“Mystical Spirituality” in Second Temple Period Judaism? : Light from the Decorated Stone in the Magdala Synagogue
(2022) In Religions 13(12).- Abstract
- While
“Merkavah mysticism” as a religious movement is a phenomenon of Late
Ancient and Medieval Judaism, scholars have debated whether the origins
of this movement are traceable to traditions of the divine Merkavah
(chariot-throne) preserved in some early Jewish apocalyptic literature
from the Second Temple period. Furthermore, scholars have emphasized
that these early Merkavah traditions reflect individualistic religious
experiences that emerged historically in contexts of small esoteric
groups of initiates who claimed a privileged experience and knowledge of
the divine. In this article, I wish to do two things: (1) to establish
methodologically the point that, from an analytical... (More) - While
“Merkavah mysticism” as a religious movement is a phenomenon of Late
Ancient and Medieval Judaism, scholars have debated whether the origins
of this movement are traceable to traditions of the divine Merkavah
(chariot-throne) preserved in some early Jewish apocalyptic literature
from the Second Temple period. Furthermore, scholars have emphasized
that these early Merkavah traditions reflect individualistic religious
experiences that emerged historically in contexts of small esoteric
groups of initiates who claimed a privileged experience and knowledge of
the divine. In this article, I wish to do two things: (1) to establish
methodologically the point that, from an analytical perspective, we can,
indeed, speak of a kind of Jewish “mystical spirituality” present in
the Second Temple period akin to later Jewish mystical traditions; and
(2) to argue that, in light of some iconographic features on the
decorated stone from the first-century synagogue at Magdala, early
Jewish “mystical spirituality” was not a phenomenon restricted to the
individual but could also involve an assembled community’s experience of
divine presence.While “Merkavah mysticism” as a religious movement is a phenomenon of
Late Ancient and Medieval Judaism, scholars have debated whether the
origins of this movement are traceable to traditions of the divine
Merkavah (chariot-throne) preserved in some early Jewish apocalyptic
literature from the Second Temple period. Furthermore, scholars have
emphasized that these early Merkavah traditions reflect individualistic
religious experiences that emerged historically in contexts of small
esoteric groups of initiates who claimed a privileged experience and
knowledge of the divine. In this article, I wish to do two things: (1)
to establish methodologically the point that, from an analytical
perspective, we can, indeed, speak of a kind of Jewish “mystical
spirituality” present in the Second Temple period akin to later Jewish
mystical traditions; and (2) to argue that, in light of some
iconographic features on the decorated stone from the first-century
synagogue at Magdala, early Jewish “mystical spirituality” was not a
phenomenon restricted to the individual but could also involve an
assembled community’s experience of divine presence. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3203ad67-f6a1-493d-ace5-8a33be4037f0
- author
- Cirafesi, Wally V. LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- ancient synagogues, Dead Sea Scrolls, early Jewish apocalypses, Magdala Stone, Merkavah mysticism
- in
- Religions
- volume
- 13
- issue
- 12
- article number
- 1218
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85144655225
- ISSN
- 2077-1444
- DOI
- 10.3390/rel13121218
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 3203ad67-f6a1-493d-ace5-8a33be4037f0
- date added to LUP
- 2024-01-24 12:33:44
- date last changed
- 2024-03-19 14:17:26
@article{3203ad67-f6a1-493d-ace5-8a33be4037f0,
abstract = {{While<br>
“Merkavah mysticism” as a religious movement is a phenomenon of Late <br>
Ancient and Medieval Judaism, scholars have debated whether the origins <br>
of this movement are traceable to traditions of the divine Merkavah <br>
(chariot-throne) preserved in some early Jewish apocalyptic literature <br>
from the Second Temple period. Furthermore, scholars have emphasized <br>
that these early Merkavah traditions reflect individualistic religious <br>
experiences that emerged historically in contexts of small esoteric <br>
groups of initiates who claimed a privileged experience and knowledge of<br>
the divine. In this article, I wish to do two things: (1) to establish <br>
methodologically the point that, from an analytical perspective, we can,<br>
indeed, speak of a kind of Jewish “mystical spirituality” present in <br>
the Second Temple period akin to later Jewish mystical traditions; and <br>
(2) to argue that, in light of some iconographic features on the <br>
decorated stone from the first-century synagogue at Magdala, early <br>
Jewish “mystical spirituality” was not a phenomenon restricted to the <br>
individual but could also involve an assembled community’s experience of<br>
divine presence.While “Merkavah mysticism” as a religious movement is a phenomenon of <br>
Late Ancient and Medieval Judaism, scholars have debated whether the <br>
origins of this movement are traceable to traditions of the divine <br>
Merkavah (chariot-throne) preserved in some early Jewish apocalyptic <br>
literature from the Second Temple period. Furthermore, scholars have <br>
emphasized that these early Merkavah traditions reflect individualistic <br>
religious experiences that emerged historically in contexts of small <br>
esoteric groups of initiates who claimed a privileged experience and <br>
knowledge of the divine. In this article, I wish to do two things: (1) <br>
to establish methodologically the point that, from an analytical <br>
perspective, we can, indeed, speak of a kind of Jewish “mystical <br>
spirituality” present in the Second Temple period akin to later Jewish <br>
mystical traditions; and (2) to argue that, in light of some <br>
iconographic features on the decorated stone from the first-century <br>
synagogue at Magdala, early Jewish “mystical spirituality” was not a <br>
phenomenon restricted to the individual but could also involve an <br>
assembled community’s experience of divine presence.}},
author = {{Cirafesi, Wally V.}},
issn = {{2077-1444}},
keywords = {{ancient synagogues; Dead Sea Scrolls; early Jewish apocalypses; Magdala Stone; Merkavah mysticism}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{12}},
publisher = {{MDPI AG}},
series = {{Religions}},
title = {{“Mystical Spirituality” in Second Temple Period Judaism? : Light from the Decorated Stone in the Magdala Synagogue}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rel13121218}},
doi = {{10.3390/rel13121218}},
volume = {{13}},
year = {{2022}},
}