Kabbalah: a Very Short Introduction

In Kabbalah, Joseph Dan offers an engaging account of this traditional Jewish religious phenomenon and its impact outside of Judaism. Dan sheds light on the many misconceptions about what Kabbalah is and isn't--including its connections to magic, astronomy, alchemy, and numerology--and he illuminates the relationship between Kabbalah and Christianity on the one hand and New Age religion on the other. Dan examines its fascinating historical background, including key ancient texts of...
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In Kabbalah, Joseph Dan offers an engaging account of this traditional Jewish religious phenomenon and its impact outside of Judaism. Dan sheds light on the many misconceptions about what Kabbalah is and isn't--including its connections to magic, astronomy, alchemy, and numerology--and he illuminates the relationship between Kabbalah and Christianity on the one hand and New Age religion on the other. Dan examines its fascinating historical background, including key ancient texts of this tradition. He concludes with a brief survey of scholarship in the field and a list of books for further reading.