It was not until 1648 that Sevi took himself properly speaking to be the messiah.
In Columbus' day, Jews widely believed that Jerusalem had to be liberated and the Temple rebuilt for the Messiah to come.
Its rabbis still forbid even walking on the mount and are content to wait for the Messiah without spurring him on.
It featured some iconic lines, most famously the verdict by Brian's mother on her son: "He's not the messiah - he's a very naughty boy".
Yet in the 17th century the Jewish world from Aleppo to Amsterdam was in thrall to Sabbatai Sevi, a kabbalist who claimed to be the messiah.
In Istanbul he placed in a cradle a fish dressed in infant's clothing, dramatising a prophecy that the messiah would be born under the sign of Pisces.
In Christian commentaries on the Hebrew Scriptures, it is stressed that Sukkot was associated with the advent of the Messiah and with the coming of all nations to worship in Jerusalem.
The novel alludes to the hopes for redemption in the stories of the Jewish tradition: the journey into the promised land, the coming of the Messiah, the renewal of the covenant between God and his chosen people.
The codex (Latin for "book") dates to the sixth century, when Christian Palestinian scribes wrote down the words of Christ in Aramaic, the ancient language that is believed to have been close to the dialect spoken by the messiah himself.
For the haredim, the ultra-Orthodox, who believe that the Jews should return to their Biblical homeland only after the appearance of the mashiach, the Messiah, Zionism was a threat, even an apostasy, which ran counter to the traditional attachment to Jewish law.
So numerous and fervent were the false messiah's followers in Hamburg that dissenting rabbis were afraid to preach against him.
He founded the church in 1954, claiming he was the New Messiah.
The Shia believe their messiah vanished from the site of the shrine in Samarra and will one day reemerge to usher in Judgment Day.
Within hours of landing, I had sat at the organ upon which George Frideric Handel played the London premiere of "Messiah, " stood in the poky little room where Charles Dickens wrote "Oliver Twist, " and accepted my award upon the very spot that the residence of Lord Peter Wimsey had once stood, at 110A Piccadilly.
WSJ: Alan Bradley on Writing About an England He'd Never Seen | Traveler's Tale
Nicknamed the 'Geordie Messiah', fans' favourite Keegan stepped down as manager on 4 September after stating he had no control over transfer dealings.
The Trinity "Messiah" demonstrated why historically informed performance makes a difference.
It is worth the detour, for his carvers had caught him at the moment of revelation that a messiah would someday be born, and Isaiah is dancing at the news.
Then, in 1666, nearly 15 years after he proclaimed himself messiah, came the ultimate inversion.
With the rise of the historical-performance movement, performances of "Messiah" with 100-voice choirs and full symphony orchestras are no longer the norm, but a baroque orchestra and a small choir are no guarantee of excellence either.
Since Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans waited for hours to say farewell to the man many regarded as a messiah for instituting many subsidies and social programs.
When I was talking to non-musician friends and they said it takes too long to get to the part of Handel's "Messiah" where everyone stands up, I realized that "Messiah" was in dire need of an update.
Folk in Maharashtra are looking for a messiah, and Mr Chavan is the only sensible candidate around.
He's adopted by the indigenous tribe (the Fremen), which is looking for a messiah.
The life of a first century Judean carpenter, let alone messiah, is hard to compare to that lived by western teenagers today.
In 1741, the German-born English composer George Frederick Handel finished his "Messiah" oratorio, after working on it non-stop for 23 days.
The nation is cautious after initially greeting Sven-Goran Eriksson as a messiah who was going to re-invent our game with his imported ideas.
The holiday season inevitably brings a cascade of performances of Handel's "Messiah, " and it's rare to come across one that makes you hear this well-worn piece anew.
应用推荐