At Constantinople a messenger brought him a letter of homage from
Damascus from his foremost disciple, Nathan of Gaza.
Nathan was a youthful enthusiast, son of a Jerusalem begging-agent,
and newly married to the beautiful, but one-eyed daughter of a rich
Portuguese, who had migrated from Damascus to Gaza. Opulent and
zealous, he devoted himself henceforth to preaching the Messiah,
living and dying his apostle and prophet--no other in short than the
Elijah who was to be the Messiah's harbinger. Nor did he fail to work
miracles in proof of his mission. Merely on reading a man's name, he
would recount his life, defaults and sins, and impose just correction
and penance. Evil-doers shunned his eye. More readily than on Sabbataï
men believed on him, inasmuch as he claimed but the second place, and
an impostor, said they, would have claimed the first. Couched in the
tropes and metaphors of Rabbinical Hebrew, Nathan's letter ran thus:--
"22ND CHESVAN OF THIS YEAR.
"To the King, our King, Lord of our Lords, who gathers the Dispersed
of Israel, who redeems our Captivity, the Man elevated to the Height
of all sublimity, the Messiah of the God of Jacob, the true Messiah,
the Celestial Lion, Sabbataï Zevi, whose honor be exalted and his
dominion raised in a short time, and for ever, Amen. After having
kissed thy hands and swept the dust from thy feet, as my duty is to
the King of Kings, whose Majesty be exalted and His Empire enlarged.
These are to make known to the Supreme Excellency of that Place, which
is adorned with the beauty of thy Sanctity, that the Word of the King
and of His Law hath enlightened our Faces; that day hath been a solemn
day unto Israel and a day of light unto our Rulers, for immediately we
applied ourselves to perform thy Commands as our duty is. And though
we have heard of many strange things, yet we are courageous, and our
heart is as the heart of a Lion; nor ought we to inquire or reason of
thy doings; for thy works are marvellous and past finding out. And we
are confirmed in our Fidelity without all exception, resigning up our
very souls for the Holiness of thy Name. And now we are come as far as
Damascus, intending shortly to proceed in our journey to Scanderone,
according as thou hast commanded us: that so we may ascend and see the
face of God in light, as the light of the face of the King of life.
And we, servants of thy servants, shall cleanse the dust from thy
feet, beseeching the majesty of thine excellency and glory to
vouchsafe from thy habitation to have a care of us, and help us with
the Force of thy Right Hand of Strength, and shorten our way which is
before us. And we have our eyes towards Jah, Jah, who will make haste
to help us and to save us, that the Children of Iniquity shall not
hurt us; and towards whom our hearts pant and are consumed within us:
who shall give us Talons of Iron to be worthy to stand under the
shadow of thine ass. These are the words of thy Servant of Servants,
who prostrates himself to be trod on by the soles of thy
feet.--NATHAN BENJAMIN."