Sabbatean and Frankist Networks in 18th-Century Europe: A Documentary Study

The Sabbatean movement, initiated by the self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi in the 17th century, did not end with his conversion to Islam in 1666. It continued underground, morphing into the antinomian teachings of Jacob Frank in 18th-century Poland. This dossier compiles primary documents (rabbinic bans, Inquisition interrogations, Frankist confessions, and Ottoman administrative records) that trace the movement's persistence, mutations, and ultimate suppression. It includes translations of key texts never before available in English and a network analysis of known adherents based on rabbinical court testimonies.

Read the full dossier

Enter your email and it opens right here. One email when a new dossier is published. Nothing else.

Table of Contents

1. Historical Context: Sabbatai Zevi to Jacob Frank
2. The Apostasy of 1666: What the Sources Say
3. The Dönmeh: Crypto-Jewish Sabbateans in Ottoman Salonica
4. Primary Documents: Rabbinical Bans (1725–1760)
5. The Disputations of Kamianets and Lwów
6. Frankist Confessions and Conversions
7. Moses Dobruschka and the Asiatic Brethren
8. Network Analysis: Documented Adherents
9. Suppression and Disappearance
10. Confirmed Negatives: Claims Not Supported by Evidence
11. Appendix: Untranslated Manuscript Fragments

Back to Research