Shukr Kuhayl I
Encyclopedia
Shukr ben Salim Kuhayl I (?–1865), also known as Mari (Master) Shukr Kuhayl I (Hebrew: מרי שכר כחיל), was a Yemenite messianic
claimant of the 19th century.
He initially revealed himself in San‘a’ in 1861 as a messenger of the Messiah
at a time when Jewish messianic expectations in Yemen
were ripe as a result of political turmoil. Divorcing his wife, he took up the life of an itinerant preacher to live in poverty and exhort the community to repentance. "I come to warn you and to remind you of repentance and redemption," he is reported to have said when publicly announcing his mission on a Sabbath in May 1861.
He was apparently a humble, ascetic, and pious individual, wearing ragged clothes, and removing himself to live alone on Mount Tiyal. At some point he began to indicate that he was no longer the messenger of the Messiah, but rather the Messiah himself. He inscribed messianic formulas on his hands, and "corrected" Isaiah
45:1 to read כה אמר ה' למשיחו לשוכר ("Thus said the Lord to Shukr, His anointed one...") instead of the traditional כה אמר ה' למשיחו לכורש ("Thus said the Lord to Cyrus, His anointed one..."), in this manner reading himself into the Biblical narrative.
The Jewish traveler Jacob Saphir
who wrote about Shukr Kuhayl in the Jerusalem press and in his Even Sappir indicated that almost all the Jews of Yemen at that time believed the messianic claims of Shukr Kuhayl I.
Although Kuhayl was very shortly thereafter killed by local Arabs in 1865
—apparently under direction of the imam
controlling the capital of San‘a’, who viewed his activities as a threat—there were many among his followers who did not accept his demise, and expected his imminent return. (Among these were his sister and son, who did not mourn his death.) They were soon enough rewarded in 1868 by the appearance of Judah ben Shalom
, claiming to be the self-same recently-deceased Shukr Kuhayl, who then went on to lead a very significant messianic movement which attracted both Yemenite Jews and Arabs.
Jewish Messiah
Messiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
claimant of the 19th century.
He initially revealed himself in San‘a’ in 1861 as a messenger of the Messiah
Jewish Messiah
Messiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
at a time when Jewish messianic expectations in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
were ripe as a result of political turmoil. Divorcing his wife, he took up the life of an itinerant preacher to live in poverty and exhort the community to repentance. "I come to warn you and to remind you of repentance and redemption," he is reported to have said when publicly announcing his mission on a Sabbath in May 1861.
He was apparently a humble, ascetic, and pious individual, wearing ragged clothes, and removing himself to live alone on Mount Tiyal. At some point he began to indicate that he was no longer the messenger of the Messiah, but rather the Messiah himself. He inscribed messianic formulas on his hands, and "corrected" Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
45:1 to read כה אמר ה' למשיחו לשוכר ("Thus said the Lord to Shukr, His anointed one...") instead of the traditional כה אמר ה' למשיחו לכורש ("Thus said the Lord to Cyrus, His anointed one..."), in this manner reading himself into the Biblical narrative.
The Jewish traveler Jacob Saphir
Jacob Saphir
Jacob Saphir was a Meshulach and traveler of Rumanian descent, born in Oshmyany, government of Wilna.While still a boy he went to Palestine with his parents, who settled at Safed, and at their death in 1836 he moved to Jerusalem...
who wrote about Shukr Kuhayl in the Jerusalem press and in his Even Sappir indicated that almost all the Jews of Yemen at that time believed the messianic claims of Shukr Kuhayl I.
Although Kuhayl was very shortly thereafter killed by local Arabs in 1865
—apparently under direction of the imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
controlling the capital of San‘a’, who viewed his activities as a threat—there were many among his followers who did not accept his demise, and expected his imminent return. (Among these were his sister and son, who did not mourn his death.) They were soon enough rewarded in 1868 by the appearance of Judah ben Shalom
Judah ben Shalom
Judah ben Shalom , also known as Mori Shooker Kohail II or Shukr Kuhayl II , was a Yemenite messianic pretender of the mid-19th century....
, claiming to be the self-same recently-deceased Shukr Kuhayl, who then went on to lead a very significant messianic movement which attracted both Yemenite Jews and Arabs.