The earliest medieval Jewish mystical writings, or kabbalah, date from the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. This is the first book to focus on the most prodigious group active at that time--the 'Circle of Contemplation'. The 'Circle of Contemplation' generated a mystical theology that differs radically from mainstream kabbalistic theosophy. Two of this group's penetrating speculations on God and the origins of the universe are The Book of Contemplation and The Fountain of Wisdom. A meticulous and systematic ...
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The earliest medieval Jewish mystical writings, or kabbalah, date from the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. This is the first book to focus on the most prodigious group active at that time--the 'Circle of Contemplation'. The 'Circle of Contemplation' generated a mystical theology that differs radically from mainstream kabbalistic theosophy. Two of this group's penetrating speculations on God and the origins of the universe are The Book of Contemplation and The Fountain of Wisdom. A meticulous and systematic study of these writings forms the core of this book. Verman discovered that the 'Circle of Contemplation' produced a series of distinct treatises, each entitled The Book of Contemplation and attributed to the same fictitious author. These treatises, embodying one of the most intriguing puzzles of medieval literature, are included here. The author concludes that these writings were a product of thirteenth-century Spain, not France, as claimed by Gershom Scholem. His conclusion engendered a critical evaluation of the premises of Scholem's historiography of early medieval Jewish mysticism.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. No jacket. Cover is rubbed, and edges are lightly worn. Hinge of front cover is creased. Top and bottom edges of spine are worn, but binding is tight. Sticker residue from previous seller inside front cover. Blind stamp from previous owner on title page, not covering text. Pages are clean and unmarked.
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Very Good- No Jacket. Clean, sharp copy with no marks noted to text. Solid binding, uncracked hinges. The boards are a bit bent as if weight was placed on the book during storage. The spine is square, however, and the book should sit on the shelf normally among other books, as the issue is not severe. 270 pp with index.