David Reubeni and Early Islam?

Abstract

The full story of Reubeni’s and Molcho’s messianic appearance and the unveiling of their identities might require a paradigm shift in how academics think of eschatology, or biblical renewal through new sects and religions, and even of anti-Semitism.

With the appearance of Reubeni and Molcho, messianic prophesy was put in motion. In order to come on top, the pair and the global Rabbinic leadership was willing to betray the whole world, including their own followers, by establishing a new religion that should rule the world from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

With the identification of David Reubeni we get a small window what post-biblical prophecy looks like: enriched Jewish leaders over impoverished nations that can adhere to any Judaic faith. Power for the leadership supersedes religion for ordinary believers. The latter are merely enslaved extras in a treacherous, global game of Rabbinic supremacy.

David Reubeni claimed to be of Muhammadean descent. With all its pitfalls against tradition (but also corroborated by it), this paper makes a thesis that the origins of Islam’s spiritual leadership may have lain in Ethiopia in substantive, if not decisive ways. In fact, it may open the road to establishing Islam as a triumph of Jewish Messianism and Prophet Muhammad as a messiah himself or perhaps a forerunner.