The false prophets and the mysterious intrigues - 1

Bustling Messianic atmosphere that was created around half of the seventeenth century and linked to “Puritanical revolution” in Britain and associated with an expansive wave of human power transferring to America continent, of course, it needed that the “Christ” had to emerge like the story of “David Ruben” in a century ago. So it was that Shabbetai Zevi emerged in 1665.
“Shabbetai Zevi” (1626-1676) emerged in the Western ports of Ottoman. The first, he claimed that he is Christ, but later in Ottoman prison, he professed to be God. Just later, he converted to Islam. Shabbetai’s followers were Jews who prospered his agora. By virtue of Shabbetai’s conversion to Islam, his Jewish followers became “Muslim” and similar to “Christian Marranos”, they established a cult of “Crypto-Jews” in the Muslim world that is called “Dönmeh”.
Development of Shabbetai Zevi’s story and his claim and combination of his followers were the prototypes of emergence of three false famous “prophets” for the past two centuries: Jacob Frank in Eastern Europe, Nemud in India and Ali Muhammad Báb in Iran.
The “emergence” of Shabbetai Zevi was contemporaneous with the period of Sultan Mehmet IV (1648-1687) in Ottoman Empire, the late reign of Safavid Shah Abbas II (1642-1666) and the early reign of Shah Safi II (1666-1694) in Iran. Shabbetai Zevi was supported by an impostor prophet named “Nathan of Gaza” and in fact both struggles caused the same scenario.
“Mordechai Zevi”, the father of Shabbetai Zevi, was one of Jewish immigrants from southern Europe that inhabited in the Port of Izmir. He was a broker and mediator of some Dutch and English traders; furthermore, he and his sons, Elia and Joseph, were wealthy merchants of Izmir. Shabbetai was educated by Joseph Ben Saul Escapa (1570-1662), the great Rabbi of Izmir Port; and when he was at the age of 18, he became rabbi. Joseph Escapa belonged to a family of Jewish immigrants from Castile. It is said that when Shabbetai was a teenager, he read Zohar book and other treatises of Cabala and he was attracted to this cult. In the years of 1651 to 1654, he traveled and he resided in Salonika and Constantinople (Istanbul) for a short time. In 1664, he married with a harlot Jewish woman in Cairo. This was the third marriage of Shabbetai Zevi. At this time, the messianic claims of Shabbetai Zevi got started. Geoffrey Wigoder, the Jewish historian, writes Sarah, the wife of Shabbetai, was from a family of Marranos living in Poland. She moved to Amsterdam and as she so beautiful, she turned to prostitution and then she went to Cairo. Sarah had touted that she only marry “Christ” and therefore, Shabbetai called her “Bride of Christ” in her wedding ceremony. Following the marriage tradition of Hosea, “Jewish Prophet”, who married with a prostitute named Gomer that was daughter of Diblaim.
The real name of “Nathan of Gaza” (1643-1680) is Abraham Nathan Levi. His father, Elisha Hayyim Ben Jacob Levi, known as Ashkenazi, as his name indicates, he belongs to the prominent family of Levi. He immigrated from Poland or Germany to Ottoman lands and he settled in Jerusalem. Elisha was a notable rabbi with cabbalism trends and he was considered as the Chief of Ashkenazi Jews living in Jerusalem.
In 1650, Elisha Levy and Solomon Navarro traveled to the North of Africa as the representatives of Palestine’s Jews. Solomon Navarro belonged to the plutocratic family of Navarro in Portugal and he was one of the relatives of Abraham Navarro, who was the ambassador of British East India Company at the court of Aurangzeb. Solomon Navarro was one of Cabala cult leaders of that time. When these two people returned from the trip Fez, they inhabited in Venice and other Italian Ports for a short while and they have also published some treatises of Cabbalism, including the treatise of Joseph Caro (in 1654) and the marginalia of Abraham Galante on Zohar Book (in 1655) in Venice.
Joseph ben Ephraim Caro (1488-1575) belonged to Toledo Jews and he, for the first, immigrated to Portugal and then to Ottoman. Caro is a founder of the cores of Cabbalism sects in Ottoman and Egypt and he is considered as one of the most important thinkers of Cabbalism in the second half of the sixteenth century. Solomon Molcho was associated with Joseph Caro on his mission in Ottoman Empire. Moreover, Abraham Ben Mordechai Galante and his old brother and mentor, Moses, were also the thinkers and leaders of Cabala sects in the first half of the seventeenth century.
