![[Achvat Amim.png|center]] # The Mitnabot at Achvat Amim ![[Miriam.png]] # Contents - [[#About the Class|About the Class]] - [[#About the Class#Brief Description|Brief Description]] - [[#About the Class#Extended Description|Extended Description]] - [[#Course Objectives:|Course Objectives:]] - [[#How to use this Coursebook|How to use this Coursebook]] - [[#Important Links:|Important Links:]] - [[#Order of Study for Each Session|Order of Study for Each Session]] - [[#Class 1: Situating Ourselves in the Narrative|Class 1: Situating Ourselves in the Narrative]] - [[#Class 1: Situating Ourselves in the Narrative#1.1 Latter-Day Israelites and the Five Books of Moses|1.1 Latter-Day Israelites and the Five Books of Moses]] - [[#1.1 Latter-Day Israelites and the Five Books of Moses#Summary of the *Chumash* or Five Books of Moses by *Parashat Hashavua*|Summary of the *Chumash* or Five Books of Moses by *Parashat Hashavua*]] - [[#Summary of the *Chumash* or Five Books of Moses by *Parashat Hashavua*#_Breshit_ – The Book of Genesis|_Breshit_ – The Book of Genesis]] - [[#Summary of the *Chumash* or Five Books of Moses by *Parashat Hashavua*#_Shmot_ – The Book of Exodus|_Shmot_ – The Book of Exodus]] - [[#Summary of the *Chumash* or Five Books of Moses by *Parashat Hashavua*#_Vayikra_ – The Book of Leviticus|_Vayikra_ – The Book of Leviticus]] - [[#Summary of the *Chumash* or Five Books of Moses by *Parashat Hashavua*#_B’midbar_ – The Book of Numbers|_B’midbar_ – The Book of Numbers]] - [[#Summary of the *Chumash* or Five Books of Moses by *Parashat Hashavua*#_D’varim_ – The Book of Deuteronomy|_D’varim_ – The Book of Deuteronomy]] - [[#Class 1: Situating Ourselves in the Narrative#1.2 Biblical Voices: The Search for our Spiritual Ancestors|1.2 Biblical Voices: The Search for our Spiritual Ancestors]] - [[#1.2 Biblical Voices: The Search for our Spiritual Ancestors#Source 1: Patai on the Asherah in Judah|Source 1: Patai on the Asherah in Judah]] - [[#1.2 Biblical Voices: The Search for our Spiritual Ancestors#Source 2: Judges 3: 1-9|Source 2: Judges 3: 1-9]] - [[#1.2 Biblical Voices: The Search for our Spiritual Ancestors#Source 3: Solomon's House of Prayer for All People|Source 3: Solomon's House of Prayer for All People]] - [[#1.2 Biblical Voices: The Search for our Spiritual Ancestors#Source 4: Josiah Destroys Solomon's Shrines|Source 4: Josiah Destroys Solomon's Shrines]] - [[#Class 1: Situating Ourselves in the Narrative#1.3 Practice: The Circular Tenfold Name|1.3 Practice: The Circular Tenfold Name]] - [[#Class 2: The Mitnabim|Class 2: The Mitnabim]] - [[#Class 2: The Mitnabim#2.2 Optional Background Readings|2.2 Optional Background Readings]] - [[#2.2 Optional Background Readings#2.21 Background on Prophecy in the Ancient Near East|2.21 Background on Prophecy in the Ancient Near East]] - [[#2.2 Optional Background Readings#2.22 Gender Equality and Fluidity in Ancient Near Eastern Prophetic Circles|2.22 Gender Equality and Fluidity in Ancient Near Eastern Prophetic Circles]] - [[#2.2 Optional Background Readings#2.23 Background on the Book of Samuel|2.23 Background on the Book of Samuel]] - [[#2.2 Optional Background Readings#2.24 Interpreting the Bible's Portrayal of the Mitnabim as the Basis for the Mitnabot|2.24 Interpreting the Bible's Portrayal of the Mitnabim as the Basis for the Mitnabot]] - [[#Class 2: The Mitnabim#2.3 *Hevruta*|2.3 *Hevruta*]] - [[#2.3 *Hevruta*#2.31 Saul and the Band of Prophets|2.31 Saul and the Band of Prophets]] - [[#2.31 Saul and the Band of Prophets#2.311 Robert Alter's Commentary on Samuel 10|2.311 Robert Alter's Commentary on Samuel 10]] - [[#2.31 Saul and the Band of Prophets#Anchor Bible Commentary on Samuel 10 (P. Kyle McCarter)|Anchor Bible Commentary