The Greek word Χριϛὸς, from whence comes _Christ_ and
_Christian_, exactly answers to the Hebrew _Messiah_, which signifies
him that hath received unction, a prophet, a king, or a priest. See
JESUS CHRIST.
Our Lord warned his disciples that false messiahs should arise, Matt.
xxiv, 24; and the event has verified the prediction. No less than
twenty-four false Christs have arisen in different places and at
different times: Caziba was the first of any note who made a noise in
the world. Being dissatisfied with the state of things under Adrian, he
set himself up as the head of the Jewish nation, and proclaimed himself
their long expected messiah. He was one of those banditti that infested
Judea, and committed all kinds of violence against the Romans; and had
become so powerful that he was chosen king of the Jews, and by them
acknowledged their messiah. However, to facilitate the success of this
bold enterprise, he changed his name from Caziba, which it was at first,
to that of Barchocheba, alluding to the star foretold by Balaam; for he
pretended to be the star sent from heaven to restore his nation to its
ancient liberty and glory. He chose a forerunner, raised an army, was
anointed king, coined money inscribed with his own name, and proclaimed
himself messiah and prince of the Jewish nation. Adrian raised an army,
and sent it against him; he retired into a town called Bither, where he
was besieged. Barchocheba was killed in the siege, the city was taken,
and a dreadful havoc succeeded. The Jews themselves allow, that, during
this short war against the Romans in defence of this false messiah, they
lost five or six hundred thousand souls. This was in the former part of
the second century. In the reign of Theodosius the younger, A. D. 434,
another impostor arose, called Moses Cretensis. He pretended to be a
second Moses, sent to deliver the Jews who dwelt in Crete, and promised
to divide the sea, and give them a safe passage through it. Their
delusion proved so strong and universal, that they neglected their
lands, houses, and other concerns, and took only so much with them as
they could conveniently carry. And on the day appointed, this false
Moses, having led them to the top of a rock, men, women, and children
threw themselves headlong down into the sea, without the least
hesitation or reluctance, till so great a number of them were drowned as
opened the eyes of the rest, and made them sensible of the cheat. They
then began to look for their pretended leader; but he had disappeared,
and escaped out of their hands. In the reign of Justin, about A. D. 520,
another impostor appeared, who called himself the son of Moses. His name
was Dunaan. He entered into a city of Arabia Felix, and there he greatly
oppressed the Christians; but he was taken prisoner, and put to death by
Elesban, an Ethiopian general. The Jews and Samaritans rebelled against
the Emperor Justinian, A. D. 529, and set up one Julian for their king,
and accounted him the messiah. The emperor sent an army against them,
killed great numbers of them, took their pretended messiah prisoner, and
immediately put him to death. In the time of Leo Isaurus, about A. D.
721, arose another false messiah in Spain; his name was Serenus. He drew
great numbers after him, to their no small loss and disappointment; but
all his pretensions came to nothing. The twelfth century was fruitful in
messiahs. About A. D. 1137, there appeared one in France, who was put to
death, and numbers of those who followed him. In A. D. 1138, the
Persians were disturbed with a Jew, who called himself the messiah. He
collected a vast army; but he too was put to death, and his followers
treated with great inhumanity. A false messiah stirred up the Jews at
Corduba in Spain, A. D. 1157. The wiser and better sort looked upon him
as a madman, but the great body of the Jews in the nation believed in
him. On this occasion nearly all the Jews in Spain were destroyed.
Another false messiah arose in the kingdom of Fez, A. D. 1167, which
brought great troubles and persecutions upon the Jews that were
scattered throughout that country. In the same year, an Arabian
professed to be the messiah, and pretended to work miracles. When search
was made for him, his followers fled, and he was brought before the
Arabian king. Being questioned by him, he replied, that he was a prophet
sent from God. The king then asked him what sign he could show to
confirm his mission. Cut off my head,” said he, and I will return to
life again.” The king took him at his word, promising to believe him if
his prediction was accomplished. The poor wretch, however, never came to
life again, and the cheat was sufficiently discovered. Those who had
been deluded by him were grievously punished, and the nation condemned
to a very heavy fine. Not long after this, a Jew who dwelt beyond the
Euphrates, called himself the messiah, and drew vast multitudes of
people after him. He gave this for a sign of it, that he had been
leprous, and had been cured in the course of one night. He, like the
rest, perished, and brought great persecution on his countrymen. A
magician and false christ arose in Persia, A. D. 1174, who seduced many
of the common people, and brought the Jews into great tribulation.
