CONTENTS
Abbreviations
xxvii
Transliteration
Key xxxi
Preface
xxxiii
Foreword
by Elliot Ginsburg xxxv
Introduction
xliii
I.
The Mythical Strata of Judaism xliii
II.
The Categories of Jewish Mythology xlv
III.
Mythic Parallels lxiii
IV.
Myth and Ritual in Judaism lxviii
V.
The Light of the First Day lxxi
VI.
The Continuing Evolution of Jewish Mythology lxxiv
Book
One Myths of God 1
God’s Throne of Glory
1.
Isaiah’s Vision 3
2.
Daniel’s Night Vision 3
3.
God’s Throne of Glory 4
4.
The Descent of God’s Throne 5
5.
The Crown of God 5
6.
God’s Crown of Prayers 6
Sefirotic Myths
7.
The Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom 6
8.
The Ten Sefirot 7
9.
The Twenty-two Letters 8
10.
The Infinite Being 9
11.
The Seven Forms of God 9
12.
The Ten Crowns of God 9
God’s Existence
13.
The First Being 10
14.
The Cause of All Causes 10
15.
God’s Omnipresence 11
16.
God Alone 11
17.
God’s Existence 11
18.
God’s Gaze 12
19.
God’s Day 12
God’s Mystery
20.
The Hidden God 13
21.
The Contraction of God 13
22.
Adam Kadmon 15
23.
God’s Disguises 16
24.
Where God Dwells 17
25.
The Holy Spirit 18
God’s Attributes
26.
The Breath of God 20
27.
The Mind of God 20
28.
The Eyes of God 21
29.
The Face of God 21
30.
The Size of God 22
31.
The Three Keys 22
32.
The Arms of God 23
33.
God’s Hands 23
34.
The Body of God 24
35.
God’s Back 25
The Names of God
36.
The God of the Fathers 25
37.
The Tetragrammaton 27
38.
The Lord of Hosts 27
39.
God’s Robe of Glory 29
The Warrior God
40.
The Warrior God 29
41.
God’s Sword 30
God’s Voice and Word
42.
A Still, Small Voice 30
43.
God’s Voice 31
44.
God’s Image 33
45.
The Elders of Israel Behold God 33
God Studies the Torah
46.
God Studies the Torah 34
47.
God Puts on Tallit and Tefillin
34
48.
God’s Tabernacle 35
49.
God’s Prayer 35
50.
God Expounds the Torah 36
The Suffering God
51.
The Suffering God 36
52.
God’s Tears 37
53.
God Weeps over the Destruction of the Temple 38
54.
God’s Lament at the Western Wall 39
55.
God’s Oath 39
56.
God Considers Ending All Existence 40
God Walks in the World
57.
God Walks in the Garden 40
58.
God’s Lantern
59.
God Descends to Mount Sinai 41
60.
The Tent of Meeting 42
61.
The Cottage of Candles 43
Early Incarnations of the Shekhinah
62.
The Creation of Wisdom 45
63.
Mother Zion 46
Myths of the Bride of God
64.
The Creation of the Shekhinah 47
65.
God’s Names for the Shekhinah 48
66.
The Two Shekhinahs 49
67.
The Earthly Dwelling of the Shekhinah 50
68.
The Roaming of the Shekhinah 52
69.
The Garments of the Shekhinah 54
70.
The Sacred Bedchamber 54
71.
The Casting Down of the Shekhinah 55
72.
The Wandering of the Shekhinah 55
73.
The Lament of the Shekhinah 56
74.
The Wailing of the Shekhinah 56
75.
The Exile of the Shekhinah 57
76.
Mourning over the Shekhinah 58
77.
The Suffering of the Shekhinah 58
78.
Lilith Becomes God’s Bride 59
79.
Israel and the Shekhinah in
Exile 60
80.
God’s Exile with Israel 61
81.
The Face of the Shekhinah 61
82.
The Shekhinah Within
63
Visions of the Bride of God
83.
The Shekhinah at
the Wall 63
84.
A Vision at the Wailing Wall 63
God Defers to the Earthly Court
85.
God Makes Matches 66
86.
The Rabbis Overrule God 67
87.
God Defers to the Earthly Court 68
Book
Two Myths of Creation 69
Before the World Was Created
88.
The First to Exist 71
89.
Before the World Was Created 71
90.
