Heinrich Paulli(1565-1610), was a personal physician of queen Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. His great-grandfather, Simon Paulli(Sr.), was a German Lutheran(assumed) theologian and first superintendent of .

He was a bookkeeper for the West Indies and Danish West India Company in Copenhagen. With business and commerce prosperity, he was appointed secretary to the Danish West India Company. Over the period, he became one of the richest merchants in Denmark. Between 1683 and 1688, he started his own ship and cargoes to Guinea as a result of delivering supplies to the fort or payment of "recognition". It appears, he made lot of fortune on then, prosperous slave trade in the West Indies and on the coast of Guinea. He died at Copenhagen in 1714.

It seems, due to committing many extravagancies and lavish lifestyle, he went bankrupt and eventually became deranged. He then quit his family and went to Paris. Over there, he proposed a plan for the conquest of Judea with an aim of rebuilding Jerusalem. In 1694, he proclaimed himself as new messiah and king of the Jews. One of the hobby, on which he spent millions of amassed wealth was the return of the Jews to Palestine.

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