Zohar and Iamblichus

Yehuda Liebes*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Zohar, the Cabbalistic 'Bible', has a special theory concerning magic. Magic, which for the Zohar is the essence of idolatry, is depicted there as identical in its form with Cabbalistic mystical theurgy, but directed not towards God but towards evil demons. This theory has been labeled in research Hermetic and Neo-Platonic, but only in general terms. This article makes a further step and finds a parallelism between a paragraph in the Zohar and a paragraph in On the Mysteries of Iamblichus, the Neo-Platonic philosopher. The two paragraphs expound the above theory in similar terms, and also cite as their source a similar authority, namely eastern sages or Chaldaean prophets. This parallelism may establish a literary connection between the Zohar and Iamblichus, who may be related also in other respects.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)95-100
Number of pages6
JournalJournal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies
Volume6
Issue number18
StatePublished - Dec 2007

Keywords

  • Cabbala
  • Hermeticism
  • Iamblichus
  • Idolatry
  • Magic
  • Moshe Idel
  • Neo-Platonism
  • Zohar

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