Sabetayist Ermişler

by Matt Goldish, Levent Göktem (Çevirmen), Haluk Hepkon (Editör)

Sabetay Sevi (1626 - 1676)

On yedinci yüzyılda, İzmirli haham Sabetay Sevi'nin beklenen Mesih olduğunu iddia etmesiyle birlikte dinler tarihinin en ilginç serüvenlerinden birisi başlamış oldu. Kısa sürede hızla büyüyen bu Mesihlik hareketi ve hareket içerisinde patlayan kehanet dalgası, halk arasında Sabetay Sevi'nin mucizeleri şeklinde yorumlanacaktı. Ohio State Üniversitesi'nde tarih profesörü olan Matt Goldish, Sabetayist Ermişler isimli kitabında Sabetay Sevi'nin etrafında şekillenen hareketi yalnızca Yahudi mistisizmi ve Lurianik Kabala çerçevesinde ele almıyor. Meseleye tarihsel ve sosyal açıdan yaklaşan Goldish, Sabetay Sevi'nin Hıristiyanlıkla ve İslami sufi hareketlerle ilişkisini inceliyor. Goldish ayrıca Sabetay Sevi'nin fikirlerinin Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon ve Baruch Spinoza gibi düşünürleri ve Gül-Haç'lar gibi cemiyetleri nasıl etkilediğine de değiniyor. Kırmızı Kedi Yayınevi'nin Dinler Tarihi dizisinin ilk kitabı Sabetayist Ermişler, hurafelere değil tarihsel gerçeklere odaklanıyor; Sabetay Sevi ve onun etrafında şekillenen bu ilginç dini hareket hakkında nesnel veriler sunuyor.

Genres: History, Judaism, Jewish

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2004

Reviews

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad to have found Professor Goldish's book. I was just a few pages into G.Scholem's canonical work on Shabbetai Tzvi when I was like, no, come on, there's no way that something as esoteric as Lurianic Kabbalah was the impetus for thousands of people from all walks of life to literally start selling their houses and heading for the ports because they were convinced that a minor rabbi they'd never heard of before was imminently going to lead them to deliverance in the Holy Land. There had to be something else driving that widespread belief. Professor Goldish's takes a deep look at the phenomenon of prophecy in the movement -- not limited to just Shabbetai Tzvi's own prophecy, or his lieutenants'; but also the prophecy activities within the communities where his following grew, set within the larger context of contemporary European and Ottoman prophecy streams -- and provides an explanation for the movement that is both plausible and sympathetic.

[Juan Marcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sabbatean Prophets was an excellent study into the background and setting of the Sabbatean movement. Goldish covers the various millenarian movements in Judaism, Christianity, and even Islam as well as some of the political events that help explain how so many Jews could support Sabbatai Zevi's claim. Anyone interested in this episode of Jewish history should definitely read this book. I was also fascinated by Zevi's wife who appears to have been an "Ashkenazic Conversa" for a lack of a better term.

[Jose Papo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book that focus on the historical development and social context of the sabbatean jewish messianic movement inside the 17th century. So it relates the movement to christian milleniarism (catholic and protestant) and also muslim extatic movements like the Sufis. A very interesting book that focus more on the messianic and prophetic aspects and less on the kabalistic theology behind it (done superbly by Gershom Scholem)