The books of contemplation : medieval Jewish mystical sources / Mark Verman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Verman, Mark, 1949-

Series:

SUNY series in Judaica

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sefer ha-ʻiyun.

Cabala--History.

Cabala.

Mysticism--Judaism--History.

Mysticism.

Judaism--History--Medieval and early modern period, 425-1789.

Judaism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (viii, 270 pages)

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c1992.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The earliest medieval Jewish mystical writings, or kabbalah, date from the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. This is the first book to focus on the most prodigious group active at that time-the 'Circle of Contemplation'.The 'Circle of Contemplation' generated a mystical theology that differs radically from mainstream kabbalistic theosophy. Two of this group's penetrating speculations on God and the origins of the universe are The Book of Contemplation and The Fountain of Wisdom. A meticulous and systematic study of these writings forms the core of this book.Verman discovered that the 'Circle of Contemplation' produced a series of distinct treatises, each entitled The Book of Contemplation and attributed to the same fictitious author. These treatises, embodying one of the most intriguing puzzles of medieval literature, are included here.The author concludes that these writings were a product of thirteenth-century Spain, not France, as claimed by Gershom Scholem. His conclusion engendered a critical evaluation of the premises of Scholem's historiography of early medieval Jewish mysticism.

Contents:

Front Matter

Title Page

Half Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication Page

Table of Contents

Preface

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Content

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF CONTEMPLATION, THE FOUNTAIN OF WISDOM, AND THE BOOK OF UNITY

THE BOOKS OF CONTEMPLATION AND THE FOUNTAIN OF WISDOM

COSMOLOGICAL THEORIES OF THE "CIRCLE OF CONTEMPLATION

HISTORICAL DIMENSIONS

HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS

Back Matter

APPENDIX I: CONTEMPLATION'S SUBTEXTS

APPENDIX II: TEXTUAL RELATIONSHIPS

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX.

Notes:

Includes passages in Hebrew.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 249-252) and index.

ISBN:

1-4384-2288-1

0-585-07866-1

OCLC:

42856099