The History of Sabatai Sevi, the Suppos'd Messiah of the Jews

The book brings to life the rise of Sabatai Sevi, a 17‑century Ottoman Jew who declared himself the Messiah and sparked excitement and panic across the Mediterranean. Drawing on the contemporary chronicles of John Evelyn and Sir Paul Rycaut, it reconstructs how rumors of the “Messiah of Ismir” spread to London, where merchants placed bets on his coronation and communities began to dismantle homes in anticipation of a return to Zion. Readers get a vivid sense of the news, hearing the same bewildered reactions that filled coffeehouses and trading halls when the story first broke.

Beyond the biography, the work explores why the episode mattered to Restoration England, linking Sevi’s claims to lingering anxieties about messianic movements, the recent Cromwellian experiment, and the re‑emergence of Jews after centuries of exclusion. Evelyn’s commentary reveals the tangled web of commerce, diplomacy, and faith, showing how a distant Ottoman controversy could threaten English trade routes and stir theological debate. The narrative invites modern listeners to consider how rumors and belief can reshape societies, even when the claimant’s ultimate destiny remains unresolved.