Prior Worlds 71
91.
The Primordial Elements 73
92.
God Created Everything with Its Knowledge 73
93.
The Beginning of Time 74
94.
Seven Things Created before the Creation of the World 74
The Creation of the World
95.
The Seven Days of Creation 75
96.
Ten Things Created on the Eve of the First Sabbath 77
97.
Five Heavenly Things Sleeping in the Universe 77
98.
God the Creator 78
99.
The Rainbow 78
100.
The Time of Creation 79
101.
Everything Was Created at Once 80
102.
How God Begot Being 80
103.
What Does the Earth Stand On? 80
104.
Creation Ex Nihilo 81
105.
The Order of Creation 81
The Primordial Light
106.
God’s Garment of Light 82
107.
The Light of the First Day 83
108.
The First Cloak 85
109.
The Tzohar 85
110.
How Light and Darkness Were Created 88
111.
Creation by Light 89
112.
The Light of Prophecy 89
The Work of Creation
113.
God’s Shout 90
114.
The Work of Creation 90
115.
How the Heavens Were Created 91
116.
The Earth’s Foundations 91
117.
Creation by God’s Name 91
118.
Creation by God’s Beauty 92
119.
The Palace of Heaven 92
120.
Creation According to Philo 93
The Cosmic Seed
121.
The Cosmic Seed 93
122.
A Universe of Water 94
123.
The Three Craftsmen 95
124.
The Pillars of the World 96
125.
The Foundation Stone 96
126.
Creation by Thought 98
127.
A Single Utterance 99
128.
The Divided World 99
Myths of Origin
129.
The Origin of Chaos 100
130.
The First Sunset 101
131.
The Origin of Fire 101
132.
What Causes Earthquakes? 102
133.
The Roots of Everything 102
Myths of the Sacred Waters
134.
The Great Sea 103
135.
The Fiery Waves 104
136.
The Upper Waters and the Lower Waters 104
137.
The Spirit of the Firmament 105
Rebellions against God
138.
The Rebellion of the Waters 105
139.
The Rebellion of Rahab 106
140.
The Prince of Darkness 107
141.
The Fall of Lucifer 108
142.
Satan Cast from Heaven 109
143.
Satan’s Bargain with God 110
Myths of the Sun and Moon
144.
The Quarrel of the Sun and the Moon 112
145.
The Sun Stood Still 113
146.
A Garment for the Moon 114
Creation by Angels
147.
The Creation of Angels 115
148.
Creation by Angels 116
149.
Anafiel, The Creator of the Beginning 117
150.
The Creator of the World 118
151.
The First Created Being 118
152.
The Angel Who Created the World 119
The Wheel of Creation
153.
The Wheel of Creation 121
154.
The Cosmic Tree 121
155.
The Shattering of the Vessels and the Gathering of the Sparks 122
156.
Creation by Broken Vessels 124
The Creation of Man
157.
The Heavenly Man 124
158.
Adam the Angel 126
159.
Adam the Golem 127
160.
Adam the Giant 128
161.
Adam the Last and First 129
162.
Adam’s Body of Light 130
163.
The Enthronement of Adam 131
164.
Adam’s Body Formed by an Angel 131
165.
God Consults the Angels about the Creation of Adam 132
166.
The Creation of Man 133
167.
Creation from a Mold 134
168.
Wisdom Created Man
169.
Adam’s Choice
170.
Adam’s Breath 135
171.
The First Twelve Hours of Adam’s Life 136
172.
Adam Brings Down Fire from Heaven 137
173.
Adam the Hermaphrodite 138
174.
Samael and Lilith 139
175.
God and the Spirits of the Unborn 140
Adam and Eve
176.
Adam and the Spirits 140
177.
The First Eve 140
178.
What Happened to the First Eve? 141
179.
The Creation of Woman 142
180.
The First Wedding 143
Mythological Creatures
181.
Adne Sadeh 144
182.
The Sea Monster Leviathan 145
183.
Behemoth 146
184.
The Ziz 147
185.
The Re’em 148
186.
The Phoenix 148
187.
The Lion of the Forest Ilai 149
188.
The Ram Sacrificed at Mount Moriah 150
The Unfinished Creation
189.
God the Potter 150
190.
The Unfinished Creation 151
Book
Three Myths of Heaven 153
The Translation of Enoch
191.
