Religious (Mystical) Zionism of the First Half of 19th Century as a Precursor to Political Zionism and the Jewish Prophecy of the Coming of the Messiah in 1840

Abstract

The paper points out the importance of the hitherto underestimated wave of Jewish settlement in Palestine from the first half of the 19th century, which was caused, among other things, by prophecies about the coming of the messiah, who was to appear in Jerusalem in 1840. Many Jews claimed that by settling in Palestine they would hasten the coming of the messiah, a doctrine which was also taught by Gaon of Vilnius (1720-1792). These settlers formed the base for later larger migrations. Thus, the motives for their return were religious in nature (Messianic Zionism), which had a significant impact on the emergence of political Zionism in the late 19th century. Thanks to the efforts of religious Zionists, Zionism as a whole gained its national-religious specificity and lent this transcendental aspect to the current state of Israel.

Keywords: Gaon of Vilnius, Abraham Isaac Kook, the coming of the messiah in 1840, Jewish settlement in Palestine in the first half of the 19th century, messianic Zionism