The Essenes: Their History and Doctrines ; And, The Kabbalah : Its Doctrines, Development, and LiteratureEvery investigation into the causes of the phenomena both of mind and matter was strictly forbidden, because the study of logic and metaphysics was regarded as injurious to devotional life.-from The EssenesThe Essenes introduces us to the Judaic sect that contributed greatly to the spread of early Christianity. Drawing upon the Midrashim and the Talmud as well as the accounts of Pliny, Josephus, and other ancient writers, this tribute explores their rise and progress, their relationship to both Judaism and Christianity, and more.The Kabbalah is a guide to those wishing initiation into the mysteries of this esoteric doctrine and its extraordinary if veiled influence on Jewish culture over the centuries. Elementary but also comprehensive, it offers easy-to-understand explanations of matters of Jewish history and literature with which the lay reader may not be familiar.Here, in one volume, are two classic essays, dating from 1863 and 1864, on Jewish mysticism by one of the most prominent Hebrew scholars of the 19th century.Hebrew Massoretic scholar CHRISTIAN D. GINSBURG (1821-1914) was born in Poland but spent much of his literary life in England. He is also the author of The Song of Songs and Coheleth and Introduction to the Massoretico-Critical Edition of the Hebrew Bible. |
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Page 6
... they were led thereby to pay the greatest homage to Moses , the lawgiver , and to visit with capital punishment any one of the brotherhood who blasphemed his name . The highest aim of their life was to become the temples 6.
... they were led thereby to pay the greatest homage to Moses , the lawgiver , and to visit with capital punishment any one of the brotherhood who blasphemed his name . The highest aim of their life was to become the temples 6.
Page 8
... brotherhood , and had , moreover , to observe laws specially enacted for married brethren and sisters . Here , in their separation from the Jewish nation , whatever any one of them possessed was deposited in the general trea- sury ...
... brotherhood , and had , moreover , to observe laws specially enacted for married brethren and sisters . Here , in their separation from the Jewish nation , whatever any one of them possessed was deposited in the general trea- sury ...
Page 10
... brotherhood as much as they liked , and whenever they liked . Such was their manner of life during the week days . The Sabbath they observed with the utmost rigour , and re- garded even the removal of a vessel as labour , and a ...
... brotherhood as much as they liked , and whenever they liked . Such was their manner of life during the week days . The Sabbath they observed with the utmost rigour , and re- garded even the removal of a vessel as labour , and a ...
Page 11
... brotherhood had to be filled up by recruits from the Jewish community at large . They preferred taking children , whom they educated most carefully and taught the practices of the order , believing that of such the kingdom of heaven is ...
... brotherhood had to be filled up by recruits from the Jewish community at large . They preferred taking children , whom they educated most carefully and taught the practices of the order , believing that of such the kingdom of heaven is ...
Page 12
... brotherhood and partook of the common meal ( ovμßurns ) . Before , however , he was made a homiletes , or finally ad- mitted into close fellowship , he had to bind himself by a most solemn oath ( this being the only occasion on which ...
... brotherhood and partook of the common meal ( ovμßurns ) . Before , however , he was made a homiletes , or finally ad- mitted into close fellowship , he had to bind himself by a most solemn oath ( this being the only occasion on which ...
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Common terms and phrases
Abraham Abulafia according Adolph Jellinek ancient angels appellation Baithusians Bereshith Rabba Bible Bibliotheca blessed body Book Jetzira brotherhood called Christ Christianity Commentary Comp creation Cyclopædia Deity denotes disciples divine name earth emanated entitled esoteric doctrine Essay Essenes existence Exod garment Gematria Graetz Greek heaven heavenly Hebrew Hence Holy Israel Jehovah Jehudah Jellinek Jerusalem Jewish Jews Jochai Josephus Judaism Kabbalah Kabbalistic King Leipzig letters light lived Lord Metatron Midrash Mishna Moses de Leon mysteries mystical Nachmanides Pentateuch Pharisees Philo philosophy primordial prophet propounded published purity Pythagoras Rabba Rabbins regarded remarks represented Reuchlin Sabbatai Zevi sacred Sadducees Scripture secret sect Sephira Sephiroth Simon sixth Sephira Sohar Soph soul spirit Talmud Tetragrammaton theosophy Therapeutae things thou Tosifta translated Treatise triad trinity unity vide whilst wisdom words אינון אלהים דף זוהר חלק חד משה ספר עולם
Popular passages
Page 136 - And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Page 95 - Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves ; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female...
Page 104 - And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, ° before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.
Page 211 - This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Page 125 - From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.
Page 96 - Seek not out the things that are too hard for thee, neither search the things that are above thy strength. But what is commanded thee, think thereupon with reverence; for it is not needful for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are in secret.
Page 184 - The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant/- (Ps.
Page 48 - ... a paddle, (which kind of hatchet is given them when they are first admitted among them,) and covering themselves round with their garment, that they may not affront the divine rays of light, they ease themselves into that pit, after which they put the earth that was dug out again into the pit, and even this they do only in the more lonely places, which they choose out for this purpose : and although this...
Page 47 - ... his body with hunger, till he perish; for which reason they receive many of them again when they are at their last gasp, out of compassion to them, as thinking the miseries they have endured till they came to the very brink of death to be a sufficient punishment for the sins they had been guilty of.
Page 84 - ... of the divine nature, and show them the real tie which binds all things together, found the cravings of their minds satisfied by this theosophy, the claims of the Kabbalah on the attention of students in literature and philosophy will readily be admitted. The claims of the Kabbalah, however, are not restricted to the literary...