New This Month in Jewish Studies - June 2024
The Western Esoteric Traditions series is a collection of scholarly work which touches on the full range of esoteric thought, spanning Gnosticism, Hermetism, magic, astrology, alchemy, Rosicrucianism, Christian Theosophy, and more.
New in the series this month is The Dybbuk: Its Origins and History, by Morris M. Faierstein, a comprehensive study of the history and evolution of the dybbuk, from kabbalistic tradition to popular folklore.
"This book offers an excellent overview of the development of the dybbuk phenomenon in Jewish history, bringing to light new primary sources that expand on what has been published on the concept to date. Through superb translations of valuable literary accounts, Faierstein opens up novel, engaging, and highly entertaining narratives to English-speaking readers." — Andrea Gondos, author of Kabbalah in Print: The Study and Popularization of Jewish Mysticism in Early Modernity
"This wonderful book collects and explores, for the first time, the full spectrum of Jewish sources on the dybbuk. The author seeks to understand why and how this phenomenon emerged in sixteenth-century Safed, examining earlier roots and tracing the reception history of the dybbuk into early Hasidism. The book's scope, the huge number of sources included (in translation, some for the first time), and the synchronic history of the dybbuk in Jewish writings are all significant strengths." — Ariel Evan Mayse, Stanford University
Happy reading and come back and see what's new next month!
