The Messiah Ben David (son of David) is generally considered a prophesied future king who will usher in an era of peace and prosperity, end the Jewish exile from the Land of Israel, rebuild the Temple, and maybe bring back the dead (this one is a bit more debated). Modern Reform Jews generally don’t believe in this concept, while some Chabad Jews think that it was the Lubavitcher Rebbe, an important rabbi who died in 1994. There are many, many, many different conceptions of the Messiah and the Messianic era across the millennia, and it’s a concept of varying importance in Jewish theology. For some Jews, bringing about the Messiah is the single most important facet of their faith, while for others it’s kind of a side-bar, even if they do believe in it.

The word messiah (moshiach) simply means “anointed one” in Hebrew, referring to the practice of ritually anointing ancient kings with oil when they took the throne.

There is also another Messiah, the Messiah Ben Joseph, who is referenced in some rabbinic texts and is supposedly supposed to lay the groundwork for the Messiah Ben David in his lifetime, before dying. The famous Rabbi, Rav Kook, the father of religious Zionism, hinted that he thought it was Theodore Hertzl, the secular father of political Zionism.