The Jewish messiahs : from the Galilee to Crown Heights / Harris Lenowitz.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 277-285) and indexes.

Print version record.

In this book, Harris Lenowitz explores the fascinating history of Jewish messianic movements. Looking in detail at all of the Jewish messiahs about whom anything is known, he introduces each of these figures in turn, and offers extensive excerpts of the original texts that tell their stories. The messiahs whom we meet in these pages range from the inspiring to the tragic and bizarre. By examining the messianic idea in the tradition which gave birth to it, Lenowitz both sheds new light on this engrossing aspect of Jewish history and provides a firmer basis for understanding contemporary messianic groups.

Introduction: the ritual and the accounts -- The Israelite Messiahs: Jesus of Nazareth and Shim'on bar Kosiba and Their forerunners -- The Persian messiahs: Abu Isa, Yudghan, Mushka, and Serenus of Syria -- The messiah of Amadia: David Alroy -- The messiahs of the inquisition: David Reubeni and Shlomo Molkho -- The messiahs of Safed: Isaac Luria and Hayim Vital -- The messiah of Izmir: Shabtai Zvi -- The Polish messiahs: Yakov Frank and His Daughter Ewa -- The Tzaddik of Hasidism -- The Yemenite messiahs: reprise -- Conclusion: the characterization of abandonment.

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