ABSTRACT
By the beginning of the seventeenth century, Lurianic mysticism had made a major impact on Sephardic Jewry, and messianic expectations had also become a central feature of Jewish life. In this milieu the arrival of a self-proclaimed messianic king, Shabbatai Zevi brought about a transformation of Jewish life and thought. Born in Smyrna into a wealthy family, Shabbatai had received a traditional Jewish education and later engaged in study of the Zohar. After a brief sojourn in Jerusalem, Shabbatai went to Smyrna where he encountered strong opposition on the part of some local rabbis. In the eighteenth century the most important Shabbatean sect was led by Jacob Frank who was influenced by the Doenmeh in Turkey. Believing himself to be the incarnation of Shabbatai, Frank announced that he was the second person of the Trinity and gathered together a circle of disciples who indulged in licentious orgies.
