ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a well-documented case, which displays the intersection of the frustrated faith of the believers with the psychopathology of the religious cult leader, and discusses the rise of Sabbatianism. Unlike the apocalyptic scenario of Christian belief, Jewish Messianism had no foundational text, no consensual scenario, no consistent or authoritative set of beliefs that might embrace the Messianic expectations. The various Messiahs that emerged during the course of Jewish history drew from various aspects of these competing views and emphases to substantiate their claims. The widespread appeal and the profound impact of Sabbatianism could hardly rest on the bizarre and even provocative antics of Sabbatai alone. In the case of Sabbatianism, the Messianic teachings, held widely and firmly as matters of common belief, provided the matrix within which the movement came to life and the nourishing substratum that fed and sustained it throughout its course.
