The Poetics of Ascent: Theories of Language in a Rabbinic Ascent TextThis book represents the first English translation of Maaseh Merkabah, which is part of a body of early Jewish mystical texts known as palace (hekhalot) or chariot (merkabah) texts. Through a complex dialogue, a rabbi-teacher reveals to his student the techniques of ascent, methods for traveling up through the heavens by means of recitation of hymns. The teacher gives vivid descriptions of the heavenly realm, filled with flaming chariots and a chorus of angels engaged in praising the deity. |
Contents
Images of Ascent | 1 |
Ascent as a Ritual Practice | 5 |
A Functional Approach to Language | 9 |
Introduction to the Text | 17 |
The Ideology of the Divine Name | 25 |
Translation and Notes | 29 |
The Patterns and Poetics of Ascent Employing the Name | 83 |
The Pragmatics of Ascent and the Problem of Ritual Language | 101 |
The Textual Evidence | 113 |
Textual Division and Variants | 115 |
Major Variants | 116 |
Sources and Parallels | 117 |
Coherence of the Textual Content | 122 |
Old Testament Theories of Language | 127 |
Notes | 131 |
Bibliography | 145 |
Other editions - View all
The Poetics of Ascent: Theories of Language in a Rabbinic Ascent Text Naomi Janowitz Limited preview - 2012 |
The Poetics of Ascent: Theories of Language in a Rabbinic Ascent Text Naomi Janowitz Limited preview - 1989 |
Common terms and phrases
22 lacks 22 reads 40 lacks 40 read Akiba Akiban sections angels Aramaic biblical Blessed catch sight chambers chariots of fire compositions context cosmological plane Countenance created creative deeds deity discussion distinguished divine language divine Name divine speech earth edition efficacy Enoch example forever forms formulas frames function Gershom Scholem God's Gruenwald heaven heavenly chorus heavenly creatures Hebrew Hekhalot Rabbati Hekhalot texts high and exalted holy hymns Israel layers letter manipulations linguistic liturgy Maaseh Merkabah magical manuscripts Metatron Midrash Psalms mighty myriads of parasangs Nehunya ben Hakana ophanim palace stand Paragraph parallels patterns phrases poetic pragmatic praise present Prince problem Rabbi Rabbi Akiba Rabbi Ishmael recite repetition reported speech reports dialogue ritual language ritual texts sanctified Schaefer Scholem section 11 semantic song speaker speech act story Tambiah thousand myriads three lack three read tion Torah transformation translation utterance variants words YHWH