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| Jacob Frank's passing in 1791 |
Introduction
I have
always been interested in possible areas of overlap between the three movements
of Sabbatianism (under Shabbatai Tzvi), Frankism (under Jacob
Frank) and Chassidism (under the Baal Shem Tov) which all emerged
relatively at the same period in Jewish history. The last of these movements, the
Chassidic movement, presented itself at the very zenith of the Sabbatian
and Frankian storm. It is, therefore, important to understand some of this background because it is unlikely that movements
suddenly emerge in a vacuum.
This article, based on previous and new research, explores the rather understudied movement known as Frankism.
