Asher Lämmlein[1] was a Jew who appeared in Istria, near Venice, in 1502 and, encouraged by the works of Isaac Abrabanel,[2] proclaimed himself a forerunner of the Jewish Messiah.
[3] His place of birth is unknown, but his nicknames Ashkenazi and Reutlingen indicate that he or his family originally came from Germany.
[5] Lämmlein declared that if the Jews showed great repentance and charity, the Messiah would not fail to appear in six months.
[3] Salo W. Baron suggests that disillusionment over the failed prophesies Lämmlein helped lead to the conversion of a few Jewish intellectuals to the Christian faith, including Victor von Carben and Johannes Pfefferkorn.
[6] Saverio Campanini, A Neglected Source concerning Asher Lemmlein and Paride da Ceresara: Agostino Giustiniani, in "European Journal of Jewish Studies" 2.1 (2008), pp.