The Jewish messiahs: from the Galilee to Crown Heights

Introduction: the ritual and the accounts

The Israelite Messiahs: Jesus of Nazareth and Shim'on bar Kosiba and Their forerunners

The Persian messiahs: Abu Isa, Yudghan, Mushka, and Serenus of Syria

The messiah of Amadia: David Alroy

The messiahs of the inquisition: David Reubeni and Shlomo Molkho

The messiahs of Safed: Isaac Luria and Hayim Vital

The messiah of Izmir: Shabtai Zvi

The Polish messiahs: Yakov Frank and His Daughter Ewa

The Tzaddik of Hasidism

The Yemenite messiahs: reprise

Conclusion: the characterization of abandonment.