(This is the conclusion of a two-part series. For the first part, click here.) To say that the Sabbatai Zevi messianic movement of the 17th century was a personality cult would be an understatement. It was surely a great deal more than that--just what, historians are still debating--but … [Read more...]
Sabbatai Zevi, the “Holy Serpent,” and the Passover Plate
This is a post for Passover, the Jewish holiday celebrating the Exodus from Egypt, which starts tonight. It's on a subject, though, that at first sight doesn't seem to have much to do with the festival. Snakes. Snakes, not as a zoological but as a psychological reality. Snakes, not for what … [Read more...]
