Knowra Messiah Messiah An anointed figure expected in Jewish tradition, with meanings that vary across biblical texts and Jewish communities. Jewish interpretations generally do not identify the Messiah as divine.
Anointing : A ritual act of applying oil to mark a person or object as sacred or appointed. The Hebrew word for messiah means “anointed,” linking the title to consecration.
Cyrus the Great : The Persian king who conquered Babylon and permitted exiled peoples, including Judeans, to restore their sanctuaries. Isaiah calls Cyrus God’s anointed, showing that the title could describe a non-Israelite ruler.
Jesus : A first-century Jewish preacher whose life and teachings became foundational to Christianity. Christianity identifies Jesus as the Messiah, while Jewish traditions generally reject that identification.
Sabbatai Zevi : A seventeenth-century Ottoman Jewish mystic whose followers proclaimed him the Messiah. His rise and forced conversion to Islam in 1666 reshaped Jewish debates about messianic claims.
Hebrew Bible : The collection of Jewish scriptures, also known as the Tanakh. Its passages about kings, restoration, and future hopes inform Jewish messianic interpretations.
Second Temple Judaism : The diverse forms of Jewish life and thought from the rebuilding of the Temple to its destruction in 70 CE. This period saw varied expectations of deliverance and future leadership develop.
Mashiach ben Joseph : A figure in some Jewish traditions who precedes the Davidic Messiah and dies in battle. This distinct messianic figure contrasts with the expectation of a single triumphant redeemer.
Maimonides : A medieval Jewish philosopher and legal authority who codified principles of Jewish belief. His account of the Messiah emphasizes a human Davidic king and rejects supernatural requirements.
Davidic covenant : The biblical promise that David’s dynasty would have an enduring place in Israel’s rule. The expectation of a future ruler from David’s line draws on this promise.
Book of Daniel : A Jewish work containing visions of kingdoms, persecution, and divine deliverance. Its visions, including the figure “like a son of man,” became central to later messianic readings.
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