1st Edition
Ascensions on High in Jewish Mysticism Pillars, Lines, Ladders
By Moshe Idel
Copyright 2005
260 Pages
by
Central European University Press
260 Pages
by
Central European University Press
Ascensions on high took many forms in Jewish mysticism and they permeated most of its history from its inception until Hasidism. The book surveys the various categories, with an emphasis on the architectural images of the ascent, like the resort to images of pillars, lines, and ladders. After surveying the variety of scholarly approaches to religion, the author also offers what he proposes as an... Read more
Preface; Introduction; Chapter 1: On Diverse Forms of Living Ascent on High in Jewish Sources Chapter 2: On Cosmic Pillars in Jewish Sources Chapter 3: The Eschatological Pillar of the Souls in Zoharic Literature Chapter 4: Psychanodia and Metamorphoses of Pillars in Eighteenth-Century Hasidism Chapter 5: The Neoplatonic Path for Dead Souls: Medieval Philosophy, Kabbalah and Renaissance, Concluding Remarks, Name Index, Subject Index.
Biography
Moshe Idel is historian and philosopher of Jewish mysticism. He is Emeritus Max Cooper Professor in Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and Senior Researcher at the Shalom Hartman Institute.
