NEHEMIAH HA-KOHEN

NEHEMIAH HA-KOHEN (17^th century), Polish kabbalist, apparently born in Lvov. His personality remains obscure, though certain details emerge from the sometimes contradictory sources. Late in the month of Av, 1666, he arrived at the fortress in Gallipoli, Turkey, where *Shabbetai Ẓevi was imprisoned, and visited him there early in the month of Ellul. In his memoirs Loeb b. Ozer quotes information that he heard from Nehemiah concerning his disputation with Shabbetai Ẓevi, indicating that Nehemiah rejected the latter's messianic pretensions. According to Christian sources, however, Nehemiah claimed that he himself was Messiah ben Joseph and remonstrated with Shabbetai Ẓevi for announcing himself as Messiah ben David before Messiah ben Joseph had started out on his journey of tribulations. Hence for the first time Shabbetai Ẓevi found himself on the defensive before a man who, unlike all his other visitors, was not overwhelmed by him. I. Sonne questions the truth of the story about the disputation, considering it improbable that in an atmosphere of messianic tension anyone should, in the presence of the Messiah, cast doubts on the very fact of his being Messiah. After three days Nehemiah despaired of Shabbetai Ẓevi, and notified the authorities of the fortress of his own intention of converting to Islam. From there he repaired to Adrianople, where he complained to the civil authorities that Shabbetai was an impostor. Shabbetai was then brought before the sultan, in whose presence he too was converted to Islam. Having passed on his information to the Turkish authorities, Nehemiah returned at once to Lvov and to the religion of his fathers. His activities caused an uproar throughout Poland: some vindicated them, since their sole intention was to bring an end to the specious doings of Shabbetai Ẓevi, while others disapproved, since Nehemiah's activities had terminated the great messianic awakening. Nehemiah, however, was obliged to wander from place to place, ultimately leaving Poland in about 1675, excommunicated and outcast. He even changed his name to Jacob in an attempt to obscure his identity. His persecution presumably stemmed from the bitterness of the Jews of Poland and Germany, and their disillusionment with the messianic movement.

bibliography:

G. Scholem, in: Beit Yisrael be-Polin, 2 (1953), 44–45: idem, Shabbetai Ẓevi, 2 (1952), 554–64, 566–7; I. Sonne, in: Sefunot, 3–4 (1960), 62–66.

[Abraham David]