Another of these impostors arose, A. D. 1176, in Moravia, who was called
David Almusser. He pretended he could make himself invisible; but he was
soon taken and put to death, and a heavy fine laid upon the Jews. A
famous cheat and rebel exerted himself in Persia, A. D. 1199, called
David el David. He was a man of learning, a great magician, and
pretended to be the messiah. He raised an army against the king, but was
taken and imprisoned; and, having made his escape, was afterward retaken
and beheaded. Vast numbers of the Jews were butchered for taking part
with this impostor. Rabbi Lemlem, a German Jew of Austria, declared
himself a forerunner of the messiah, A. D. 1500, and pulled down his own
oven, promising his brethren that they should bake their bread in the
holy land next year. A false christ arose in the East Indies, A. D.
1615, and was greatly followed by the Portuguese Jews who are scattered
over that country. Another in the Low Countries declared himself to be
the messiah of the family of David, and of the line of Nathan, A. D.
1624. He promised to destroy Rome, and to overthrow the kingdom of
antichrist, and the Turkish empire. In A. D. 1666, appeared the false
messiah Sabatai Tzevi, who made a great noise, and gained a great number
of proselytes. He was born at Aleppo, and imposed on the Jews for a
considerable time; but afterward, with a view of saving his life, he
turned Mohammedan, and was at last beheaded. The last false christ that
made any considerable number of converts was one rabbi Mordecai, a Jew
of Germany: he appeared, A. D. 1682. It was not long before he was found
out to be an impostor, and was obliged to flee from Italy to Poland to
save his life: what became of him afterward does not seem to be
recorded.
_Christian_, exactly answers to the Hebrew _Messiah_, which signifies
him that hath received unction, a prophet, a king, or a priest. See
JESUS CHRIST.
Our Lord warned his disciples that false messiahs should arise, Matt.
xxiv, 24; and the event has verified the prediction. No less than
twenty-four false Christs have arisen in different places and at
different times: Caziba was the first of any note who made a noise in
the world. Being dissatisfied with the state of things under Adrian, he
set himself up as the head of the Jewish nation, and proclaimed himself
their long expected messiah. He was one of those banditti that infested
Judea, and committed all kinds of violence against the Romans; and had
become so powerful that he was chosen king of the Jews, and by them
acknowledged their messiah. However, to facilitate the success of this
bold enterprise, he changed his name from Caziba, which it was at first,
to that of Barchocheba, alluding to the star foretold by Balaam; for he
pretended to be the star sent from heaven to restore his nation to its
ancient liberty and glory. He chose a forerunner, raised an army, was
anointed king, coined money inscribed with his own name, and proclaimed
himself messiah and prince of the Jewish nation. Adrian raised an army,
and sent it against him; he retired into a town called Bither, where he
was besieged. Barchocheba was killed in the siege, the city was taken,
and a dreadful havoc succeeded. The Jews themselves allow, that, during
this short war against the Romans in defence of this false messiah, they
lost five or six hundred thousand souls. This was in the former part of
the second century. In the reign of Theodosius the younger, A. D. 434,
another impostor arose, called Moses Cretensis. He pretended to be a
second Moses, sent to deliver the Jews who dwelt in Crete, and promised
to divide the sea, and give them a safe passage through it. Their
delusion proved so strong and universal, that they neglected their
lands, houses, and other concerns, and took only so much with them as
they could conveniently carry. And on the day appointed, this false
Moses, having led them to the top of a rock, men, women, and children
threw themselves headlong down into the sea, without the least
hesitation or reluctance, till so great a number of them were drowned as
opened the eyes of the rest, and made them sensible of the cheat. They
then began to look for their pretended leader; but he had disappeared,
and escaped out of their hands. In the reign of Justin, about A. D. 520,
another impostor appeared, who called himself the son of Moses. His name
was Dunaan. He entered into a city of Arabia Felix, and there he greatly
oppressed the Christians; but he was taken prisoner, and put to death by
Elesban, an Ethiopian general. The Jews and Samaritans rebelled against
the Emperor Justinian, A. D. 529, and set up one Julian for their king,
and accounted him the messiah. The emperor sent an army against them,
killed great numbers of them, took their pretended messiah prisoner, and
immediately put him to death. In the time of Leo Isaurus, about A. D.