on Samuel 10 (P. Kyle McCarter)]] - [[#2.3 *Hevruta*#2.32 Additional Source (If there's time): Saul Again Meets the Band of Prophets|2.32 Additional Source (If there's time): Saul Again Meets the Band of Prophets]] - [[#2.32 Additional Source (If there's time): Saul Again Meets the Band of Prophets#2.321Anchor Bible Commentary (P. Kyle McCarter)|2.321Anchor Bible Commentary (P. Kyle McCarter)]] - [[#2.3 *Hevruta*#Even more Sources|Even more Sources]] - [[#Class 3: The Hebrew Goddess in Ancient Israel|Class 3: The Hebrew Goddess in Ancient Israel]] - [[#Class 3: The Hebrew Goddess in Ancient Israel#Source 1: Asherah at Kuntillet Arjud|Source 1: Asherah at Kuntillet Arjud]] - [[#Class 4: Abulafia: Practicing Prophecy|Class 4: Abulafia: Practicing Prophecy]] - [[#Class 5: The Hebrew Goddess in Tiqqunei Zohar|Class 5: The Hebrew Goddess in Tiqqunei Zohar]] - [[#Even more Sources#Introduction|Introduction]] - [[#Class 5: The Hebrew Goddess in Tiqqunei Zohar#Commentary|Commentary]] - [[#Class 6: The Sefirotic Tree|Class 6: The Sefirotic Tree]] - [[#Class 6: The Sefirotic Tree#6.1 Introduction|6.1 Introduction]] - [[#Class 6: The Sefirotic Tree#6.2 Zohar on Ein Sof and the Sefirot (Raya Meheimna)|6.2 Zohar on Ein Sof and the Sefirot (Raya Meheimna)]] - [[#6.2 Zohar on Ein Sof and the Sefirot (Raya Meheimna)#Illustration of the Image in the Zohar Above|Illustration of the Image in the Zohar Above]] - [[#Class 6: The Sefirotic Tree#The Central Verses Quoted in the Above Zohar: Divrei Hayamim (Chronicles) 1:29:10-15|The Central Verses Quoted in the Above Zohar: Divrei Hayamim (Chronicles) 1:29:10-15]] - [[#Class 6: The Sefirotic Tree#6.3 Charts|6.3 Charts]] - [[#Illustration of the Image in the Zohar Above#Traditional Sefirotic Chart|Traditional Sefirotic Chart]] - [[#Illustration of the Image in the Zohar Above#Interpretation of Sefirot as our Ultimate Concern / ADAM|Interpretation of Sefirot as our Ultimate Concern / ADAM]] - [[#6.3 Charts#The Chariot of ADAM - The Divine Human Image|The Chariot of ADAM - The Divine Human Image]] - [[#Class 7: Getting Deeper into Prophecy|Class 7: Getting Deeper into Prophecy]] - [[#Class 7: Getting Deeper into Prophecy#Source 1: Intention for the Vocalization|Source 1: Intention for the Vocalization]] - [[#Source 1: Intention for the Vocalization#Commentary on Source 1|Commentary on Source 1]] - [[#Class 7: Getting Deeper into Prophecy#Source 2: You are the Mashiach!|Source 2: You are the Mashiach!]] - [[#Source 2: You are the Mashiach!#Commentary on Source 2|Commentary on Source 2]] - [[#Class 7: Getting Deeper into Prophecy#Source 3: Listen to your Body|Source 3: Listen to your Body]] - [[#Class 8: Pilgrimage to Bamat Alonim (The High Place of the Oaks)|Class 8: Pilgrimage to Bamat Alonim (The High Place of the Oaks)]] - [[#Class 8: Pilgrimage to Bamat Alonim (The High Place of the Oaks)#8.1 The Cult of the Mitnabot|8.1 The Cult of the Mitnabot]] - [[#8.1 The Cult of the Mitnabot#In the High Places|In the High Places]] - [[#8.1 The Cult of the Mitnabot#Stones, Trees and Altars|Stones, Trees and Altars]] - [[#Stones, Trees and Altars#The Standing Stone of Jacob our Father|The Standing Stone of Jacob our Father]] - [[#8.1 The Cult of the Mitnabot#Revisiting the Bodies of God?