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1. The Hekhalot and Merkavah Literature and Its Mystical Tradition
- State University of New York Press
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7 1 The Hekhalot and Merkavah Literature and Its Mystical Tradition Those who define mysticism in terms of a certain type of experience of God often seem to forget that there can be no direct access to evidence for the historian. Experience as such is not a part of the historical record. The only thing directly available to the historian or historical theologian is the evidence, largely in the form of written records . . . —McGinn, The Foundations of Mysticism, xiv. INTRODUCTION The title of this chapter associates mysticism with the Hekhalot and Merkavah literature, suggesting that this literature includes records of a mystical tradition. Before attempting an examination of this proposal , it is important to clarify the following. What is the Hekhalot and Merkavah literature? What is meant when applying the debated and ambiguous term mysticism in this context? Which parts of the Hekhalot and Merkavah literature exhibit notions and outlooks which could be characterized as mystical? These topics will be addressed in this chapter. Its first section will present an overview of the Hekhalot and Merkavah literature, its nature, origins, traditions, themes, and the development of its research. The second section will introduce principle issues and methodological approaches to the study of mysticism , relevant to the present investigation. It will then discuss broad characteristic features of Hekhalot and Merkavah mysticism present primarily in several literary sources. None of these writings reveal a coherent mystical doctrine conveyed in a methodical fashion. Yet, despite some inconsistency, parallel accounts complement each other, disclosing interconnected experimental and theoretical aspects of one 8 Beholders of Divine Secrets tradition, which endured over a long period of time, despite its noncanonical status. Its goals, religio-spiritual attitudes, practices, revelations , and exegetical perceptions demonstrate specific traits which, from a phenomenological perspective, can be characterized as mystical. THE HEKHALOT AND MERKAVAH LITERATURE The anonymous corpus known as the Hekhalot and Merkavah literature derives its name from two of its principal themes. The first theme involves descriptions of visionary heavenly ascents through the seven divine palaces (Hebrew: Hekhalot ). The second theme features meditations and interpretations of the chariot vision (Hebrew: Merkavah ).1 The collective title, “Hekhalot and Merkavah literature ,” may give the impression of a cohesive corpus of writings with a specific homogeneous tradition or a consistent religious outlook . This literature, however, is not a unified body of work having one spiritual approach. On the contrary, the Hekhalot and Merkavah literature consists of several anonymous and enigmatic manuscripts, each of which includes various literary genres and diverse traditions.2 The Hekhalot and Merkavah manuscripts are written in Hebrew and Aramaic with several borrowings from Greek.3 They came into existence over an extensive period of time. According to several scholars , they took shape in Palestine and Babylonia during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods of the second and fifth centuries. Others date this literature to the sixth and the eighth centuries, C.E., the late phase of the Geonic period.4 These texts involved a long process of writing, editing, and redacting. They have not been preserved in their original and complete form but are found instead as fragmented manuscripts and literary units in later sources. A major body of the manuscripts has been found in medieval Europe, among the writings of the Hasidei Ashkenaz movement. These manuscripts were edited by members of this school at the end of the twelfth and the beginning of the thirteenth century C.E.5 Hekhalot and Merkavah material has been preserved as well in the work of early Jewish philosophers from the tenth century and in polemic Karaite literature.6 Additional fragments, the authorship of which is attributed to the ninth century, have been found in the Cairo Genizah.7 Short segments of the Hekhalot and Merkavah texts were also included in various Midrashim and in the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds.8 The Hekhalot and Merkavah literature is distinctively multifaceted , presenting complex and sometimes contradictory notions of God, angels, and human beings.9 Each manuscript, in fact, may be seen as an anthology of different traditions and subject matters. Cosmological [3.85.85.246] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 07:08 GMT) The Herkhalot and Merkavah Literature 9 concepts, magical and theurgical traditions, accounts of visionary ascensions to the celestial world, descriptions of the angelic realm, rituals of adjurations, messianic contemplation, theosophical speculations concerning the nature of God, his appearance and the dimensions of his divine figure (shi‘ur komah, ), are several of the central topics which the Hekhalot and...