Solomon Navarro converted to “Christianity” at the time of settling in Venice and Ashkenazi Elisha went to Germany and Poland. Then he returned to Palestine throughout Egypt. Elisha had many frequent trips to Istanbul, Balkans, Budapest, Vienna and Fez (Morocco) as the representative of Jews settled in Palestine until the end of his life (1673); and also he promoted the “prophecy” of his son, Nathan and Shabbetai Zevi and turned to propagation the mystical ideas of Cabala. He was regarded as a respected man by Jewish leaders of Egypt and North of Africa. Eventually, Elisha died in his last trip to Morocco.
Abraham Nathan ben Elisha Levy was born in such a family in Jerusalem. In 1663, he married with the daughter of a wealthy Jewish merchant residing in Gaza, Samuel Lissabonna, and they settled in this Port. As this time, he studied Cabbalism treatises, and he became disciple of Isaac Luria’s Sufism and turned to mysterious rituals and practices. Later, he claimed that when he was in “Apocalypse”, he heard the herald of God in which he enunciated Shabbetai Zevi to be Messiah Ben David and Nathan to be his prophet; besides he shall have the same relationship with Shabbetai as like as “Prophet Nathan” had with David and Solomon, the Jewish kings. In this time, Abraham Levy probably called himself “Nathan” in order to be alike as “Prophet Nathan” within any looks. Jacob Najara, the great rabbi of the Jews of Gaza, confirmed Nathan’s claim and converted to his devotee and even he promoted his “Prophecy”.
Jacob Najara belonged to a Jewish immigrant family from Spain. In the late fifteenth century, Levi Najara moved to Istanbul and founded a branch of the family in Ottoman. His son, named Moses Najara (1508-1581), inhabited in Damascus and became the rabbi of city’s Jews. He is a Cabala leader, a student of Isaac Luria and the author of several treatises in Cabbalism. Descendants of Moses ben Levi Najara were rabbis of Damascus and Palestine and they regarded as the promoters and leaders of Cabbalism in this region. One of them named “Israel Najara” (1555-1625) is a celebrated Jewish poet. Israel Najara became the rabbi of Gaza; and then later his son, Moses, was appointed to the position. As well as, Jacob Najara is son of Moses Najara.
By spreading the story of “Prophecy” of Nathan of Gaza, regional Jews of Palestine, Syria and Egypt move to Gaza to visit him. Thus, they raised Nathan to degree of “saint” and the regional Jews awarded him the “Holy Light” epithet; this is the title of Simon Ben Yochai, a rabbi of the second century AD, in the book of Zohar.
At this time, Shabbetai Zevi lived with his new wife, Sarah, in Cairo. He heard the story of “Nathan’s Apocalypse” and went to Gaza to meet him in April 1665. We do not know what the story was. The official narration in the Jewish Encyclopedia indicates that Nathan convinced him that he is admittedly Messiah Ben David and the king of Israel. However, as we have discussed, Shabbetai had been expressed such these claims before, but perhaps he averred to be beneath in dignity not as degree of “Messiah Ben David”. According to the author, the story was a pre-designed scenario, and there was a liaison between Shabbetai and Nathan and other directors of this drama before; and its clue was in Amsterdam. However, after Shabbetai was convicted, on May 31, 1665, Nathan of Gaza announced emergence of Messiah Ben David, the King and “savior of Israel” during a ceremony in Gaza and furthermore he cited the frequent and abundant prophecies of Jewish rabbis and Cabbalism treatises in his speech. At this ceremony, the Jews of Gaza, headed by Rabbi Jacob Najara, all conjoined Shabbetai. Therefor Shabbetai Zevi, who was in place of Israel’s King, appointed Jacob Najara as the “Great Priest” as like as the Priest Sadducee of David and Solomon. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, this appointment was accomplished despite Jews’ tradition because Najara did not belong to Kohen families. Nathan of Gaza was also placed as “The Prophet” of Israel’s King as similar as “Prophet Nathan”.
Then, Shabbetai returned to Izmir and also the city's Jews gathered around him. In Izmir too, he touted his “appearance” and he even reiterated the predictions of Nathan of Gaza about his future. He acclaimed that he is "The Savior of Israel” and he would soon revolt against the throne of “Turkey’s Sultan” in order to wield power. Hence, Shabbetai’s followers, who comprised the majority of Jews in Izmir, intoned his cognomen in their prayers as: “Bless the reign of our lord and king, Shabbetai”.