Merkavah mysticism

E22283

Merkavah mysticism is an early Jewish mystical tradition focused on visionary ascents to the divine chariot-throne described in the Book of Ezekiel, involving complex angelologies, heavenly palaces, and esoteric ritual practices.


Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Jewish mystical tradition
religious mysticism
accessRestrictedTo elite initiates
aimsAt encounter with God
vision of the divine throne
associatedWithGenre Merkavah mysticism self-linksurface differs
surface form: Hekhalot literature
associatedWithText 1 Enoch
surface form: 3 Enoch (Sefer Hekhalot)

Hekhalot Rabbati
Hekhalot Rabbati
surface form: Hekhalot Zutarti

Merkavah mysticism self-linksurface differs
surface form: Maaseh Merkavah
basedOnText Book of Ezekiel
Book of Ezekiel
surface form: Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel 10
centralSymbol Merkavah mysticism self-linksurface differs
surface form: Merkavah (divine chariot)
cosmologicalFeature heavenly throne room
hierarchies of angels
multiple heavens
describes heavenly hymns
liturgies of the angels
develops complex angelology
flourished approximately 1st to 7th centuries CE
focusesOn contemplation of the divine chariot
heavenly journeys
visionary ascent to the divine chariot-throne
geographicalContext Babylon
surface form: Babylonia

Eretz HaKodesh
surface form: Land of Israel
historicalPeriod early rabbinic period
late Second Temple period
includesConcept Merkavah mysticism self-linksurface differs
surface form: Hekhalot (palaces)

heavenly palaces
includesPractice ascetic disciplines
esoteric ritual practices
magical adjurations of angels
use of divine names
influenced later Kabbalah
medieval Jewish mysticism
language Aramaic
Hebrew
relatedConcept Maaseh Bereshit (Work of Creation)
Merkavah mysticism self-linksurface differs
surface form: Maaseh Merkavah (Work of the Chariot)
religiousTraditionOf Judaism
requires fasting
initiation
knowledge of secret names
ritual purity
transmittedBy esoteric mystical circles
rabbinic circles
viewedAs dangerous esoteric knowledge

Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Ezekiel associatedConcept Merkavah mysticism
this entity surface form: Merkabah mysticism
Merkavah mysticism associatedWithGenre Merkavah mysticism self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Hekhalot literature
Merkavah mysticism associatedWithText Merkavah mysticism self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Maaseh Merkavah
Merkavah mysticism centralSymbol Merkavah mysticism self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Merkavah (divine chariot)
Merkavah mysticism includesConcept Merkavah mysticism self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Hekhalot (palaces)
Sefer HaBahir influencedBy Merkavah mysticism
this entity surface form: Heikhalot literature
Merkavah mysticism relatedConcept Merkavah mysticism self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Maaseh Merkavah (Work of the Chariot)
Kabbalah relatedDiscipline Merkavah mysticism
Gematria usedBy Merkavah mysticism
this entity surface form: Jewish mystics