Ratzon convinced his women that he was the awaited Messiah and that he had godlike status.

CAIRO – Branded as “Harem Messiah”, a self-styled Jewish sage has been arrested for a list of criminal charges, including enslavement, sexual abuse and rape, reported Haaretz Friday,

January 15.

“Goel Ratzon is accused of crimes which range from holding women in enslavement, rape, extortion, and indecent acts against minors,” Tel Aviv District Court said.

“It suffices to look at the evidence presented thus far in order to understand the picture that emerges of a man who physically and psychologically took control of women who live in his

domicile and children who live with those same women.”

Dubbed “Israel’s Josef Fritzl”, Ratzon was arrested by Israeli police for marrying 17 women and keeping them in “conditions similar to slavery”.

“The evidence shows the suspect controlled his women with a firm hand, including their possessions and their money,” police said.

Breaking into the house, the police found his women wearing conservative orthodox dresses covering their entire bodies and bearing tattoos of Ratzon’s face and name.

Ratzon’s 40 children had names with a variation on his ‘Goel’, which means redeemer in Hebrew.

“The women didn’t really understand what their situation was,” police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said.

“They didn’t understand what freedom was.”

Polygamy is banned in Israel.

“Messiah”

Police investigations found that Ratzon imposed slavery-like conditions on his wives and children.

“What took place inside this house was a form of terror,” Gabi Zohar of the Center for Cult Victims in Israel told Israel Radio.

“There was very serious abuse.”

Writing his own list of 10 commandments, Ratzon convinced his women that he was the awaited Messiah and that he had godlike status.

Under his commandments, Ratzon’s women were banned from interrupting him, idling, questioning on his whereabouts or intention or working while a man of over 12 years is in the house.

If any dared break the rules, his ‘slavery’ punishment was ready either by high fines or physical punishment.

“He is the Messiah everyone is talking about,” one of his women said at Israeli Channel 10 documentary a year ago.

The video shows the women brushing Ratzon’s hair and feeding him.

“The day he decides to reveal himself, the land will shake,” she added.

In Jewish traditions, Messiah refers to a future King of Israel, from the Davidic line, who will rule the people of Israel and herald an age of global peace.