|Revisiting the Bodies of God?]] - [[#Class 8: Pilgrimage to Bamat Alonim (The High Place of the Oaks)#8.2 A Glimpse of the Hebrew Goddess in Tiqqunei Zohar|8.2 A Glimpse of the Hebrew Goddess in Tiqqunei Zohar]] - [[#Class 8: Pilgrimage to Bamat Alonim (The High Place of the Oaks)#8.3 Elements of Prophetic Consciousness|8.3 Elements of Prophetic Consciousness]] ## About the Class ### Brief Description This course explores the imagined world of the _mitnabot_, a school of Israelite mystics who flourished between 740-710 BCE. Utilizing scholarship about ancient Israel, Kabbalistic tradition and imagination, we will reconstruct the cult, prophetic practice, mystical symbolism and politics of the *mitnabot*. For those who are willing, we will also initiate ourselves into their prophetic mystery school by engaging in their practices. Perhaps the Torah of the *mitnabot* can provide a roadmap for Jewish identity in our own time. ### Extended Description In this course, we will follow in the footsteps of the *mitnabot* (מתנבאות), an imaginary school of Israelite mystics who lived during the period 740-710 BCE. By so doing, we will utilize the genre of religious fantasy, or historical fiction, as a methodology for exploring new/ancient meanings of Judaism. The *mitnabot* school of prophecy focused on cultivating altered states of consciousness for intensified encounters with YHVH-Asherah. These states were referred to as *hitnabut*, which may be translated as "prophesying" or "speaking in ecstasy". They saw no contradiction between devotion to YHVH alongside - and through - service to the Goddess Asherah. And they served together, women and men in equality. In regard to these ideals, the *mitnabot* upheld longstanding prophetic traditions, as we will see. But powerful currents emerging in Israelite society threatened the *mitnabot*'s existence. First, voices calling for the obliteration of the Asherah became louder and more violent. In parallel, a male-only priesthood claimed authority over all divine instantiations. Worse yet, amidst violence between Israelites and neighboring peoples, leaders who preached genocide increased in power. At the same time, populist politicians gathered more and more support for appointing a human king who would dominate Israelites and exterminate other peoples. In many cases, it was these dehumanizing forces of destruction that dominated Israelite society. They edited the Hebrew Bible and sometimes set its tone. In this regard, our reality today, in which militaristic nationalistic forces dominate Jewish discourse in Israel and Orthodox Jewish discourse abroad, is not unlike the period of the *mitnabot*. In spite of the ascendance of the forces of destruction then and now, we can reconstruct the Torah of the *mitnabot*. Their Torah is not only a road not taken, it is also a road we might take. Combining research, traditional learning and imagination, we will (re)construct the politics, practices and theology of the *mitnabot* prophetesses as a possible roadmap for Judaism today. ## Course Objectives: 1. Utilizing the power of historical fiction / religious fantasy to uncover new-ancient meanings of Judaism. 2. Understanding and developing proficiency in Rabbi Avraham Abulafia’s prophetic meditative techniques, including breath work, vocalization, body movement, and guided imagination. 3. Understanding Zoharic mystical symbolism, particularly the *sefirot*, the divine feminine and the *language of faces*. 4. Enriching our understanding of Judaism by interpreting medieval Kabbalah in light of ancient Israel, and ancient Israel in light of medieval Kabbalah. 5. Identifying the biblical roots of dehumanizing elements of Jewish religion such as supremacism, religious intolerance, militarism and gender oppression. 6. Taking responsibility for these dehumanizing elements, and integrating them into a positive Jewish agenda for change, through use of the Zohar's *language of faces*. 