The »Messianic Idea« in Nahmanides' Writings

Nahmanides (1194–1270) left behind a rich body of original religious thought on a wide array of subjects. This article explores, for the first time comprehensively, his understanding of the messiah and the messianic era as a delimited period of time within human history − the future messianic scenario, the circumstances in which it would emerge, and its repercussions. It demonstrates that Nahmanides' eschatology as gleaned from his complete oeuvre contains two distinct approaches, reflecting divergent messianic tendencies. A third, rather surprising voice can also be discerned that undermines the very phenomenon of messianism, marginalizing it to the periphery of religious consciousness. In the context of the role Nahmanides played in the Jewish-Christian polemic of the time, I bring to light the complexity and tension within his messianic thought, and the place historical messianism plays in his religious world in general.