Sabbatai Ṣevi: The Mystical Messiah, 1626–1676 (Bollingen Series (General) (208))

Gershom Scholem stands out among modern thinkers for the richness and power of his historical imagination. A work widely esteemed as his magnum opus, __Sabbatai ?evi__ offers a vividly detailed account of the only messianic movement ever to engulf the entire Jewish world. Sabbatai ?evi was an obscure kabbalist rabbi of seventeenth-century Turkey who aroused a fervent following that spread over the Jewish world after he declared himself to be the Messiah. The movement suffered a severe blow when ?evi was forced to convert to Islam, but a clandestine sect survived. A monumental and revisionary work of Jewish historiography, __Sabbatai ?evi__ details ?evi's rise to prominence and stands out for its combination of philological and empirical authority and passion. This edition contains a new introduction by Yaacob Dweck that explains the scholarly importance of Scholem's work to a new generation of readers. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS 10 LIST OF PLATES 16 TABLE OF TRANSLITERATION 20 PREFACE 22 INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINCETION CLASSICS EDITION 30 1 THE BACKGROUND OF THE SABBATIAN MOVEMENT 70 I Historical and sociological explanations of the Sabbatian movement and their deficiencies 70 II Messianism in Jewish history and its two conflicting tendencies: the catastrophic-utopian and the rationalistic forms 77 III The messianic idea in the kabbalah 84 IV Lurianic kabbalah and its myth of exile and redemption 91 V The historical role and social significance of Lurianic kabbalah 113 VI The spread of Lurianic kabbalah until 135 VII Kabbalism in Poland. The messianic expectations for the year 1648. Contemporary reactions to the great massacres of that year 146 VIII Utopian messianism in Christianity: chiliasm and millenarian movements 162 2 THE BEGINNINGS OF SABBATAI SEVI (1626–1664) 172 I Sabbatai’s origins and youth. His kabbalistic studies and his “Mystery of the Godhead” 172 II The sickness of Sabbatai Sevi: its nature and significance 194 III Sabbatai’s first “manifestation” and his banishment from Smyrna 207 IV His wanderings in Turkey. Abraham Yakhini and David Habillo 221 V Sabbatai Sevi in Jerusalem 246 VI His sojourn in Jerusalem and mission to Egypt. His marriage to Sarah (1664-65) 249 3 THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MOVEMENT IN PALESTINE (1665) 268 I Abraham Nathan Ashkenazi and his prophetic experience. Sabbatai’s return from Egypt to Gaza. The great prophetic revelation and mes sianic illumination in May, 1665 268 II The apocalypse The Vision of R. Abraham 292 III Sabbatai Sevi in Gaza and his excommunication by the rabbis of Jerusalem 302 IV Sabbatai’s travels through Safed and Aleppo to Smyrna. The messianic agitation in Gaza after Sabbatai’s departure 320 V The prophet Nathan’s letter to the chelebi Raphael Joseph in Egypt. Significance of the letter 336 VI Nathan’s penitential tracts 359 VII Nathan’s Treatise on the Dragons and its principal doctrines 366 4 THE MOVEMENT UP TO SABBATAI’S IMPRISONMENT IN GALLIPOLI (1665–1666) 398 I The spread of the first reports from Gaza and Egypt. The silence of the opponents 398 II Rumors of conquests by the armies of the Ten Tribes in Persia, Arabia, and North Africa 403 III The movement in Palestine after Sabbatai’s departure (from autumn, 1665, to early spring, 1666) 425 IV The movement in Smyrna until December, 1665 444 V Sabbatai gains control over the community in Smyrna. The events of December, 1665 462 VI Mass prophecy, and the appointment of kings by the messiah. Sabbatai’s departure for Constantinople 490 VII The movement in Constantinople. The prophet Moses Suriel (or Saraval). Sabbatai’s imprisonment in Constantinople (February- April, 1666) and his removal