CHARACTERISTICS OF ‘MERKĀBĀH’ MYSTICISM IN JONATHAN’S TARGUM TO THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/SPLP.2025.015Keywords
merkābāh, Qumran, God’s throne-chariot, Targum to Ezekiel, mysticism, heavenly palaces, hêkālôt literatureAbstract
The subject of the earliest mystical speculations was the chariot–formed throne of God in heaven, i.e. the ‘merkābāh’, as described by the prophet Ezekiel in his vision (Ezek 1 and 10). It is not surprising that numerous allusions and direct references to the merkābāh mysticism occur also in the Targum Jonathan of Ezekiel. This paper presents an analysis of the targumic texts containing various elements of the merkābāh mysticism e.g. the image of God sitting on his throne-chariot, the appearance and functions of the four living creatures, glorification of God by heavenly beings, the ascendance (rising) of a mystic to heaven, the description of the God’s glory filling the new temple as well as the description of the new Jerusalem as an echo of the heavenly city.
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