The Portuguese False Messiah How many false messiahs existed in Jewish history? There have been many individuals throughout Jewish history who falsely claimed to be the Messiah. While there isn't a definitive number, we can identify several prominent figures, and many others have been forgotten or are not well-documented. One such case is of the Portuguese False Messiah - David Reubeni (1490/1541).David Reubeni was a Jewish adventurer whose grandiose plans inspired the messianic visions of the martyr Solomon Molcho. Reubeni claimed to be a prince descended from the tribe of Reuben (hence his name) of a Jewish state in Arabia. Reubeni managed to secure an audience with King João of Portugal in November 1525, supported by a letter of recommendation from Pope Clement VII. His proposals, which combined political-military strategies with apocalyptic vision, were too strange for João. Reubeni was subsequently taken to Spain and was assigned to the Inquisition in Llerena, where he is presumed to have been executed around 1541.