In Judaism, “messiah” originally meant a divinely appointed king, such as David, Cyrus the Great[1] or Alexander the Great.[2] Later, especially after the failure of the Hasmonean Kingdom (37 BC) and the Jewish–Roman wars (AD 66-135), the figure of the Jewish Messiah was one who would deliver the Jews from oppression and usher in an Olam Haba (“world to come“) or Messianic Age.
- Cyrus the Great. King of Persia liberated the Jews from exile, allowing the return to Jerusalem and the building of the Second Temple. Cyrus was and is called the messiah for this act. Large parts of the bible, including parts of the Pentateuch (books of Moses), appear to have been re-written by priests acting under the emperors’ orders that all client states conform to Persian law.
- Simon of Peraea (c. Unknown – 4 BCE), a former slave of Herod the Great who rebelled and was killed by the Romans.[3]
- Jesus of Nazareth (c. 5 BCE – 30 CE), leader of a small Jewish sect who was crucified by the Romans at the instigation of Jewish leaders. His small following of Jews was overthrown by gentiles under the leadership of Paul who founded the modern Christian religion as something consistent with Greco Roman worship of anthropomorphic dimities, especially Dionysius and Astarte.
- Athronges (c. 3 CE),[8] a shepherd turned rebel leader.
- Menahem ben Judah (?), allegedly son of Judas of Galilee, partook in a revolt against Agrippa II before being slain by a rival Zealot leader.
- Saul of Tarsus (aka Paul) recast Jesus (above) asa Geek deity, creating the novel idea that a Jewish king could be Greek god.
- Simon Magus (early 1st century), The Samaritans were descendents of the Jews who did not leave for Babylon after the conquest by Nebuchadnezzer. They claimed that they were the true recipients of Moses’ tradition .. including having a holy mountain on which they built a temple. The Samaritans were repessed when the Jews under Cyrus returned from Babylin. was a Samaritan, and a native of Gitta; he was considered a god in Simonianism; he “darkly hinted” that he himself was Christ, calling himself the Standing One.
- Dositheos the Samaritan (mid 1st century), was one of the supposed founders of Mandaeanism. After the time of Jesus he wished to persuade the Samaritans that he himself was the Messiah prophesied by Moses.[14] Dositheus pretended to be the Christ (Messiah), applying Deuteronomy 18:15 to himself, and he compares him with Theudas and Judas the Galilean.[14][15]
- Simon bar Kokhba (died c. 135), founded a short-lived Jewish state before being defeated in the Second Jewish-Roman War.
- Moses of Crete (?), who in about 440–470 persuaded the Jews of Crete to walk into the sea, as Moses had done, to return to Israel. The results were disastrous and he soon disappeared.
- Ishak ben Ya’kub Obadiah Abu ‘Isa al-Isfahani (684–705), who led a revolt in Persia against the Umayyad Caliph ‘Abdal-MalikibnMarwan.
- Serene (?), who around 720 claimed to be the Messiah and advocated expulsion of Muslims and relaxing various rabbinic laws before being arrested; he then recanted.
- David Alroy (?), born in Kurdistan, who around 1160 agitated against the caliph before being assassinated.
- Nissim ben Abraham (?), active around 1295.[9]
- Moses Botarel of Cisneros (?), active around 1413; claimed to be a sorcerer able to combine the names of God.
- Asher Lämmlein (?), a German near Venice who proclaimed himself a forerunner of the Messiah in 1502.
- David Reubeni (1490–1541?) and Solomon Molcho (1500–1532), messianic adventurers who travelled in Portugal, Italy and Turkey; Molcho, who was a baptised Catholic, was tried by the Inquisition, convicted of apostasy and burned at the stake.
- A mostly unknown Czech Jew from around the 1650s.[11]
- Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676), an Ottoman Jew who claimed to be the Messiah, but then converted to Islam; still has followers today in the Donmeh.
- Barukhia Russo (Osman Baba), successor of Sabbatai Zevi.
- Jacob Querido (?–1690), claimed to be the new incarnation of Sabbatai; later converted to Islam and led the Donmeh.
- Miguel Cardoso (1630–1706), another successor of Sabbatai who claimed to be the “Messiah ben Ephraim.”
- Mordecai Mokia (1650–1729), “the Rebuker,” another person who proclaimed himself Messiah after Sabbatai’s death.
- Löbele Prossnitz (?–1750), attained some following amongst former followers of Sabbatai, calling himself the “Messiah ben Joseph.”
- Jacob Joseph Frank (1726–1791), who claimed to be the reincarnation of King David and preached a synthesis of Christianity and Judaism.
- Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994), the seventh Chabad Rabbi who tried to “prepare the way” for the Messiah. An unidentifiable number of his followers believe him to be the Messiah, though he himself never said this and actually scoffed at such claims which were made during his lifetime.[12][13]
- Benyamin Netanyahu (…..)
What has to do Bibi, a long terms surviving PM and leader of the largest Israeli political party and this list?
His obsession with Iran? We all in Israel think the same, we have only different views how to solve the problem.
His long terms in power? He is a stupid and a bad leader, but his concurrents are worse.”in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.”
What has to do Bibi, a long terms surviving PM, the leader of the largest Israeli political party and this list?
His obsession with Iran? We all in Israel think the same, we have only different views how to solve the problem.
His long terms in power? He is a stupid and a bad leader, but his concurrents are worse.”in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.”
The people in this list were also seen as leaders until their actions led to disasters. He reminds me most of Sabbatai Zevi .. widely followed nut who converted toi Islam to lease the dominant power. Bebe’s policies do not lead to Israeli survival but to a cataclysm..
I would compare him to Bar Kochba except that I am not ocnvivnced the Netanyahu is as fanatical about Jewish survival and can imagine the man becomng a full fledged Republican.