Merkabah - History

Merkabah (מרכבה, literally: "chariot") is the term used to describe the earliest form of Jewish mysticism, usually "Merkabah mysticism" in English. Based on the imagery found in the Biblical book of Ezekiel, merkabah became a preoccupation of some Jews during Second Temple times (probably in the 2nd c. BCE) and was the dominant form of mystical speculation amongst Jews until the 11th century CE, w ...

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• Merkabah - History
• Merkabah - Key Texts

Read more here: » Merkabah: Encyclopedia - Merkabah

The earliest merkabah speculations were exegetical expositions of the prophetic visions of God in the heavens, and the divine retinue of angels, hosts, and heavenly creatures surrounding God. The earliest evidence suggests that merkabah homiletics did not give rise to ascent experiences - as one rabbinic sage states: "Many have expounded upon the merkabah without ever seeing it" (Tosefta' Megillah 3[4]:28). The Talmudic interdictions concerning merkabah speculation are numerous and widely held. Discussions concerning the merkabah were ...

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Merkabah, Merkabah - History, Merkabah - Key Texts

Read more here: » Merkabah: Encyclopedia II - Merkabah - History