721, arose another false messiah in Spain; his name was Serenus. He drew
great numbers after him, to their no small loss and disappointment; but
all his pretensions came to nothing. The twelfth century was fruitful in
messiahs. About A. D. 1137, there appeared one in France, who was put to
death, and numbers of those who followed him. In A. D. 1138, the
Persians were disturbed with a Jew, who called himself the messiah. He
collected a vast army; but he too was put to death, and his followers
treated with great inhumanity. A false messiah stirred up the Jews at
Corduba in Spain, A. D. 1157. The wiser and better sort looked upon him
as a madman, but the great body of the Jews in the nation believed in
him. On this occasion nearly all the Jews in Spain were destroyed.
Another false messiah arose in the kingdom of Fez, A. D. 1167, which
brought great troubles and persecutions upon the Jews that were
scattered throughout that country. In the same year, an Arabian
professed to be the messiah, and pretended to work miracles. When search
was made for him, his followers fled, and he was brought before the
Arabian king. Being questioned by him, he replied, that he was a prophet
sent from God. The king then asked him what sign he could show to
confirm his mission. Cut off my head,” said he, and I will return to
life again.” The king took him at his word, promising to believe him if
his prediction was accomplished. The poor wretch, however, never came to
life again, and the cheat was sufficiently discovered. Those who had
been deluded by him were grievously punished, and the nation condemned
to a very heavy fine. Not long after this, a Jew who dwelt beyond the
Euphrates, called himself the messiah, and drew vast multitudes of
people after him. He gave this for a sign of it, that he had been
leprous, and had been cured in the course of one night. He, like the
rest, perished, and brought great persecution on his countrymen. A
magician and false christ arose in Persia, A. D. 1174, who seduced many
of the common people, and brought the Jews into great tribulation.
Another of these impostors arose, A. D. 1176, in Moravia, who was called
David Almusser. He pretended he could make himself invisible; but he was
soon taken and put to death, and a heavy fine laid upon the Jews. A
famous cheat and rebel exerted himself in Persia, A. D. 1199, called
David el David. He was a man of learning, a great magician, and
pretended to be the messiah. He raised an army against the king, but was
taken and imprisoned; and, having made his escape, was afterward retaken
and beheaded. Vast numbers of the Jews were butchered for taking part
with this impostor. Rabbi Lemlem, a German Jew of Austria, declared
himself a forerunner of the messiah, A. D. 1500, and pulled down his own
oven, promising his brethren that they should bake their bread in the
holy land next year. A false christ arose in the East Indies, A. D.
1615, and was greatly followed by the Portuguese Jews who are scattered
over that country. Another in the Low Countries declared himself to be
the messiah of the family of David, and of the line of Nathan, A. D.
1624. He promised to destroy Rome, and to overthrow the kingdom of
antichrist, and the Turkish empire. In A. D. 1666, appeared the false
messiah Sabatai Tzevi, who made a great noise, and gained a great number
of proselytes. He was born at Aleppo, and imposed on the Jews for a
considerable time; but afterward, with a view of saving his life, he
turned Mohammedan, and was at last beheaded. The last false christ that
made any considerable number of converts was one rabbi Mordecai, a Jew
of Germany: he appeared, A. D. 1682. It was not long before he was found
out to be an impostor, and was obliged to flee from Italy to Poland to
save his life: what became of him afterward does not seem to be
recorded.