7. Considering the Torah of the *mitnabot* as a roadmap for Judaism in our time. ## How to use this Coursebook The only link you need for the course is the page you are presently reading. Here you will find information for each class as well as a guide for hevruta study. From this page, you'll connect with other materials through links that appear below. The links are to a kind of [[The Mitnabot|Wikipedia on the mitnabot]], consisting of a series of hyperlinked pages. The content is all online, and updated regularly, so a live internet connection is best. You are welcome to download all of it, just keep in mind it will be updated at least once a week. One more technical thing: It is easiest to navigate this page and the other course materials on a PC because the desktop version includes excellent tools for navigation (an outline and interactive graph). On mobile devices it also works, but unfortunately without tools for navigation. Want to learn more? Check out [[The Mitnabot]] now! The course is taught by Shaiya Rothberg. Please contact me with any questions! [email protected] ## Important Links: Link to this document: [[The Mitnabot at Achvat Amim]] [[The Mitnabot]] [[The Mitnabot in History]] [[The Cult of the Mitnabot]] [[The Prophetic Practice of the Mitnabot]] [[The Politics of the Mitnabot]] [[Isaiah - The Prophet of Silwan]] [[Entering the Divine Name]] ## Order of Study for Each Session <div style="page-break-after: always;"></div> ## Class 1: Situating Ourselves in the Narrative ### 1.1 Latter-Day Israelites and the Five Books of Moses While there are at least as many Jewish identities as there are Jews, I think Jewish identity almost always includes an imagined relationship of some kind to the ancient Israelites. For some, there is the sense that we are simply the descendants of the people who wrote the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is the beginning of our story and the rest of Jewish history is its continuation. Often, the identification with the Israelites is more robust. We might feel we share important values with the teaching of the Bible. Or we might actually see ourselves as latter-day Israelites, sharing in the covenants that they – we – enacted between ourselves and with God, as described in the holy story. It is therefore important how we read the Tanakh: How we understand the different voices it contains, and how we situate ourselves in relation to those voices. I believe that the typical ways that we as Jews understand the story obscure powerful, even redemptive, spiritual teachings. They also leave us prone to practices of dehumanization, such as gender and sexual oppression, religious intolerance and nationalist supremacism. By listening for different voices among our ancestors than those we usually hear, we can re-imagine our relationship with ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible. And by identifying the biblical roots of dehumanization, we can better understand why our tradition sometimes fails in this way, and how can direct its power for the good. To get further into these ideas, we will spend some time thinking together about what it means to us to be Jewish, and how Jewish identity is tied to narratives about who we are and where #### Summary of the *Chumash* or Five Books of Moses by *Parashat Hashavua* The summary appears in *The Bible: Where Do You Find It and What Does It Say?, published by Jason Aronson* as reproduced on Myjewishlearning.com. ##### _Breshit_ – The Book of Genesis The creation of the world. The patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob and his sons go down to Egypt. Jacob blesses his sons before his death. **Weekly Portions** - *Bereshit*(1:1-6:8) The world is created in six days. - *Noah* (6:9-11:32) A flood destroys the world. God’s rainbow promises that the world will never again be destroyed in its entirety. - *Lekh-L’kha* (12:1-17:27) Abraham leaves Mesopotamia for the Promised Land. - *Vayera* (18:1-22:24) Abraham welcomes three