Sabatay Sevi went down in history as a figure who attracted the most attention in Turkey and around whom countless legends emerged. Sevi, who declared himself the messiah in the second half of the 17th century, created great excitement among Jews all over the world, but the Ottoman administration remained indifferent to his statements and initiated inquiries.
In this process, he managed to save his head by becoming a Muslim to save his life. Sabatay ZeviHe took the name Mehmed and directed some of his followers to Islam. Thus, people who appear to be Muslims on the outside but are secretly Judaism keeping faith “rotation” A community called Emergence emerged. Many legends and conspiracy theories have developed about this community in our country, and even claims that documents related to Sabatay Zevi in the Ottoman archives were deliberately destroyed have been brought to the fore.
Sabatay Sevi killed tens of thousands of people Christ He started by convincing himself that he was “Sabatayism” movement continued its influence until the beginning of the 19th century. However, his life was spent constantly changing places; It has become a tragic story full of torture, exile and imprisonment.
Sabatay Zevi: Jewish Cleric and Sect Leader
Sabbatai Zevi, As a historical figure, he is a Jewish cleric and sect leader. In the Ottoman lands in the 17th century, He was born in Izmir Agora.. When he was only 22 years old, he Christ declared as. Sabbatai Zevi believed that he would eliminate the evil in the world and take all Jews to holy Israel and rebuild a temple there. These claims caused a great divide within the Jewish community, and he managed to acquire thousands of followers on every continent.
After being brought to court, he was forced to become a Muslim to save himself. This process caused many of his believers to leave him. However, a small group followed him and chose the path of Islam. Although these people appear to be Muslims or Christians on the outside, they are secretly Kabbala Jewish faith They became part of an accepting community. This community is known among the public as Sabatayism and its believers “Amirah” gave his name.
Throughout history, the Jewish community believed that a Messiah would come and save them from their long-lasting socio-political suffering. Interest in mysticism was increasing among Jews living under difficult conditions. Kabbalah, one of the main sources of Jewish mysticism, focused on studies aimed at discovering the deep meanings behind the invisible truth. Kabbalists were trying to reveal this hidden truth with various numbers and mathematical operations in the sacred texts.
Among the hidden truths were who the savior Messiah would be and when he would come. In this context, the belief that a Messiah would definitely come was quite common during the millennium period (around 1000). There was also the idea that the number 666 was considered the year or number of the devil in the Kabbalah belief (Revelation 13:18, Fear of six hundred and sixty-six). Based on these two beliefs, a widespread belief emerged that the year 1666 was of “vital importance”.
Sabatay Sevi’s Early Years
Sabatay Sevi’s family, originally moraHe was living in . He immigrated to Izmir, which rose and gained value as a port city in the 17th century, and was born here in 1626. Sabatay, who received a superior religious education during his youth, mastered all the subtleties of Judaism by the age of 18 and became a mystical figure, creating a mass of followers around him.
Sevi, who declared himself the expected messiah of the Jews in 1648, spread the belief that a real messiah would come among the Jewish community at that time. However, the clergy in Izmir rejected his messianic claims and accused him of abusing his religious beliefs.
Spread of Messiah Claims
Although Sabatay Zevi did not accept the messianic claims of the clergy around him and his mentors during his youth, he managed to attract many people among the public. from Izmir Thessaloniki and Sevi, who traveled to Istanbul, won new believers everywhere he went, despite his opponents.
When he came to Istanbul in 1650, an interesting event took place there; Sabatay attracted the attention of the crowd around him by dressing a big fish in a baby dress in the market place. This led some to question his sanity.
Strengthening Claims and New Territories
By the 1660s, Sabatay Sevi Palestineand headed towards Tripoli, Beirut, Egypt And CairoHe traveled to. Here he continued his efforts to spread his messiahship, and in 1663 he met a scholar named Nathan of Gaza and received his approval. from Gaza Nathan’s SabatayDeclaring him as the messiah enabled his follower base to grow even further.
JerusalemAlthough he moved to , he was not accepted by the clergy there; However, Sabatay had now managed to gather a large crowd of followers. When he returned from Jerusalem to Aleppo and then back to Izmir, he became known as the messiah of the Jewish world.
Ottoman Intervention and Arrest Process
The Ottoman Empire did not intervene in Sabatay Zevi’s activities until 1665, because it considered the situation a religious issue among the Jews. However, that year, Sabatay distributed land to those he wanted in the Ottoman lands and declared them governors, which led the state to intervene in the situation. Upon the complaint of the Izmir judge, an arrest warrant was issued from the grand vizier.
A Jew who came to the Marmara Sea from Izmir made some empty words. Upon this occasion, a man was sent with instructions to bring the Jew in question wherever he found him.
Sabatay, who was traveling to Istanbul at that time, said that he went to dethrone the sultan to prove to those around him that he was the messiah. However, he was caught on the road and thrown into prison. A few days later, the grand vizier Fazıl Ahmet PashaHe was brought before. Learning that Sabbatai was arrested, the Jews flocked to the capital to see their master. In this chaos, it was decided to exile Sabatay to an island in Gallipoli.
