Ottoman songs in sabbatian manuscripts: A cross-cultural perspective on the inner writings of the "Ma'aminim"

THIS PAPER OFFERS a new perspective on the mystical writings generated by the "Ma'aminim" (the faithful). The Ma'aminim, a group commonly known by their derogatory Turkish name Dönme (turncoats),1 were descendants of Sephardic Jews who interpreted the conversion to Islam of their messiah—Shabbetai Tsevi—as a necessary step toward redemption, forming a secret community of converts in his wake. The Ma'aminim lived in Ottoman Salonica, one of the most important port cities of the Ottoman Empire, the largest center of Sephardic Jews, and home to various Muslim and Christian communities. The Ma'aminim were formally Muslim and part of Ottoman Islamic society, yet they maintained cryptic associations and practiced in secret a unique messianic religion. As a result of this secrecy, their intellectual, social, and spiritual world has long been terra incognita to outsiders.