angels into his tent and learns that his wife Sarah will give birth to a son. - *Haye Sarah* (23:1-25:18) Abraham’s servant finds a suitable wife, Rebecca, for Abraham’s son Isaac. - *Toldot* (25:19-28:9) The birth of Esau and Jacob. Isaac blesses Jacob. - *Vayetze* (28:10-32:3) God appears to Jacob in a dream. Jacob works fourteen years and marries Leah and Rachel. - *Vayishlah* (32:4-36:43) Jacob and Esau reunite after twenty years. Rachel dies and is buried in Bethlehem. - *Vayeshev* (37:1-40:23) Joseph‘s brothers strip him of his coat of many colors and throw him into a pit. - *Miketz* (41:1-44:17) Joseph successfully interprets Pharaoh’s dreams. Joseph is appointed viceroy. - *Vayigash* (44:18-47:27) Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, who are dumbfounded. - *Vayehi* (47:28-50:26) Jacob blesses his sons. Joseph dies at end of book at age 110\. ##### _Shmot_ – The Book of Exodus The Israelites are enslaved in Egypt. Moses receives the Ten Commandments. The Israelites build a tabernacle. **Weekly Portions** - *Sh’mot* (1:1-6:1) Moses is saved by Pharaoh’s daughter. God appears to Moses at the burning bush. - *Vaera* (6:2-9:35) God brings plagues upon the Egyptians. Pharaoh’s heart hardens and he refuses to let the Israelites go. - *Bo* (10:1-13:16) Egyptian firstborn children are slain by God. The Israelites hastily leave Egypt and bake matzah from unleavened dough. - *B’shalah* (13:17-17:16) The waters of the Red Sea divide to make a path for the Israelites. - *Yitro* (18:1-20:23) Jethro, Moses’ father-in law, advises him to appoint judges so as to ease his burden. Moses receives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. - *Mishpatim* (21:1-24:18) Moses instructs the Israelites in the Law. - *Terumah* (25:1-27:19) The tabernacle is constructed. - *Tetzaveh* (27:20-30:10) Aaron and his sons are put in charge of the menorah. The priestly garments are described in great detail. - *Ki Tissa* (30:11-34:35) The Israelites build a golden calf; when Moses sees it he shatters the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. - *Vayakhel* (35:1-38:20) The people bring an array of gifts for the tabernacle until they are told to stop. - *Pekudei* (38:21-40:38) The cloud of glory covers the completed tabernacle as the Israelites stand in the distance. ##### _Vayikra_ – The Book of Leviticus The priestly code; the rules pertaining to sacrifices, diet, and morality; and the Land of Israel and festivals are discussed. **Weekly Portions** - *Vayikra*(1:1-5:26) God reveals the sacrificial laws. - *Tzav* (6:1-8:36) Moses anoints Aaron and his sons as priests. - *Shemini* (9:1-11:47) Laws describing kosher and nonkosher animals are enumerated. - *Tazria* (12:1-13:59) Cleanliness and uncleanliness are defined in relation to childbirth and leprosy. - *Metzora* (14:1-15:33) The laws for the purification of the leper after he has healed are discussed. - *Ahare Mot* (16:1-18:30) Aaron’s sons die. Aaron chooses by lot a goat and a scapegoat. - *Kedoshim* (19:1-20:27) More laws are set forth, including, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” - *Emor *(21:1-24:23) Festival seasons are described in detail. - *B’har* (25:1-26:2) The sabbatical and jubilee years are discussed. - *B’hukotai* (26:3-27:34) The punishment for rejecting God’s covenant is discussed. ##### _B’midbar_ – The Book of Numbers The Census. More statutes and laws. Adventures of the Hebrews en route to Canaan through the desert. **Weekly Portions** - *B’midbar* (1:1-4:20) Description of the Israelites’ encampments during their journeys through the desert. - *Naso* (4:21-7:89) Regulations concerning Nazirites and the threefold priestly benediction. - *B’ha’alotekha* (8:1-12:16) Kindling of the *menorah.