The Basics of Judaism: Messiah and the Next World (including Reward & Punishment): The Messiah as the Son of David:
Must the Messiah be a descendant of David? In what line?
Apparently anyone in the male line (son of a son... of David) is eligible; birth order doesn't necessarily give
priority. Until the middle ages, the heads of the Jewish community in Babylonia claimed descent from David
in the male line, and were able to give their entire line of descent; and even today there are many people who
claim such descent.
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