{"product_id":"the-origins-of-jewish-mysticism-paperback-1","title":"The Origins of Jewish Mysticism - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003ePeter Schäfer\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Origins of Jewish Mysticism\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In this book, Peter Schäfer 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. Schäfer 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.\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Origins of Jewish Mysticism\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\"\u003cb\u003e--Philip Alexander, University of Manchester\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"With great acumen and ingenuity, Schäfer 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.\"\u003cb\u003e--Pieter W. van der Horst, professor emeritus, Utrecht University\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePeter Schäfer\u003c\/b\u003e is the Ronald O. Perelman Professor of Jewish Studies and professor of religion at Princeton University. His books include \u003ci\u003eJesus in the Talmud\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eMirror of His Beauty: Feminine Images of God from the Bible to the Early Kabbalah\u003c\/i\u003e (both Princeton). He received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2007.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 416\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.85 x 9.22 x 6.07 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 13, 2011\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42586009665632,"sku":"9780691142159","price":107.22,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0598\/1922\/9280\/files\/MWJWajRPeitXNlN4MTRYZThHMDR0dz09.webp?v=1771070125","url":"https:\/\/bijoucc.myshopify.com\/products\/the-origins-of-jewish-mysticism-paperback-1","provider":"CARIBBEAN CONNECT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}