Mystical texts : [songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice and related manuscripts] / Philip Alexander.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Alexander, Philip S.

Series:

Library of Second Temple studies ; 61.

Companion to the Qumran scrolls ; 7.

Library of Second Temple studies ; 61

Companion to the Qumran scrolls ; 7

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Dead Sea scrolls--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Dead Sea scrolls.

Mysticism.

Mysticism--Judaism.

Physical Description:

x, 171 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : T & T Clark, [2006]

Summary:

Starting from a careful definition of mysticism, this volume argues that there is clear evidence for the practice of mysticism in the Community of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Philip Alexander offers a close reading of the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice, the Self-Glorification Hymn, and related texts, which constitute the Qumran mystical corpus. He discusses the nature of the mystical experience at Qumran and also argues that the presence of mysticism there has important implications for the history of western mysticism.

The contributors to the Companion to the Qumran Scrolls series take account of all relevant and recently published texts and provide extensive bibliographies. The books in the series are authoritatively written in accessible language and are ideal for students and non-specialist scholars.

Contents:

Editions, Translations and Bibliographies of the Dead Sea Scrolls 1

1 The Problem of Mysticism at Qumran 5

1.1 The State of the Question 5

1.2 A Definition of Mysticism 7

1.3 The Qumran 'Mystical Corpus' 10

2 The Celestial Temple and its Angelic Liturgy: The Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice 13

2.1 Manuscripts, Reconstruction, Contents 13

2.1.1 Manuscripts and Reconstruction 13

2.1.2 Contents, Song by Song 15

2.1.3 Preliminary Overview 44

2.2 Themes and Issues 47

2.2.1 Structure and Progression 47

2.2.2 The Calendar and the Aspect of Time 51

2.2.3 The Celestial Temple 52

2.2.4 The Angels and their Liturgy 55

2.2.5 Sources for the Vision of Heaven 59

2.3 Parallel Texts from Qumran 61

2.3.1 4QBlessings (4Q286-290) 61

2.3.2 4QWords of the Luminaries (4Q504-506) 64

2.3.3 4QDaily Prayers (4Q503), and 4QApocryphon of Moses? (4Q408) 65

2.3.4 4QPseudo-Ezekiel (4Q385) 66

2.3.5 4QMysteries[superscript c] (4Q301) 68

2.3.6 4QSongs of the Sage (4Q510-511) 69

2.3.7 11QMelchizedek (11Q13) 69

2.3.8 The Hodayot (1QH[superscript a]), Community Rule (1QS), Rule of the Congregation (1QSa), Rule of Blessings (1QSb) and War Rule (1QM) 71

3 Ascents to the Celestial Temple 74

3.2 The Ascent of Enoch 75

3.3 The Ascent of Levi 79

3.4 The 'Ascent' of the Maskil 85

3.4.1 4Q491c 86

3.4.2 4Q471b, 4Q427 7 i-9, 1QH[superscript a] XXVI 6-16 89

4 Mystical Praxis at Qumran 93

4.2 Methodological Preliminaries 93

4.2.1 Tradition v. Experience 93

4.2.2 Sectarian v. Non-sectarian Compositions 96

4.2.3 Worship in the Qumran Community 98

4.3 The Nature of the Unio Mystica at Qumran 101

4.4 How Was the Unio Mystica Achieved at Qumran? 110

5 Qumran and the History of Mysticism 121

5.2 Heikhalot Mysticism and Qumran 122

5.2.1 What Is Heikhalot Mysticism? 122

5.2.2 Comparisons and Contrasts with the Scrolls 125

5.2.3 Possible Historical Links with Qumran 128

5.3 Qumran and Scholem's Paradigm of Jewish Mysticism 136

5.4 Qumran and the Genealogy of Christian Mysticism 138.

Notes:

Subtitle from cover.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [145]-163) and indexes.

ISBN:

0567040828

OCLC:

61302283