SABBATAI SEBI (1626-1676), Jewish mystic, who claimed to be the Messiah, was born in Smyrna, of Spanish descent. As a lad he was attracted by the mysticism of Luria (q.v.), which impelled him to adopt the ascetic life. He passed his days and nights in a condition of ecstasy. He began to dream of the ful filment of Messianic hopes, being supported in his vision by the outbreak of English Millenarianism. Christian visionaries fixed the year 1666 for the millennium. Sabbatai's father (Mordecai) was the Smyrna agent for an English house, and often heard of the expectations of the English Fifth Monarchy men. In 1648 (the year which Kabbalists had calculated as the year of salvation) Sabbatai proclaimed himself Messiah, and in Constantinople came across a man, who pretended that he had been warned by a prophetic voice that Sabbatai was indeed the long-awaited Re deemer. At first his adherents were a small circle of devotees who kept their faith a secret. He charmed men by his sweet singing of Psalms, and children were always fascinated by him. He journeyed to Jerusalem, where a local pasha was opposing the Jews, and Sabbatai secured help for them from Cairo. At Cairo Sabbatai married, and secured the support of Raphael Halebi. With a retinue of believers, a charming wife and considerable funds, Sabbatai returned in triumph to the Holy Land. Nathan of Gaza assumed the role of Elijah, the Messiah's forerunner, pro claimed the coming restoration of Israel and the salvation of the world through the bloodless victory of Sabbatai "riding on a lion with a seven-headed dragon in his jaws" (Graetz). Again 1666
was given as the apocalyptic year.
Threatened with excommunication by the Rabbis of Jerusalem, Sabbatai returned to Smyrna (autumn of 1665). Here he was received with wild enthusiasm. From the Levant the Sabbataean movement spread to Venice, Amsterdam, Hamburg and London. Sabbatai no longer doubted the reality of his mission. Day by day he was hailed from all the world as king of the Jews. At the beginning of the fateful year 1666 Sabbatai went (or was sum moned) to Constantinople. Here he was arrested, but reports of miracles continued, and many of the Turks were inclined to be come converts. Soon he was transferred to Abydos. In September Sabbatai was brought before the Sultan, and he had not the courage to refuse to accept Islam. The Messianic imposture ended in the apostacy of Sabbatai. In 1676 he died in obscurity in Albania. A sect of Sabbataeans—the Dormeh of Salonica survived him and for many years the controversy for and against his claims left an echo in Jewish life.
See Graetz, History of the Jews, vol. v. ch. iv. 1. Zangwill has a brilliant sketch of Sabbatai's career in his Dreamers of the Ghetto.