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How did Maimonides include messianic belief in his Thirteen Articles of Faith?

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Fresco The Last Judgment by Michelangelo covers the west wall of the Sistine Chapel, depicting Christ at the center surrounded by angels and human figures in dramatic poses. — eschatology The Second Coming as depicted in “The Last Judgment,” fresco by Michelangelo, 1536-41, on the west wall of the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Palace, Vatican City.

In his Thirteen Articles of Faith, the 12th-century Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides established the belief in and the fervent expectation of the messiah as a fundamental tenet of Judaism.1

Maimonides formulated these articles as a summary of basic tenets to serve as a guide for true faith and to help avoid theological error. By including the messianic hope within this dogmatic framework, he solidified the expectation of a future redeemer as an essential component of Jewish belief. While Maimonides presented these articles as dogma, they were rooted in his personal conceptualization and have been subject to debate and revision throughout history.21

It is important to note that while Maimonides codified this belief, the role and nature of the messiah have been interpreted in various ways across Jewish history—ranging from a personal redeemer figure to more abstract, eschatological concepts of a future golden age—reflecting the diverse ways the Jewish community has navigated its historical and theological challenges.13