David Kessler,
who plays
Shabethai Zebi
Samuel S. Schneier,
who plays Nehemie "Kohan"
Ray Schneier,
who plays
Sarah Melisada
|
In the 17th century, when the Inquisition still
terrorized the world, and in almost every country the
Jews were persecuted, tortured and burned at stake. In
those dark ages the only hope the Jews had was the
coming of their messiah to deliver them from their
miseries.
The scholars and cabalists
of that time often found signs that the time of the
coming of Messiah was near. The fanatic and oppressed
Jews believed in those signs in spite of the fact that
they often proved untrue.
In those days many
individuals arose who claimed to be Messiah, and
everyone of them had more or les followers. But
Shabethai Zebi (David Kessler) was the most prominent of
all. He was born in the year 1826 of very learned
parents who intended in the study of Kabala in which he
found signs that he was Messiah. At a very early age he
gained an immense mass of followers; in fact Jews from
all over the world came to Cairo (where he lived) to see
their Messiah, their Saviour. Among those was one
Nehemie Cohen (Samuel S. Schneier) from Poland, who was
sent there by his community to see and convince himself
of the truth. Nehemie devoted ten days and ten nights
for discussions with Shabethai, and at the end he
decided that Shabethai was an imposter. But after
Nehemie saw what Shabethai was doing and heard how he
spoke to his people, his convictions weakened; he began
to doubt, and in order to fully convince himself of the
truth he denounced Shabethai to the governor of Cairo,
saying that Shabethai intended to seize the crown of the
Sultan (Mark Schweid). "If he really is Messiah,"
Nehemia thought, the Sultan will not be able to do him
any harm, and if he is an impostor let the Sultan check
him from going any further with his false pretenses.
Shabetai was arrested and
imprisoned in an old castle, where although a strong
guard watched him, yet he was allowed to go in and out,
and everyone of his followers was free to visit him and
leave at any time. the next day he was to appear before
the Sultan.
At this stage many of his
followers began to doubt in his power. His own wife,
Sarah Malisada (Ray Schneier), who came to him from
Spain and, as he claimed, brought to him the Heavenly
inspiration and the courage to call himself Messiah and
who was wont to encourage him, lost her faith in him
now. Even the virgin Hadassah (Berta Gerstin), who
worshipped him before, advised him now not to appear
before the Sultan. That discouraged Shabethai greatly,
and he decided to commit suicide by blowing up the
powder magazine which was in the cellar of he castle,
his present prison. Hadassah insisted to die together
with him; she seized a lighted torch, went down into the
cellar, set fire to the powder, but through some
miraculous coincidence death escaped Shabethai. He again
saw in this a sign of Haven that he is destined to live
and fulfill his mission. He went to the Sultan. At first
the Sultan was frightened by his appearance. But when he
tested Shabethai's power by commanding a slaughter of
all the Jews who were gathered in thousands around the
palace. Shabethai weakened; the terrible cries of the
slaughtered Jews pierced his heart. He fell to the
Sultan's feet and yielded to his wishes.
|
Mark Schweid,
who plays
Sultan Mohamed
 ,
Morris Simonoff,
who plays
the Pasha of Cairo
Kalmen Juvelier,
who plays
Samuel Prima
Berl Bernstein,
who plays
Abraham Yachni |
