Shabtai Explained

Shabtai (Hebrew: שַׁבְּתַאי or) is a Jewish masculine given name derived from the Hebrew word Shabbat, and is traditionally given to boys born on that day.^[1] Alternative transliterations into English include Sabbatai, Sabbathai, Shabbatai, Shabbethai, and Shabsai.

It is the name of a Levite in the Tanakh,^[2] and the name in Hebrew for the planet Saturn.^[3] Notable people with the name include:

Given name

• Shabtai Ambron, astronomer
• Shabtai Bass (1641–1718), father of Jewish bibliography, and author
• Moses Shabbethai Beer
• Shabbethai Bass
• Shabbethai ben Meïr ha-Kohen (1621–62), the "Shach", a noted talmudist and halakhist
• Shabtai Daniel (1909–81), Israeli journalist and politician
• Shabbethai Donnolo
• Joseph Shabbethai Farhi
• Shabsai Frankel (1909–2000), rabbi, businessman, philanthropist, and publisher of Torah books
• Shabbatai HaKohen
• Shabbethai Horowitz (c. 1590–1660), rabbi and talmudist
• Shabtai Sheftel Horowitz (1565–1619), kabbalistic author
• Shabtai Kalmanovich (1947–2009), KGB spy
• Shabtai Levy (1876–1956), Israeli mayor of Haifa
• Shabsa Mashkautsan (1924–2022), Soviet soldier, Hero of the Soviet Union
• Shabbethai Nawawi, rabbi
• Shabbethai Panzieri
• Shabbethai Premsla
• Shabtai Rosenne (1917–2010), Israeli professor and diplomat
• Shabtai Shavit (born 1941), Director General of the Mossad
• Shabtai Shikhman (1915–87), Israeli politician
• Shabtai Teveth (born 1925), Israeli journalist and academic
• Shabtai Zvi (1626–76), Jewish Messiah claimant and foudner of the Sabbatean movement

Surname

See also: Ben Shabbethai.

• Aharon Shabtai (born 1939), poet and translator
• Benny Shabtai, Israeli American businessman, investor, and philanthropist
• Ḥayyim Shabbethai (1557–1647), Chief Rabbi of Salonika
• Yaakov Shabtai (1934–81), Israeli novelist, playwright, and translator
• Kobi Shabtai, 19th Commissioner of the Israel Police

See also

• Vera Shabshai (1905-1988) Soviet dancer, teacher and choreographer
• Shabtai (society), a global Jewish society of Yale University students, alumni, and current and former faculty

Notes and References

1. Encyclopedia: Shabbetai. Hanks . Patrick . Kate. Hardcastle. Hodges . Flavia . A Dictionary of First Names. 2nd . 2006 . 978-0-19-172667-5 .
2. Encyclopedia: Horace J.. Wolf. Orr. James. Shabbethai. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. 1915.
3. Web site: Saturn and the Jews. November 10, 2017. Shlomo. Sela. Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies. June 26, 2024.