Sabbatai Zevi

Shabbetai Zevi was a Jewish man with a Spanish background who contributed to the history of the Jews. He pretended to be the Messiah and gave the Jews hope during a miserable time. Even though he was not the true Messiah, he gave the Jews someone to believe in. During the 17th Century, everyone thought the Messianic Era was approaching to coincide with the predictions that had been made. After initial disbelief, the Jewish people began to accept that Shabbetai Zevi was the Messiah. He rose slowly but fell very fast and it was very unexpected. He was an idealist, a charlatan and very dangerous for the continuation of the Jewish people at the end of his odyssey. This essay will discuss how Shabbetai Zevi came to power, his fall, and the repercussions…

Dönme were a group of crypto-Sabbatians, in other words hidden followers of a messianic movement established around Jewish rabbi Sabbatai Tsevi. Strongly disapproving of Sabbatai’s apostate messianic claims and his increasing number of followers, Sultan Mehmed IV and his Grand Vizier Köprülü Ahmed Paşa forced Sabbatai to convert to Islam in 1666 (Baer, The Dönme 1-2). Subsequently, many of Sabbatai’s believers followed his path, forming crypto-Jewish communities influenced by both religions…