Creator Bio
Asher Lemlein
1500–1600
Little is known about the life of Asher Lemlein, an Ashkenazic kabbalist, before 1500, when he appeared in the town of Istria, near Venice, claiming to bear tidings of the coming of the Messiah. Anticipating the end of days, many Ashkenazic Jews in northern Italy and elsewhere publicly repented. The great disappointment that followed, according to some reports, led to mass conversions to Christianity. Jewish historiographers who related the events include Joseph ha-Kohen, Gedaliah Ibn Yaḥya, and David Ganz.
Entries in the Posen Library by This Creator
Primary Source
Account of a Vision
Listen carefully to my words. When I was in the land of Safed, one night, when the sun had set, I was tired and weary, lying on my bed. I was asleep, but my heart was awake; my beloved was knocking…