Sabbatai Zevi

Sabbatai Zevi, (????? ??? Shabtai Tzvi in Hebrew) (also known as Shabbethai, Shabbetai, Sabbetai, or Shabtai; Zvi or Tzvi) (July 23 1626–possibly September 30 1676) was a claimed Messiah and Kabbalist. He was the founder of the Donmeh sect, which flourished in the Ottoman Empire, and which drew elements from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as of the more Judaism-influenced Sabbatian movement (Sabbatianism), which continued in Europe after his death.

Influence of English Millenarianism

During the first half of the 17th century, millenarian ideas of the approach of the Messianic time, and more especially of the redemption of the Jews and their return to the land of Israel, with their own independent sovereignty were popular. The so-called apocalyptic year was identified by Christian authors as 1666. This belief was so dominant that Manasseh ben Israel in his letter to Oliver Cromwell and the Rump Parliament did not hesitate to use it as a motive for his plea for the readmission of the Jews into England, remarking: ?the opinions of many Christians and mine do concur herein, that we both believe that the restoring time of our Nation into their native country is very near at hand?.

Related Topics:
17th century - Millenarian - Messianic - Redemption - Land of Israel - Apocalyptic - 1666 - Manasseh ben Israel - Oliver Cromwell - Rump Parliament - England

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Sabbatai's father, who as the agent of an English house was in constant touch with English people, must frequently have heard of these expectations and, being strongly inclined to believe them, must have communicated them to his son, whom he almost deified because of his piety and kabbalistic wisdom.

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