Sabbatai Tsevi

1626 CE – 1676 CE · Smyrna/Ottoman landssabbatean-frankist

Description

Sabbatai Zevi or Shabtai Tzvi was a former Jewish mystic and rabbi from Smyrna who converted to Islam. His family were Romaniote Jews from Patras.

Born	(1626-08-01)August 1, 1626, Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (modern İzmir, Turkey)
Died	c. September 17, 1676(1676-09-17) (aged 50), Ulcinj, Ottoman Empire (modern Montenegro)
Religion	Judaism, later Islam
Founder of	Sabbateanism

Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.

Topic	Summary
Early life and education	Sabbatai Zevi was born in the Ottoman city of Smyrna, allegedly on Tisha B'Av, one of Judaism's fast days, during The Three Weeks in 1626.
Personal history	During the first half of the 17th century, millenarian ideas about the approach of the Messianic Age were popular.
Legacy	By the 19th century, the Dönme had become prominent in the tobacco and textile trades.

Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Sabbatai Tsevi, with sources.

Prophecy / vision	Source
Declares himself Messiah, 12 December 1665; the nations are told to submit	Nathan of Gaza, 1665
Prophecy of his universal kingship — overturned by his apostasy	Sabbatean sources