 David Conforte says he saw Escapa when the latter was about one hundred years old.Escapa was known for having been the teacher of Ḥayyim Shabbethai and Shabbetai Tzvi, whom later he excommunicated.Escapa wrote an important work called "Rosh Yosef", a detailed commentary and "novellæ" on the "Arba'ah Turim" of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher.