66 The Testimony, February 2000 The Sabbatean

Tony Benson

ESPITE THE migration of many Jews to vided into three groups who have little to do Israel, large Jewish communities still ex- with each other. They meet for worship in syna- Dist throughout the world. Besides the Jews gogues which are just rooms in private houses, which are openly known as such, there exist and no outsiders are allowed in. Children are several communities who either hide their not told of their true origin until they are eight- Jewishness or who, though not recognised as een. A version of the Law of Moses is kept, and Jews, have certain customs which indicate that they tend to intermarry with each other. Out- they might in fact be Jewish in origin. One such wardly, however, they are Muslims and accepted group are the of . in the nation as such. In the seventeenth century a called In the Uskudur suburb of Istanbul is a cem- Shabbtai Tzvi (Sabbetai Zevi), born in Smyrna etery where many of the graves have concrete (now Izmir) in Asia Minor, proclaimed himself surfaces and carry pictures of the deceased— to be the Messiah. Jesus warned that during the Jewish burial customs, not Islamic. These are the time which would elapse before his return to the graves of Sabbateans. Many were prominent in earth there would be “false Christs” (Mt. 24:24), various fields typical of Jews in their places of and Shabbtai Tzvi was one such. In 1665 he exile when allowed to participate fully in the life proclaimed that he would lead the Jews back to of a nation. Ilgaz Zorlu claims that a recent prime their land and that the Ottoman sultan would be minister, and Turkey’s first female one, Tansu his slave. News spread throughout the East and Ciller, is a Sabbatean, along with the current Europe, and many accepted his claim. In 1666 foreign minister and the wife of the current prime he sailed from Cairo to Istanbul, where he was minister, but, typical of Sabbateans, they do not arrested and, on threat of death, converted to admit to it. . Ilgaz Zorlu wants the Sabbateans to be openly Naturally his support collapsed, but a few of identified and recognised as Jews, but his peo- his followers, about 200 families, kept their faith ple do not want this. The chief of Istanbul in him as their leader and followed him into will not recognise them as such anyway; any Islam. They congregated in Saloniki (Thessa- Sabbatean wanting to join would have to do so lonica) and became known as Doenmeh (Turk- as a convert. He has been to Israel, seeking to ish for ‘converts’ or ‘apostates’), though they have the Sabbateans recognised as Jews and eli- prefer the title Sabbateans. When Saloniki be- gible to settle in the land, but the Sephardic (Ori- came Greek in 1924 Turks were forced to leave ental Jew) chief rabbi said that they could not be (an example of what has now become known as recognised as such, and claimed not to have ‘ethnic cleansing’), and along with them went known of their existence. the Sabbateans. Today they are mostly found in God says to the Jews: “I will take you from Istanbul, and are thought to number 15,000- among the heathen, and gather you out of all 20,000. Many of them still consider Shabbtai Tzvi countries, and will bring you into your own land. to be the Messiah and look for him to return to Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and them. ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and The Sabbateans are today a hidden commu- from all your idols, will I cleanse you” (Ezek. nity. They mostly live in a particular part of the 36:24,25). When Christ returns this will surely city where Jews also live, but do not confess apply even to those who have sought to hide their identity. Their existence has recently been their Jewish ancestry, like the Sabbateans. They highlighted by the publication of a book by one will need to be cleansed from their association of their members, Ilgaz Zorlu, which has resulted with Islam, and their belief in the false Messiah in his ostracism by the community. Shabbtai Tzvi, before being allowed to take part According to Zorlu, the Sabbateans are di- in the Kingdom of the true Messiah.