This article is about the concept of a Messiah (savior) in religion, notably in the Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions. For other uses, see Messiah . In Judaism, the Messiah (; Aramaic: , ; , ; "the Anointed One") at first meant any person who was anointed with oil on rising to a certain position among the ancient Israelites, at first that of High priest, later that of King and also that of a prophet. In English today, it is used in three main contexts: in a Jewish context, it refers to the anticipated king of the Davidic line prophesied by Isaiah, who shall rule the Jewish people during the Messianic Age; in a general sense, it means any such saviour or liberator of the world; and among Christians, it refers to Jesus of Nazareth identified as the Christ (, the Anointed One). In the 1st century, Jews interpreted the prophecies of the Tanakh to refer more specifically t