Eschatological Expectations in 1666: Eastern European Responses to Messages about the Coming of the Messiah

Abstract

The anticipation of the end of the world in the second half of the 17th century became fertile ground for the perception of information about the coming of the messiah – Shabtai Zevi. Belief in him in the Jewish communities of Europe also encouraged Christians to lean towards ideas about the approaching end of times. Information about the Messiah is widely disseminated in journalism and polemical literature in both Western and Eastern Europe, attracting wary attention from the authorities. The treatise “The True Messiah” by Ioannikiy Galatovsky gained great popularity in Orthodox circles, the interest in which went beyond the 17th century. The treatise became a significant milestone in the development of Judeo-Christian relations in Eastern Europe.