The Sabbatean Prophets

6 Prologue
messiah. As Nathan of Gaza explains, it was Shabbatai’s willpower in his
fierce battle with the sexual demons, and the intense suffering he underwent
during these trials, that made him worthy of the messianic role.
Whether or not this is connected with the highly sexual kabbalistic symbolism
of Shabbatai’s conversion to Islam, as it has been described in recent
research, is unclear. That aspect of Shabbatai’s “crowning” with the white
turban of Islam is given by Nathan of Gaza and other Sabbatean theologians,
but some of it may have originated with Shabbatai, who is described in a recent
paper as the embodiment of “the divine androgyne in his being.” 17
The background of Shabbatai’s personality may tell us something of his
own preparation for the messianic calling. However, it is only through the
lens of the historical perspective of the period that we can really begin to see
why a person with Shabbatai’s odd combination of mystical genius and personality
disorders would consider placing himself in the role of messiah.
Even more significant, that perspective can help us understand why most of
the Jewish world was prepared to believe in him.
The success of Shabbatai as a messianic figure was partly the result of a coincidence
of charismatic personalities, favorable local circumstances, accommodating
mentalities, and expeditious political conditions. The breadth and
speed of the spread of belief in his mission throughout the entire Jewish
world, and its phenomenal success in diverse Jewish communities, suggest
some common assumptions that prepared the ground for this new movement.
18 The reigning theory for the last generation has been that the mystical
system of Rabbi Isaac Luria (d. 1572), with its emphasis on ideas of exile
and redemption, was the single central factor that brought Jews from all
backgrounds into the faith. According to this view, by using the imagery
and theology of Luria’s thought, Nathan and other Sabbatean ideologues
were able to convince the Jewish world that Shabbatai was the destined redeemer.
19 This theory was sharply challenged in recent debates. One argument
points to the likelihood that most Jews did not know or care much
about kabbalistic ideas. 20 Furthermore, it appears that the vast majority of
believers in Shabbatai adopted the faith without even being exposed to
Sabbatean theology—the writings of Nathan took much longer to circulate
than the first spectacular news of Nathan’s prophecy. 21 New approaches are
thus necessary to make sense of the movement’s broad appeal.
Ultimately, the most important factor in the spread of this and all Jewish
messianic movements was always the deep belief of traditional Jews everywhere
in a coming messiah. But the acceptance of Shabbatai Zvi as the