Sabbatean

Sabbatean is an adjective and noun referring to the followers of Shabbatai Zevi and to the broader messianic movement known as Sabbateanism that emerged among Jewish communities in the 17th century. The phenomenon drew on Kabbalistic ideas and a belief in a forthcoming redemption, combining mysticism with messianic expectations.

Origins and rise: Shabbatai Zevi, a Sephardic rabbi from Smyrna (present-day Izmir, Turkey), proclaimed himself the Jewish Messiah in the mid-1640s. His claim gained rapid support, especially after the widespread public endorsement of the mystic Nathan of Gaza, who proclaimed prophetic credentials for Zevi. By the mid-1660s a large segment of world Jewry in the Ottoman Empire, Europe, and Persia had been drawn into the movement.

Conversion and aftershocks: In 1666 Zevi converted to Islam under Ottoman pressure, an act that destabilized the movement. A substantial portion of his followers interpreted the conversion in various ways, ranging from disbelief to a belief in a hidden or ongoing redemption. Some Sabbateans continued to practice in secret, giving rise to crypto-Judaism in different regions and influencing later mystico-religious currents.

Legacy and scholarship: Sabbatean ideas persisted beyond Zevi’s death, contributing to later movements such as Frankism in the 18th century. The episode is a central subject in the study of Jewish messianism, mysticism, and the phenomenon of crypto-religiosity in early modern Europe and the Ottoman world. Scholars continue to debate the extent of belief, the social drivers of the movement, and its long-term impact on Jewish thought and communal life.