Abraham Abulafia’s Esotericism : Secrets and Doubts / Moshe Idel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Idel, Moshe, Author.

Contributor:

Zev Harvey, Warren, Contributor.

Series:

Studies and Texts in Scepticism

Studies and Texts in Scepticism ; 4

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource (430 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berlin ; Boston : De Gruyter, [2020]

Language Note:

In English.

Biography/History:

Moshe Idel, Hebräische Universität, Jerusalem, Israel

Summary:

The book focuses on Abraham Abulafia's esoteric thought in relation to Maimonides, Maimonideans, and Islamic thought in the line of Leo Strauss' theory of the history of philosophy. The book surveys Abulafia's sources and concentrates on the esoteric meaning on the famous parable of the three rings, as well as Abulafia's universalistic understanding of the nature of the Bible, the Hebrew language, the people of Israel or the Sinatic revelation.

This book focuses on Abraham Abulafia's esoteric thought in relation to Maimonides, Maimonideans, and Islamic thought in the line of Leo Strauss' theory of the history of philosophy. A survey of Abulafia's sources leads into an analysis of the esoteric meaning on the famous parable of the three rings, considering also the possible connection between this parable, which Abdulafia inserted into a book dedicated to his student, the 13th century rabbi Nathan the wise, and the Lessing's Play "Nathan the Wise." The book also examines Abulafia's universalistic understanding of the nature of the Bible, the Hebrew language, and the people of Israel (or the Sinaic revelation). The universal aspects of Abulafia’s thought have been put in relief against the more widespread Kabbalistic views which are predominantly particularistic. A number of texts have also been identified here for the first time as authored by Abulafia.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword: A Maimonidean Kabbalist

I Introduction: Secrecy and Maimonideanism

II Abraham Abulafia’s Studies and Teaching

III Persecution and Secrets

IV The Parable of the Pearl and its Interpretations

V Abulafia’s Kabbalah versus other Kabbalists

VI Appendices

Abbreviations

Bibliography

Index of Sources

Index of Names and Places

Subject Index

Notes:

This eBook is made available Open Access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 https://www.degruyter.com/dg/page/open-access-policy

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 28. Okt 2020)

ISBN:

9783110598773

3110598779

9783110599978

311059997X

OCLC:

1202625196