The Kabbalah: The Religious Philosophy of the Hebrews

First published in French in 1843, this well-known classic is the first book that made the Kabbalah understandable and remains an essential reference today. The positive importance of the Kabbalah is explained, showing that no other doctrine in the history of philosophy or religion gives man a higher rank. It shows how we are not only in the image of God, but are the divine presence on Earth. It explains the origin of man, his future destiny, and his relation to the Divine Being. The author also presents information on the history of Kabbalah, covering similarities with the Alexandrians, Gnostics, Platonists, Neoplatonists, Philo, and Christianity, but traces the strongest philosophical concepts back to the ancient Zoroastrians. He includes chapters on the Sepher Yetzirah and the Zohar, the two most definitive works on the Kabbalah, and is able to trace their origins back many centuries before their first known publication in the thirteenth century CE. From examining the ancient Zoroastrian beliefs, the author concludes that the major doctrines of Kabbalah originated around 500 BC during the Hebrews' Babylonian exile, when Zoroastrianism was active in the same geographical region. This well-researched book should be in the library of every serious student or practitioner of the Kaballah.