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Kabbalah Secret Tradition of the West by Gershom Scholem With origins extending back in time beyond the Dead Sea Scrolls, the body of writings and beliefs known as the Kabbalah has come to be increasingly recognized not only as one of the most intriguing aspects of Judaism but also as an important part of a broader mystical tradition. Now the world's leading authority on the Kabbalah has written one of the most enlightening studies ever to plumb its complex depths and range over its rich history. Illumined in this fascinating work are the centuries of efforts by Kabbalists to discover the secrets of God and the universe through the symbols of the physical world and the mysteries of language—a mammoth search set against a background of Jewish life in Spain, Poland, Germany and the rest of Europe. |
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Brought to life are such remarkable personalities as Shabbetai
Zevi, the 17th-century pseudo-Messiah who raised the Jewish world to near ecstasy
before plunging it into disillusion; and the charismatic Jacob Frank, who
threatened to disastrously divide the Jewish religion. We learn the
connection between the Kabbalah and such haunting legends as the Dubbuk, the
Golem, and Lilith, as well as its relationship to the practice of magic.
A Definitive History of the Evolution, ideas, leading figures and extraordinary influence of Jewish Mysticism. Kabbalah by Gershom Scholem, New American Library Trade; ISBN: 0452010071 |
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