Jacob Frank

Jacob (Jakob) Frank, born in Podolia, was a controversial and charismatic messianic figure who attracted a significant Jewish following in Eastern Europe. The son of a purported Sabbatian, he was raised in the Ottoman Empire. As a young adult, he became acquainted with Sabbatian leaders in Salonika. In 1755, he returned to Poland, where he formed a movement of local Sabbatians, advocating against the Talmud and for abrogation of Jewish law. His followers were arrested by the authorities and formally converted to Catholicism. In a staged anti-Jewish disputation in Lviv (Lemberg), in 1759, Frank's followers affirmed the libelous claim that the Talmud required Jews to use Christian blood. This shut off any possibility of reconciliation with the Jewish community. Soon, however, Frankists were viewed with suspicion by Christian clergy as well; they led an ostentatious and libertine lifestyle. Frank was arrested in 1760 and imprisoned for thirteen years. After his release, he moved to Moravia and then to Germany. His major work, Zbiór słów pańskich (Collection of the Words of the Lord) is a Polish-language collection of his sayings, tales, and parables.