The Origins of Jewish Mysticism

Peter Schäfer, Peter Schfer

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Hardback

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English

Princeton University Pres
13 February 2011

History; History of religion; Judaism: mysticism

"The Origins of Jewish Mysticism offers the first in-depth look at the history of Jewish mysticism from the book of Ezekiel to the Merkavah mysticism of late antiquity. The Merkavah movement is widely recognized as the first full-fledged expression of Jewish mysticism, one that had important ramifications for classical rabbinic Judaism and the emergence of the Kabbalah in twelfth-century Europe. Yet until now, the origins and development of still earlier forms of Jewish mysticism have been largely overlooked. In this book, Peter Schafer sheds new light on Ezekiel's tantalizing vision, the apocalyptic literature of Enoch, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the writings of the Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo, the rabbinical writings of the Talmudic period, and the esotericism of the Merkavah mystics. Schafer questions whether we can accurately speak of Jewish mysticism as a uniform, coherent phenomenon with origins in Judaism's mythical past.

Rather than imposing preconceived notions about ""mysticism"" on a great variety of writings that arose from different cultural, religious, and historical settings, he reveals what these writings seek to tell us about the age-old human desire to get close to and communicate with God."

By: Peter Schäfer, Peter Schfer
Imprint: Princeton University Pres
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 567g
ISBN: 9780691142159
ISBN 10: 0691142157
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 13 February 2011
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , General/trade , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Peter Schafer is the Ronald O. Perelman Professor of Jewish Studies and professor of religion at Princeton University. His books include Jesus in the Talmud and Mirror of His Beauty: Feminine Images of God from the Bible to the Early Kabbalah (both Princeton). He received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2007.

Reviews for The Origins of Jewish Mysticism

With great acumen and ingenuity, Schafer refutes the currently popular idea that there was an uninterrupted continuum from the earliest Jewish apocalypses and the Dead Sea Scrolls to the mystical Hekhalot literature of late antiquity. His book is a very sobering reminder that the origins of Jewish mysticism still remain by and large shrouded in darkness. -Pieter W. van der Horst, professor emeritus, Utrecht University The Origins of Jewish Mysticism is the culmination of a lifetime of scholarship by one of the most important figures in the field. Full of fresh and convincing interpretations, it is among the most significant works on Jewish mysticism to appear in decades. -Philip Alexander, University of Manchester Peter Schafer, Winner of the 2007 Distinguished Achievement Award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation