Ghetto Folklore

As soon as the war broke out, on the seventeenth of Elul 5699 / September 1, 1939, all the Jews were confident that the Messiah and his redemption would come in the year 5700, because there were numerous allusions to that effect in holy books printed hundreds of years ago. There were, in addition, other such signs in holy books published a few decades ago, as well as popularly construed signs that were transmitted orally. 1. The earliest source stating that the redemption would come in 5700 is found in the commentary of R. Joseph Yahya on the book of Daniel.