The 1844 Ottoman "Edict of Toleration" in Secondary Bahá'í Literature
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The Journal of Bahá'í Studies 8, 53-80Abstract: In Bahá'í secondary literature, it has been commonly assumed that an imperial edict, referred to by Christian and Bahá'í authors as the "Edict of Toleration," issued in 1844 by the Ottoman government, permitted Jews to return to Palestine. The return of Jews to Palestine was widely thought by Christians to be an important event anticipated by biblical prophecy and heralding the Second Advent of Christ. Since the fulfilment of such a significant prophecy seemed to have been made possible by an edict issued in the very year the Bahá'í era began, the Edict naturally captured the interest of Bahá'ís. This article examines the Edict, its origin, the evolution of ideas about it, and re-evaluates its significance.
In Bahá'í secondary literature, it has been commonly assumed that an imperial edict, referred to by Christian and Bahá'í authors as the "Edict of Toleration," issued in 1844 by the Ottoman government, permitted Jews to return to Palestine. The return of Jews to Palestine was widely thought by Christians to be an important event anticipated by biblical prophecy and heralding the Second Advent of Christ. Since the fulfilment of such a significant prophecy seemed to have been made possible by an edict issued in the very year the Bahá'í era began, the Edict naturally captured the interest of Bahá'ís. This article examines the Edict, its origin, the evolution of ideas about it, and re-evaluates its significance.