Enoch Walked with God 155
192.
Enoch’s Vision of God 155
193.
The Metamorphosis and Enthronement of Enoch 156
The Treasury of Souls
194.
The River of Fire 158
195.
The Living Creatures 159
196.
The Council of Souls 160
197.
Adam’s Soul 162
198.
The Creation of Souls 163
199.
Tree of Souls 164
200.
The Treasury of Souls 166
201.
The Path of the Soul in the Garden of Eden 168
202.
The Field of Souls 168
203.
The Transmigration of Souls 169
204.
How to Grasp a Soul 170
Heavenly Journeys
205.
Adam Is Taken into Paradise 170
206.
Isaac’s Ascent 171
207.
The Ascent of Elijah 172
208.
The Four Who Entered Paradise 173
209.
A Vision of Metatron 174
210.
Rabbi Ishmael’s Ascent 176
211.
The Entrance of the Sixth Heavenly Palace 178
212.
Before the Law 179
213.
A Journey to the Stars 181
214.
A Jewish Icarus 181
The Divine Chariot
215.
Ezekiel’s Vision 182
216.
Mysteries of the Chariot 183
The Seven Heavens
217.
The Seven Heavens 184
218.
The Eighth Heaven 185
219.
The Pargod 186
220.
The Map of Time and Space 186
221.
The Place of the Stars 187
222.
The Rainbow of the Shekhinah 187
223.
The Music of the Spheres 188
224.
The Treasury of Merits 189
225.
The Wings of Heaven 189
The Palaces of Heaven
226.
The Palaces of Heaven 190
227.
Women in Paradise 190
The Landmarks of Heaven
228.
The Tent of the Sun 191
229.
The Tent of Heaven 192
230.
The Crystal Palace 192
231.
The Celestial Academy 193
232.
Where Heaven and Earth Meet 194
The Ministering Angels
233.
The Primordial Metatron 195
234.
The Angel Metatron 195
235.
The Angel Sandalphon 197
236.
Michael, the Patron Angel 197
237.
Elijah the Angel 197
238.
The Keeper of the Book of Records 198
239.
The Angel Gallizur 199
240.
The Angel of Conception 199
241.
The Angel of the Covenant 201
242.
How Rabbi Ishmael Was Conceived 201
243.
The Angel of Friendship 201
244.
Guardian Angels 202
245.
The Might of the Angels 203
246.
The Angel of Losses 203
247.
The Angel Tzadkiel 204
248.
The Angel of Rain 205
249.
God Changes the Roles of the Angels 205
The Angel of Death
250.
The Creation of the Angel of Death 206
251.
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi and the Angel of Death 206
252.
Rabbi Loew and the Angel of Death 207
The Gates of Heaven
253.
The Heavenly Court 208
254.
The Windows of Heaven 209
255.
The Ba’al Shem Tov Ascends on High 209
Book
Four Myths of Hell 211
The Unfinished Corner of Creation
256.
The Unfinished Corner of Creation 213
257.
The Darkness that Existed before Creation 213
258.
The Banishment of Dumah 214
259.
God’s Prison 214
260.
Adam and the Demons 215
Lilith Rises from the Deep
261.
Adam and Lilith 216
262.
Lilith Rises from the Deep 217
263.
A Spell to Banish Lilith 218
264.
The Woman in the Forest 219
265.
The Cellar 220
266.
Lilith, the Queen of Zemargad 221
267.
The Two Liliths 222
268.
Lilith’s Children 222
269.
The Night Demoness 223
270.
Lilith the Witch 224
271.
Lilith and Elijah 224
272.
Lilith Flees from the Apparition of Eve 225
Vampires, Spirits, Dybbuks, and Demons
273.
The Spirits of the Sixth Day 227
274.
The Vampire Demon 227
275.
An Evil Demoness 228
276.
The Window of Safed 228
277.
Demonic Doubles 230
278.
The Underworld 231
279.
When a Man Dies 231
The History of Gehenna
280.
The Creation of Gehenna 232
281.
The Prince of Gehenna 232
282.
The History of Gehenna 232
283.
The Openings of Gehenna 233
284.
The Landscape of Gehenna 233
285.
The Scorpions of Gehenna 234
286.
The Bridge over Gehenna 234
287.
The Darkness of Gehenna 234
288.
The Light of Gehenna 235
289.
