– 1 6 7 6 ) ▁announced ▁himself ▁as ▁the ▁Mess iah ▁and ▁gained ▁many ▁Jews ▁to ▁his ▁side , ▁forming ▁a ▁base ▁in ▁Sal on ika . ▁He ▁first ▁tried ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁settlement ▁in ▁Gaz a , ▁but ▁moved ▁later ▁to ▁S my r na . ▁After ▁depos ing ▁the ▁old ▁ra bbi ▁A aron ▁Lap apa ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 6 6 6 , ▁the ▁Jewish ▁community ▁of ▁Av ignon , ▁France ▁prepared ▁to ▁em igr ate ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁kingdom . ▁The ▁read iness ▁of ▁the ▁Jews ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁to ▁believe ▁the ▁mess ian ic ▁claims ▁of ▁S abb ata i ▁Ze vi ▁may ▁be ▁largely ▁explained ▁by ▁the ▁des perate ▁state ▁of ▁Central ▁European ▁Jew ry ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 7 th ▁century . ▁The ▁blo ody ▁pog rom s ▁of ▁Boh dan ▁K hm el ny t sky ▁had ▁w ip ed ▁out ▁one - third ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁population ▁and ▁destroyed ▁many ▁cent ers ▁of ▁Jewish ▁learning ▁and ▁commun al ▁life . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁a ▁current ▁in ▁J uda ism ▁supporting ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁Z ion ▁grew ▁in ▁popular ity , ▁particularly ▁in ▁Europe , ▁where ▁ant is emit ism ▁and ▁host ility ▁toward ▁Jews ▁were ▁growing . ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁returning ▁to ▁Palest ine ▁was ▁rejected ▁by ▁the ▁con ferences ▁of ▁rabb is ▁held ▁in ▁that ▁epo ch . ▁Ind ividual ▁efforts ▁supported ▁the ▁em igration ▁of ▁groups ▁of ▁Jews ▁to ▁Palest ine ,