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Origins of the Kabbalah (Paperback)

~ (Author), Allan Arkush (Translator) "The question of the origin and early stages of the Kabbalah, that form of Jewish mysticism and theosophy that appears to have emerged suddenly in..." (more)
Key Phrases: ten logoi, oldest kabbalists, primordial pneuma, Isaac the Blind, German Hasidim, Jacob ben Shesheth (more...)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Gershom Scholem's Origins of the Kabbalah provides a painstakingly detailed history of Kabbalah's rise among medieval French and Spanish Jews, describes the first publication of Jewish mystical texts, and investigates the growth of their influence on Jewish religious life. The book also doubles back to describe secret traditions of Jewish Gnosticism, which describe a Creation story so numerological and esoteric it makes the New Testament book of Revelation look as simple and straightforward as a Saturday-morning cartoon. This book is much denser than Scholem's excellent On the Kabbalah and its Symbolism, but for readers with a basic knowledge of Kabbalah, it shouldn't be rough going. --Michael Joseph Gross


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This book has been a classic in its field since it was first issued in 1950, and it still stands as uniquely authoritative and intriguingly instructive. . . . [It is] a monument of revelation and insight bridging anthropology, religion, sociology, and history. -- Review
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 504 pages
  • Publisher: Princeton University Press (January 1, 1991)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0691020477
  • ISBN-13: 978-0691020471
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #271,260 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

Gershom Gerhard Scholem
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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First Sentence:
The question of the origin and early stages of the Kabbalah, that form of Jewish mysticism and theosophy that appears to have emerged suddenly in the thirteenth century, is indisputably one of the most difficult in the history of the Jewish religion after the destruction of the Second Temple. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ten logoi, oldest kabbalists, primordial pneuma, seventh logos, supreme sefiroth, primordial hokhmah, other sefiroth, thirteen middoth, ten sefiroth, lower sefiroth, supreme sefirah, first sefirah, earliest kabbalists, last sefirah, indistinct unity, primordial ether, tenth sefirah, seventh sefirah, first kabbalists, kabbalistic passages, old paraphrase, talmudic aggadah, second sefirah, highest sefirah, third sefirah
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Isaac the Blind, German Hasidim, Jacob ben Shesheth, Yehudah ben Barzilai, Eleazar of Worms, Song of Songs, Jacob the Nazirite, New York, Isaac of Acre, Raza Rabba, Isaac Cohen, Kiryath Sefer, Asher ben David, Scotus Erigena, British Museum, Abraham ben Isaac, Meir ben Simon, Yehudah Halevi, Bahya ben Asher, Moses of Burgos, Oral Torah, Jacob Cohen, Shemtob ibn Gaon, Abraham ibn Ezra, Abraham ben David
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39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars conforming thought to faith, November 26, 2000
In my mind, this is one of the most important books written in the twentieth century. Strong words, I admit; please allow me to make my case. This book helps to remove much of the confusion concerning the Kabbalah which is a rich tradition of repeated attempts to achieve and portray direct experiences of GOD. In the words of a disciple of Isaac the Blind (1165?-1235?), "The essential thing in the divine service of the mystics and those who meditate on His name, lies in this : 'and cleave to Him.' [Deuteronomy 13:5] And this is a cardinal principle of Torah and of prayer, that one make one's thought conform with one's faith." One of the most important scholars of the twentieth century, Gershom G. Scholem (1897-1982) opened up a once esoteric world of Jewish mysticism, the Kabbalah, to concerned students of religion. The basic thesis of this book is that the Kabbalah originated in one chronologically limited time-span (13th century) and in one geographically limited area (Provençe, France and Gerona, Spain). The editor, R. J. Zwi Werblowsky who worked closely with Scholem, writes "in many way's URSPRUNG UND ANFäNGE DER KABBALAH (1962) [Origins of the Kabbalah] is the most impressive of all [of his writtings] for here Scholem dealt with a major yet enigmatic phenomenon in the history of Jewish spirituality." For Scholem, the oldest literary document of the Kabbalah is the book Bahir. He presents historical evidence that it is a product of Oriental sources combined with purely gnostic tradition (e.g. Merkabah literature) distilled in German Hasidim to arrive in Provençe sometime between 1130 and 1170. Scholem continues with the fascinating history of the Kabbalah with a study of Isaac the Blind, one of the greatest early interpreters from Provençe. Isaac's many new contributions included combining the Bahir with new ideas, thoughts and terminology. In the mid-13th century, the trail continues to the city of Gerona as the centre of the contemplative Kabbalah in its most complete development prior to the Zohar. Scholem writes, "The Kabbalah appeared in Gerona in the fully elaborated form of a contemplative mysticism that sought to draw all domains of Jewish existence into its sphere of influence and to embue them with its spirit." I honestly hold to the conviction that this is a book for everyone, regardless of faith, or disposition to esoteric mysticism. From the first edition, Professor Scholem writes, "Once the ice of ignorance has been broken and the charlatanism that dominated the field has been overcome, the way will be open to further fruitful research. Jewish studies as well as the history of Oriental and Western religions will benefit equally from a more penetrating study and discussion of the problem of the Kabbalah." If you are interested in a spiritual relationship, this book with be interesting to you.
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23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Origins of the Kabbalah, August 8, 2000
This is a very in depth study of the origins of Kabalistic development. Mr. Scholem has obviously done alot of research into this field and is considered one of the leading authorities in it. His works are always very well researched and comprehensive in both scope and content. Though this text is not entertaining it is doubtful that those reading it are looking for entertainment. One will find a treasure trove of in depth information that is informative and insightful. No stone has been left unturned by Mr. Scholem in his study of the material at hand. His interpretation of this field of study is unique in the aspect that he gives the true historical evidence and avoids interjecting his own beliefs into the text. If one is looking to come to a true understanding of when, where, why, who, and how the Kabbalah came to take the form that is currently presented to us in other books then one should invest the time needed to read this text.
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