Decision to Become a Muslim in Exile
Sabatay was not left alone by his disciples during his exile days. People from all over the world were flocking to Gallipoli to see the messiah Shabbetai. However, when he caused trouble there, he was taken to the palace in Edirne to be tried. Here to prove that you are the messiah “If you are truly the messiah, no arrow will touch you.” It was said.
Realizing that he was cornered, Sabatay declared that his messianic claims were unfounded and that they were a tale made up by those around him. State officials did not take these statements seriously and as a last resort declared the testimony. accepted Islam.
Zevi’s Conversion to Islam and Its Effects on the Jewish World
Sabatay Zevi’s acceptance of IslamIt caused a deep shock to the entire Jewish community. The Chief Rabbinate welcomed this situation and declared Zevi an apostate. While a large number of people accepted that he was not the Messiah and returned to the Orthodox Jewish faith, approximately two hundred families followed in his footsteps by embracing Islam. After this date “Rotation” They began to be called.
This community considers Zevi’s conversion to Islam as a result of great wisdom and argues that it is a necessity for his messiahship. Natan of Gaza describes this situation as “strange deeds” (ma’asim zarim) that the rescuer must perform. Sevi’s Polish wife Sara and her brother Yakup Kerido also converted to Islam and took the names Sara Fatma and Yakup.
After this incident, Sevi gave the good news to his fans that a dark period had begun and bright days would follow. Stating that darkness is a condition for bright days to come, Sevi said that Sabatayists “Bright Days” He emphasized that they would maintain their secrecy until his arrival. After converting his religion, Sevi became the one who abandoned him. Jewish He began to feel anger towards the masses and accused them of “not understanding him”.
Sabatay, who spent seven years in the Edirne Palace, eventually became Sultan IV. He managed to gain Mehmet’s appreciation. In this way, he had the opportunity to go to Istanbul and Thessaloniki from time to time. He also attended a Bektashi lodge near Edirne for a while. This lodge, which was found to be “suspicious” and closed in 1641-1642, IV. It was reopened by Mehmet. Jewish sources indicate that Zevi was influenced by Sufism and Bektashism and that he followed these teachings. Kabbalist He states that he shaped his own teaching by blending it with philosophy.
His death and ‘Sabatay Sevi, we are waiting for you!’ The Tradition of Shouting
Sabatay Sevi, who accepted Islam in front of the dignitaries on September 16, 1666, took the name Mehmet and was promoted to the rank of chief doorman in the palace with the title of Aziz Mehmet Efendi. After serving in this position for seven years, he was exiled to Ülgün, Albania, in 1672, when it was understood that he was turning to his old activities again.
After living in exile here for five years, he passed away in solitude and mystery on September 30, 1675 (according to some sources, September 17, 1676). According to Avram Galante, a river flowing through the city was built by Muslims in Berat. He was buried in an area by the river, the location of which is not yet known..
Sabbatai Zevi’s 200 followers who accepted Islam settled in Thessaloniki and although they appeared to be Muslims from the outside, they actually continued to practice Sabbatai Jewish beliefs. These believers do not believe in the death of their messiah; They continue to believe that he ascended to heaven and will return one day. Sabatay followers, who still maintain their beliefs today, come to the sea and river shores at certain times and “Sabatay Sevi, we are waiting for you!” They keep the tradition of shouting:
Sabatay Sevi’s Marriages
Sabatay Sevi was married two or three times by his family at a young age. However, Sevi avoided having sexual intercourse with his wives. His family interpreted this situation as him not liking his first wife, so they divorced him and then married him for the second time. However, the same situation continued in his second marriage.
Sara, an orphan who escaped from the Russian massacres in Poland, told her circle that she dreamed of marrying a savior (Messiah) in the future. Learning about this situation, Sevi invited Sara to Cairo and married her. This was Zevi’s fourth marriage. Sara’s beauty and charm brought many followers to her new sect. After her religious change, Sara began to be known as Fatma Hanımefendi.
According to rumors, it is stated that after he became a Muslim, Zevi was allocated another harem wife besides Sara. Sabatay Sevi’s last wife is Ayşe Hatun from Thessaloniki.
Followers of Sabbatai Zevi and the Ataturk Connection
After Sabatay Zevi accepted Islam, most of the Jews who believed in him gave up their beliefs. However, approximately 200 families evaluated Sabbatai’s acceptance of Islam as an action he had to take to guarantee his own messiahship. These families became known as “Dönme” or “Avdeti”.
These families, who initially settled in Thessaloniki, are now claimed by some people to be connected with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s grandfathers. However, in the family tree at the Ottoman Archives Department, Atatürk’s grandfathers have no relation with the Avdetis. On the contrary, Ataturk’s grandfathers lived in Thessaloniki before the Sabbateans, and these 200 families later settled in Istanbul. Today, Bülbül Creek Cemetery in Üsküdar, Istanbul, hosts the majority of these families.
To join our WhatsApp group CLICK!
