The Sabbatean Prophets

CHAPTER 2
Messianism and Prophecy
in the Jewish Tradition
I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the messiah, and though
he may be delayed I will nevertheless expect him with the coming of
each new day.
Maimonides, Thirteen Principles of Faith, #12
Judaism has a long history of important prophetic and messianic
movements, some of which have had an extensive influence. Nothing
but some ancient writings, a line in Josephus, or a disparaging mention in
the New Testament remains of the numerous messiahs in the late Second
Temple period, with the exception of Jesus of Nazareth, a first-century resident
of the West Bank who established the most successful Jewish messianic
movement ever. A generation after the destruction of the Temple by the
Romans in 70 c.e., another important Jewish messiah arose, in the person of
Simon Bar-Kosiba (Bar-Kokhba), who led an unsuccessful rebellion in 132–
135 c.e. It is noteworthy that Rabbi Akiba, who counts among the heroes of
the Talmud, believed Bar-Kosiba to be the true messiah. Other important
Jewish messianic figures included Moses of Crete in the fifth century, Abu-
Isa of Isfahan in the eighth, the Kurd David Alroy in the twelfth, and the
Spanish kabbalist Abraham Abulafia in the thirteenth century. 1 These aspirants
were almost always considered prophets as well, and a separate prophetic
messianic literature waxed and waned in the Jewish world throughout
the Middle Ages. 2 A scholarly debate continues over whether Jews in
the East, especially the Spanish Jews (Sepharadim), were more susceptible
to such movements than their Western and Ashkenazi (German and Polish)
coreligionists. 3 This background is important in understanding the self-image
and self-fashioning of the Sabbateans.
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