Kabbalistic Teachings of the Female Prophets: The Seven Holy Women of Ancient Israel [Paperback]

J. Zohara Meyerhoff Hieronimus D.H.L. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2008

The spiritual teachings of Israel’s biblical prophetesses from a kabbalistic perspective

• Explores the lives and symbolic significance of seven female prophets: Sarah, Miriam, Devorah, Chanah, Avigail, Chuldah, and Esther

• Uses the gematria of Jewish metaphysics to demonstrate that prophecy is a mystical initiatory path by which Divine Will is made known, not only a tool for telling the future

• Presents practical applications of kabbalistic teachings for spiritual development

The seven prophetesses of Israel--Sarah, Miriam, Devorah, Chanah, Avigail, Chuldah, and Esther--lived between 1800 and 350 BCE. Their combined lives reflect a kabbalistic path of spiritual evolution that is as pertinent to our lives today as it was for the biblical communities in which they lived.

From her studies of the Torah and classical gematria, Zohara Hieronimus shows that each prophetess is linked to a Sefirah on the kabbalistic Tree of Life: from creation (Sarah) through learning correct moral action (Devorah) to the promise of redemption and ultimately resurrection (Esther). Using the stories of their lives and teachings, Hieronimus reveals the relationship of each prophetess to the seven days of the week, the seven sacred species of Israel, the human body, and Jewish holidays and rituals.

This book presents the kabbalistic teachings of these holy women and what they reveal about the initiatory path of individual development and redemption. The seven prophetesses show that every person has a part to play in the repair of the world, and Hieronimus gives a practical set of maps and spiritual guidelines for that journey.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is indeed a unique book for this dark/bright moment in our human evolution. It reveals the power of prophecy among the women of ancient Israel and is an impeccable portal to the state of sanity that our humanity urgently needs at this perplexed and confused time.”
(Samuel Ben-Or Avital, author of The Invisible Stairway: Kabbalistic Meditations on the Hebrew Letters )

“A unique book that will nurture your soul and help you achieve inner refinement with the power, love, and femininity of the seven biblical prophetesses.”
(Rabbi Simon Jacobson, author of Toward a Meaningful Life )

" . . . a unique book. I mean this quite literally, for I know nothing quite like this work, either in the Cabalistic tradition, or in the wider magical tradition. . . . the scope of history, the humility of the writing, and the spiritual insights offered, carry the work well beyond the usual limits of feminism, and indeed, transforms the feminine into the Universal." (
David Ovason, reviewer, Nov 2008 )

"It is an informative and thought-provoking book that will open the eyes of the reader to new vistas of understanding, of both the prophetesses and of the Torah, in general." (
Rabbi Chayim Lando, Orthodox Rabbi )

From the Back Cover

SPIRITUALITY / KABBALAH

“This is indeed a unique book for this dark/bright moment in our human evolution. It reveals the power of prophecy among the women of ancient Israel and is an impeccable portal to the state of sanity that our humanity urgently needs at this perplexed and confused time.”
--Samuel Ben-Or Avital, author of The Invisible Stairway: Kabbalistic Meditations on the Hebrew Letters

“A unique book that will nurture your soul and help you achieve inner refinement with the power, love, and femininity of the seven biblical prophetesses.”
--Rabbi Simon Jacobson, author of Toward a Meaningful Life

The seven prophetesses of Israel--Sarah, Miriam, Devorah, Chanah, Avigail, Chuldah, and Esther--lived between 1800 and 350 BCE. Their combined lives reflect a Kabbalistic path of spiritual evolution that is as pertinent to our lives today as it was for the biblical communities in which they lived.

From her studies of the Torah and classical gematria, Zohara Hieronimus shows that each prophetess is linked to a Sefirah on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life: from creation (Sarah) through learning correct moral action (Devorah) to the promise of redemption and ultimately resurrection (Esther). Using the stories of their lives and teachings, Hieronimus reveals the relationship of each prophetess to the seven days of the week, the seven sacred species of Israel, the human body, and Jewish holidays and rituals.

This book presents the Kabbalistic teachings of these holy women and what they reveal about the initiatory path of individual development and redemption. The seven prophetesses show that every person has a part to play in the repair of the world, and Hieronimus gives a practical set of maps and spiritual guidelines for that journey.

J. ZOHARA MEYERHOFF HIERONIMUS is an award-winning radio broadcaster, social justice and environmental activist, and professional artist. She founded the Ruscombe Mansion Community Health Center in Baltimore in 1984 and hosts the national radio program Future Talk. She lives with her husband, Robert R. Hieronimus, in Maryland.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions; 1st Printing edition (August 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594772274
• ISBN-13: 978-1594772276
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #704,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Jewish Readers, September 17, 2008

By 

Florence Stanley (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kabbalistic Teachings of the Female Prophets: The Seven Holy Women of Ancient Israel (Paperback)

I have been a student of different esoteric schools for about 20 years, but had only a peripheral knowledge of the esoteric Jewish stream of kabbalah. I was attracted to the title of this book due to my interest in history and the divine feminine, but I was a little hesitant when I flipped through it and saw all the charts and Hebrew letters. I wanted to learn the stories of these seven holy women, however, and I knew I needed to learn more about Kabbalah, so I decided to give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did. I want to share with my fellow readers who came up in the Christian tradition like I did: Don't be intimidated by the Hebrew. Ms. Hieronimus makes this difficult topic accessible and understandable. The charts are AMAZINGLY helpful, and I finally feel like I can begin to make some sense out of Kabbalah. The first two chapters are an excellent summary and overview of the tree of life that sets the stage for her stories on the prophetesses. The rest of the book goes chapter by chapter through the seven prophetesses and correlates their lessons to the seven days of the week, special foods, and parts of the body. Believe me, you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate this book. You just have to be a seeker interested in the divine feminine and this esoteric stream of holy wisdom from the people who have influenced the religious beliefs of so much of the Western world.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an inspiring book on human development, June 7, 2010

By 

M. B. Stoffel (Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kabbalistic Teachings of the Female Prophets: The Seven Holy Women of Ancient Israel (Paperback)

This book offers you understanding and insight in the kabbalistic esoteric teachings. The writer shows seven steps of human development based on the description of the lives of the seven female prophets. My estimate is that these developmental steps are not only valuable for women, but as well for men. This can be important especially when you take in account the huge problems that our masculine structured world cultures are confronted with!

5.0 out of 5 stars Kabalistic Teachings of the Female Prophets, March 17, 2011

By 

Andrew Weiss "Andrew Weiss" (Schuyler Ne USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kabbalistic Teachings of the Female Prophets: The Seven Holy Women of Ancient Israel (Paperback)

This is an excellent book! Very well written and thought out.
Explains the Tree of life in detail. The Author writes with a clarity that is not often found in these types of books.
She ties together each prophet with Day of the week foods and specific atributes for each. It is written in easy to understand language. With clear diagrams and notes.