Jacob is a charismatic religious leader who travels across Eastern Europe and the Ottoman Empire, drawing a large following of devoted disciples. He preaches a controversial new doctrine that blends elements of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, actively encouraging his followers to break traditional laws. He relies on his congregation for financial support to maintain a lavish lifestyle. He demands total loyalty, manipulating both political authorities and his own followers to secure his personal status.

Nahman is a highly educated religious scholar from Busk who becomes one of Jacob's earliest and most dedicated disciples. He possesses a strong desire to serve a higher cause and eagerly documents Jacob's teachings in secret diaries, directly disobeying Jacob's explicit orders not to do so. His intense faith causes him to overlook Jacob's flaws and to neglect his own wives and children.

Moliwda is a Polish nobleman who abandons his aristocratic upbringing to live as a traveler, translator, and storyteller. He speaks multiple languages and frequently embellishes his life experiences to charm and entertain others. He feels an immediate kinship with Jacob, recognizing a shared talent for manipulation, and often translates for the religious leader during high-stakes meetings with political figures.

Yente is Jacob's elderly grandmother who swallows a Kabbalistic paper charm designed to delay her death. The charm places her in a permanent, coma-like state, separating her consciousness from her physical body. From this detached perspective, she observes the unfolding events of the world across decades while her family eventually places her body in a cave for safekeeping.

Asher is a Jewish doctor educated in Italy who views the world through a strictly secular, medical lens. He isolates himself from the religious fervor of his community, preferring to understand plagues and fevers as biological puzzles rather than divine punishments. He eventually establishes a comfortable life in Vienna, working as an optometrist.

Father Chmielowski is a lonely Christian priest living in a quiet parish. He devotes his life to writing the first Polish-language encyclopedia, *New Athens*, a massive project that drives him to seek out obscure knowledge from Jewish scholars. He corresponds regularly with a poet to discuss literature, using his intellectual pursuits to distract himself from his isolation.

Katarzyna is a wealthy, assertive noblewoman married to the castellan of Kamieniec. She possesses a predatory political instinct and utilizes her vast wealth and connections to influence the church and local governance. She frequently acts as a patron for Jacob's followers, providing them with shelter and political leverage when they face persecution.

Elzbieta is a Polish poet who travels as an older companion to a wealthy aristocrat. She writes gloomy poetry and exchanges long letters with Father Chmielowski about language, art, and the challenges of accurately capturing human emotion on paper. Her work provides her with a sense of purpose during her extensive travels.

Elisha is a venerable rabbi in Rohatyn who owns a vast collection of books. He is open to interacting with Christian scholars and provides shelter to runaways, demonstrating a pragmatic approach to leadership. His family becomes heavily involved with Jacob's religious movement.

Hayah is Elisha Shorr's daughter, a sickly woman who experiences intense, prophetic fevers. She uses her visions to guide Jacob's followers during times of crisis. She actively participates in the physical rituals of the sect and continues to work as a fortune-teller into her old age.

Hana is Jacob's first wife, a woman who struggles with the constant upheaval caused by her husband's religious movement. She does not speak Polish, which isolates her during their time in Warsaw, and she frequently feels alienated by Jacob's erratic behavior and radical teachings regarding marriage.

Born Avacha, Eva is Jacob's extraordinarily beautiful daughter. Jacob routinely uses her attractiveness as a diplomatic tool to gain favor with powerful men, including an emperor. She learns courtly manners quickly but often feels immense pressure to manage the massive debts her father accrues.

Gitla is a fiercely intense young woman who initially serves as one of Jacob's closest bodyguards and devotees. After leaving the religious sect, she survives by engaging in sex work before eventually building a stable, quiet life in Vienna alongside Asher Rubin.

Moshe is Jacob's ambitious nephew, a law student who eventually changes his name to Thomas von Schonfeld. He is deeply involved in Freemasonry and alchemy, using these modern philosophies to establish successful financial ventures. He views his uncle's religious movement strictly as a business enterprise and a means for profit.

Bishop Soltyk is a highly ranked Catholic official driven primarily by his vices. He owes money to numerous people and enthusiastically supports the mass conversion of Jacob's followers, believing the resulting political favor will help him cover his massive financial losses.

Tovah is a wise man who initially secures a job for Jacob. He grows increasingly frustrated by the suffering Jacob brings upon his family and actively attempts to sever his daughter's ties to the religious sect after witnessing the squalor of Jacob's followers.

Pinkas is Gitla's father, a traditional Jewish man who works for the rabbinical council. He is horrified by the anti-Semitic conspiracy theories promoted by Jacob's followers and actively campaigns against the sect.

Shlomo is Elisha Shorr's son, a devoted follower of Jacob who travels extensively with the sect and frequently seeks greater authority and recognition within the group.