to Gallipoli 506 5 THE MOVEMENT IN EUROPE (1666) 534 I Conditions and factors making for the success and spread of the movement. General description of the penitential awakening 534 II Italy. Allegations regarding a “ reign of terror” in the Italian communities 550 III Amsterdam 591 IV The Jewish communities in the German lands 619 V Hamburg. Jacob Sasportas and his Sisath Nobel Sevi. Moses Abudiente and his Fin de los Dias 651 VI Poland 676 6 THE MOVEMENT IN THE EAST AND THE CENTER IN GALLIPOLI UNTIL SABBATAFS APOSTASY (1666) 692 I Sabbatai Sevi in Gallipoli (“the Tower of Strength”) during the months May-July, 1666 692 II New festivals and the abolition of traditional fasts. The visit of the Polish emissaries 702 III The spread of the movement in Turkey, Egypt, and North Africa. Abraham Miguel Cardozo 722 IV The movement in Yemen 740 V Nehemiah Kohen and his visit to Sabbatai Sevi 747 VI Complaints to the Turkish authorities regarding an alleged Jewish revolt. Sabbatai’s appearance before the sultan and his apostasy in September, 1666 757 7 AFTER THE APOSTASY (1667–1668) 778 I The effects of the apostasy on believers and unbelievers. The crisis of faith 778 II The rabbis of Constantinople attempt to calm the public 784 III Nathan’s departure from Palestine. Steps by the rabbis of Constantinople against Nathan and the Sabbatian believers 796 IV Nathan’s travels in Asia Minor and his at tempts to meet Sabbatai in Adrianople. Sabbatai Sevi during 1667. Nathan’s travels in Greece 809 V “Believers” and “ infidels” after the apostasy in Europe, especially in Italy and Holland 840 VI Nathan’s journey to Italy in 1668. His examination by the rabbinic court at Venice and his mystical mission to Rome. His return to the Balkans and residence in Kastoria 855 VII The prophet Sabbatai Raphael and his travels in Europe 872 VIII The theology of the Sabbatian believers after the apostasy 883 IX The doctrine of the apostate messiah and of the significance of the Law according to the writings of Nathan of Gaza 893 X The letter Magen Abraham by Abraham Miguel Cardozo 905 8 THE LAST YEARS OF SABBATAI SEVI (1668–1676) 912 I The consolidation of the Sabbatian group in Adrianople 912 II The revelations of the year 1668 and the tract The Testimony of the Faith. Sabbatai Sevi and his circle until 1672 919 III The doctrines of the Sabbatian circle. Israel Hazzan’s commentary on the Psalms 947 IV The imprisonment and trial of Sabbatai Sevi in 1672 963 V Sabbatai’s banishment to Dulcigno. The messianic revival in the years 1674-75 in Amster dam and North Africa 973 VI Sabbatai’s last years. His “Mystery of the Godhead” and the tract The Mystery of the Faith 992 VII The deaths of Sabbatai and of the prophet Nathan 1007 BIBLIOGRAPHY 1024 INDEX 1050 Gershom Scholem stands out among modern thinkers for the richness and power of his historical imagination. A work widely esteemed as his magnum opus, Sabbatai Ṣevi offers a vividly detailed account of the only messianic movement ever to engulf the entire Jewish world. Sabbatai Ṣevi was an obscure kabbalist rabbi of seventeenth-century Turkey who aroused a fervent following that spread over the Jewish world after he declared himself to be the Messiah. The movement suffered a severe blow when Ṣevi was forced to convert to Islam, but a clandestine sect survived. A monumental and revisionary work of Jewish historiography, Sabbatai Ṣevi details Ṣevi's rise to prominence and stands out for its combination of philological and empirical authority and passion. This edition contains a new introduction by Yaacob Dweck that explains the scholarly importance of Scholem's work to a new generation of readers. A SURVEY of Jewish history during the period immediately preceding the outbreak of Sabbatian messianism would unduly surpass the limits of the present study.