The Punishment of Korah 235
290.
The Inhabitants of Gehenna 236
291.
The Fate of the Soul 236
292.
The Punishments of Gehenna 236
293.
The Fate of Slanderers 237
294.
Sabbath in Gehenna 238
295.
Gehenna Seething 238
296.
The Size of Gehenna 239
297.
The Gates of Gehenna 239
298.
The Door to Gehenna 240
299.
The Gatekeeper of Gehenna 240
300.
The Messiah in Hell 241
301.
The Sabbath Resurrection 242
302.
The Ashes of Sinners 242
303.
Purified Souls 242
304.
How the Dead See the Dead 243
Book
Five Myths of the Holy Word 245
The Letters of the Alphabet
305.
Creation by Word 247
306.
Two Worlds 247
307.
The Primordial Language 248
308.
The Creation of the Torah 248
309.
Creation by the Torah 249
310.
The Letters of the Alphabet 250
311.
Creation by Letters 251
312.
The Shining Letters 252
The Primordial Torah
313.
The Torah Written on the Arm of God 252
314.
God’s Original Plan 252
315.
The Book of Raziel 253
316.
Creating New Heavens and a New Earth 255
317.
God’s Warning 255
318.
The Light of the Torah 256
319.
The Betrothal of the Torah 256
320.
The Vestment of the Shekhinah 257
321.
The Letters and the Burning Bush 257
God Offers the Torah to Israel
322.
The Angels and the Giving of the Torah 258
323.
The Quarrel of the Mountains 258
324.
The Necklace of Letters 259
325.
Death and Rebirth at Mount Sinai 259
326.
The Seven Voices of the Torah 260
327.
The Ascent of Moses 261
328.
Mount Sinai Is Lifted to Heaven 263
329.
How God Revealed Himself at Mount Sinai 263
330.
God Offers the Torah to Israel 264
331.
God Tears Apart Seven Firmaments 265
332.
The Primordial Torah 265
333.
The First Tablets 266
334.
The Second Tablets 268
335.
The First Torah 268
336.
How the Ten Commandments Were Given 269
337.
The Order of the Torah 269
The Giving of the Torah
338.
God Abrogates the First Decree 270
339.
The Giving of the Torah 270
340.
Moses Before the Throne of Glory 270
341.
God Teaches Torah in the World to Come 271
342.
Moses Questions God 272
343.
The Ark of the Covenant 272
The Changing Torah
344.
The Changing Torah 272
345.
The Flying Letters 273
346.
God’s Signature 274
347.
The Crowns of Israel 274
Studying the Torah
348.
The Prince of the Torah 275
349.
Studying the Torah 276
350.
The Boy who Read the Book of Ezekiel 276
351.
The Two Torahs 277
352.
The Giving of the Song of Songs 277
Myths of Prayers
353.
The Origin of the Shema 278
354.
The Holy Breath 279
The Golem
355.
Rava Creates a Man
356.
Jeremiah Creates a Golem 279
357.
The Golem of Ibn Gabirol 279
358.
The Golem of Rabbi Elijah 280
359.
The Golem of Prague 281
360.
The End of the Golem 282
361.
The Golem in the Attic 283
362.
The Homunculus of Maimonides 284
Book
Six Myths of the Holy Time 287
Myths of the Days of Awe
363.
God Passes Judgment 289
364.
The Book of Life and the Book of Death 289
365.
The Origin of Rosh ha-Shanah 291
366.
The String of God 292
367.
The Month of Tishrei 292
368.
Re-creating the World 292
369.
Renewing Existence 293
370.
The Day of Judgment 293
371.
The High Priest Enters the Holy of Holies 293
372.
The Days of Awe 294
373.
Light Is Sown for the Righteous 294
374.
Gathering Souls 295
375.
A Scapegoat for Azazel 295
376.
Sounding the Shofar 296
377.
The Closing of the Gates 297
378.
The Final Blast 298
Myths of Sukkot
379.
The Water Libation 298
380.
The Seven Shepherds 299
381.
Dwelling in Exile 300
382.
The Feast of Sukkot in the World to Come 300
Myths of Simhat Torah
383.
The Body of Moses 301
384.
The Flying Shoe 302
Myths of Passover
385.
God Revels in the Reading of the Haggadah 303
Myths of Lag ba-Omer
386.
The Dancing of the Ari 303