The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-09-29
sApeATAi ssvrs CAREER.
History OF tnc False Messiah OF the Jcwt
of Aain Miner.

History OF trc Fn,se Messiah of the Jcws
OF Asia Minor.
Sabbath S vi was u Smyrniotc jew
born in 1925, and the son of q broker
in tla, city; he was q clever youth and
so we'll vorsed In the Cabnla aud other
Jewish books that at tho age of eight
cen he was made rabbi. Doubtless
some accounts of the fifth monarchy
men, and the then muc-accreditcd re-
port that the Messiah was TO reap
pear In 1906, reached Smyrna and
worked upon his Imagination so much
that he decided TO make himself out
to be that Messiah. and to assist his
object he secretly caused reports to DO
promulgated to the effect that a proph.
ct would shortly appear who would
rob the Sultan of his crown and restore
again the kingdom of Israel. When
he thought that the right time had
come, to the dismav of the Smyrniote
rahbis he pronounced the name
jehovah" aloud in open conclavc,
for which offcnse he was sum-
moned before tribunal and con-
demned to die, but doubtless he had
been prepared for this and had mr.
rangements made for his escape from
Smyrna, and, wi b one object in view,
he went us q pilgrim to Egypt and
Jerusalem, where he chose as his Elijah
one Nathan Benjamin. man of as
cetic life who professed to see visions.
Before returning TO Snyrna lie sent
his attendant Nathan before him to
prepare tho way. and in The capacity
of a second ST. John the Baptist to an
nounce that he was coming to deliver
men from the oppression of the Turks
and to lead back the Jews to Palestine.
Nathan did his work well, writing
circular letter addressed to the REM
nant of the Israeltes, peace without
end" the result being that intense
and mad excitement seized upon the
Jews of that place. They nearly
killed themselves with ponances; they
administered to one another thirty
nine lashes and tortures of all kinds;
and all influential jew. Pennia by
name. whose daughter prophesied and
wrought miracles, assisted Nathan in
his work of preparation.
In due time Sabbntai Scvi landed at
Smyrna, styling himself tho "king of
kings" and so carried away were the
people with his adroit eoquence that
throne was snt up for him in tho
synagogue. and from Smyrna proph-
cts were sent all over the Turkish
Il ,s,,to TO oil 81, Il
to preach that "the true Messiah Of
the race of David was come and that
to him the crown and the kingdom
was given" At this juncture Sovi
ventured to elect from among his
trusted followers twelve princes, who
were to act as generals to the twelve
tribes on their journey back to their
country, and. as sc know from Ln-
glish records tho report reached even
rs far as to our shores, and that there
was some talk of sending English
ships to assist in the transport, and
even the skeptle Spinoza, from all he
heard, was at one time inclined
to wavcr in his disbelief. Tho
scenes of frcnzied excitement in
Smyrna were intense, business was
entirely suspended and gave place to
eager, fanatical worship of Sevi;
presents poured in to him from all
parts, until at length the Sultan was
reused to action and summoned him
to Alrianople. The story of Sevi's
interview with the Sultan is well
known. and how "the holy, noble and
divine Messiah" was ordered by that
potentate to choose between three
things-either to work miracle and
thereby prove his identity. or to have
three poisoned arrows shot at him by
the Sultan himself or to become
Mohammedan. II am follower of
Mohammedan." replied Sevi to this
test, and, turning to his followers,
who were dismayed beyond measure
at the collapse of their hero, he added,
land he was numbered among tho
transgressors. "--Lonqnidn'S MQgdsi,le.