Sabbatai Zevi (1626-1676) stirred up the Jewish world of the mid-seventeenth century by claiming to be the messiah; then stunned it by suddenly converting to Islam. His story; and that of the movement he created; is a landmark event in early modern Jewish history and a dramatic example of what can happen when mystic dreams and messianic hopes combine in an explosive mixture. Now; for the first time; English readers can experience these events through the words of those who lived through them; in lucid and compelling translations by a leading authority in the field. Of the contemporary 'testimonies' translated by David J. Halperin; three are accounts by Sabbatai Zevi's followers of the life and deeds of their messiah. These are the Najara Chronicle; an eyewitness narrative which Gershom Scholem called 'one of the most extraordinary documents shedding light on Sabbatai's personality'; Baruch of Arezzo's Memorial to the Children of Israel; a sober yet devout biography of Sabbatai written shortly after his death; and the bizarrely fanciful hagiography composed in 1692 by Abraham Cuenque of Hebron.These 'believers' narratives' are supplemented by two seventeenth-century letters; pungent in their style and colourful in their details; in which Sabbatai and his followers are described by a contemporary rabbi who detested them and everything they stood for. Finally; a reminiscence of Sabbatai's last days; preserved by one of the most independent-minded of his followers; conveys the enigma of the man that was to haunt the generations.
#669667 in Books Crecy Publishing 2016-12-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 11.70 x .50 x 8.30l; 3.00 #File Name: 1902109546272 pagesCrecy Publishing
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Superlative Buy! Another High Quality Work by Gordon and KomissarovBy JCALThis is another spectacular volume by Gordon and Komissarov. The book has an abundance of anecdotes about combat usage of the aircraft along with some analysis of the outcome. (The border war between Ecuador and Peru is a great example.) The chapter on US evaluation of these aircraft was unexpectedly large and appears to be very well fleshed out.The discussion about the ATF and the imported MiGs during the 80's in the US chapter is spot on. (The MiG-15 imported by the San Diego Air and Space Museum was rumored locally within the aviation community to have been fully armed when uncrated.)I had a few (very) minor quibbles that don't impact the overall excellent quality of this book in any major way (The FAA CJ registry shows almost 200 CJ-5/CJ-6 aircraft registered. The illustrations are sometimes a few pages away from the description of the aircraft in the text. A bibliography would have been nice.)As authors; Gordon and Komissarov consistently produce high quality work. The print of quality of the photographs within this book do them justice.Highly recommended for anyone interested in Soviet/Russian aircraft; aviation in South America; and anyone interested in the evaluation of those aircraft by DoD.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great addition to my Soviet aircraft library!By Allen DittoGreat book! Excellent photos reproduction and complete and thorough text.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The best bookBy David FosterIt a great book. It's the final volume of the series. If you want to buy this book I suggest to buy the book from a European bookstore. That's were I bought it from.
