Samuel Primo (''c.'' 1635 in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

– 1708 in

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), was a prominent Sabbatean

sectarian Sectarianism is a debated concept. Some scholars and journalists define it as pre-existing fixed communal categories in society, and use it to explain political, cultural, or religious conflicts between groups. Others conceive of sectarianism a ...

of the 17th century. Note that Scholem says he was "probably" born in Cairo, whereas the original source article in the ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' stated that he "probably" died in Constantinople. Here we have kept the two places not qualified otherwise as "probable" for the respective places of birth and death. Primo was one of the earliest followers of Sabbatai Zevi, the self-proclaimed Jewish messiah. Primo became Zevi's private secretary on Zevi's journey from Jerusalem to

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

in 1665, cleverly managing to give the advent of the pseudo-

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

an air of dignity. From Smyrna, Primo spread the news among foreign

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that the Messiah had actually appeared. With certain of his confidants he was the first to plan the abolition of

rabbinic Rabbinic Judaism (), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, Rabbanite Judaism, or Talmudic Judaism, is rooted in the many forms of Judaism that coexisted and together formed Second Temple Judaism in the land of Israel, giving birth to classical rabb ...

Judaism. In the name of Zevi, Primo sent a circular to the Jews (December 1665) advising the abolition of the fast-day of the tenth of the tenth day of the month of Ṭebet on the

Hebrew calendar The Hebrew calendar (), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance and as an official calendar of Israel. It determines the dates of Jewish holidays and other rituals, such as '' yahrze ...

. In February, 1666, Primo accompanied Zevi to

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. After Zevi converted to

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, Primo explained this apparent

apostasy Apostasy (; ) is the formal religious disaffiliation, disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one's previous re ...

as having been foreordained in the Messianic role. Concerning the rest of his life not much is known.

''Jewish Encyclopedia'' bibliography

* Hottinger, Thesaurus. xxx. 287–361, Zurich, 1649 * Weiss, in Bet ha-Midrash, 1868, pp. 64, 100; * Grätz, Gesch. 3d ed., x. 199 et seq. and note 3.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Primo, Samuel Kabbalists Sabbateans Sephardi rabbis Sephardi Jews from Ottoman Palestine 17th-century rabbis from the Ottoman Empire Shelichei derabonan (rabbis)