* Seventy elders are delegated to serve under Moses. - *Shelah* (13:1-15:41) Twelve spies are dispatched to survey the land of Canaan. Two of the spies return with a positive report. - *Korah* (16:1-18:32) Korach refuses to accept the leadership of Moses and Aaron. He and his assembly are killed by an earthquake. - *Hukkat* (19:1-22:1) The laws regarding the red heifer are enumerated. Moses strikes the rock and water gushes forth. - *Balak* (22:2-25:9) Balak, king of Moab, sends Bilaam to curse the Israelites. Instead, Bilaam gives his blessing to them. - *Pinhas* (25:10-30:1) The daughters of Zelophechad are given their father’s inheritance. Moses chooses Joshua as his successor. - *Mattot* (30:2-32:42) Moses informs the tribal heads regarding the laws of vowing. - *Masei* (33:1-36:13) The detailed account of the various way stations on the Israelites’ route to the Promised Land. Reference is made to the cities of refuge. ##### _D’varim_ – The Book of Deuteronomy A recapitulation of the laws with some additions. Moses addresses the children of Israel and presents them with some warnings. **Weekly Portions** - *D’varim* (1:1-3:22) Moses explains and interprets the law to the people. - *Va’et’hanan* (3:23-7:11) The Ten Commandments are repeated, with slight variations. The cities of refuge are mentioned. The first section of the *Shema* is begun with, “You shall love the Lord your God.” - *Ekev* (7:12-11:25) The *Shema* continues with the second paragraph, which deals with the theme of reward and punishment. - *Re’eh* (11:26-16:17) Moses continues his address, telling the people that obedience will bring them blessing, whereas disobedience will bring them curses. - *Shoftim*(16:18-21:9) Moses warns the people against idolatry. He also reminds the people of the importance of pursuing justice. - *Ki Tetze* (21:10-25:19) Moses reviews a variety of laws intended to strengthen family life and human decency in Israel. Those laws refer to lost property, the educational responsibility of parents to their children, and kindness to animals, among other things. - *Ki Tavo* (26:1-29:8) The laws of tithing and first fruits arc discussed. - *Nitzavim* (29:9-30:20) Moses continues his farewell speech and God tells the people to choose life. - *Vayelekh* (31:1-30) Joshua is appointed successor to Moses. Moses completes the writing of the Torah. - *Ha’azinu* (32:1-52) Moses’ farewell song—a beautiful poem in which he calls upon heaven and earth to witness God’s dependability. - *Vezot HaBracha* **(33:1-34:12):** Moses blesses each of the tribes of Israel before his death. He ascends Mount Nebo, views the Promised Land, and dies there. The Torah concludes with a tribute to Moses’ unparalleled greatness. ### 1.2 Biblical Voices: The Search for our Spiritual Ancestors In his book *The Hebrew Goddess*, Raphael Patai sums up the struggle between the Israelite kings in regard to the presence of the Asherah in the Temple in the following words: #### Source 1: Patai on the Asherah in Judah ![[Patai - The Asherah in Judah]] *Study Question*: What was normative Hebrew practice, to worship the Asherah in the Temple or to destroy it? #### Source 2: Judges 3: 1-9 **Introduction** Patai's perspective on the Asherah is not how the Deuteronomist (Dtm) sees it. According to many (but not all) scholars, the Dtm is an author or school of thought that wrote and edited significant portions of the Bible, including Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. It is generally thought that Dtm's authors lived after the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE, and they wrote the Deuteronomist History (DH) to explain why God destroyed Jerusalem. In a nutshell, God destroyed Jerusalem in their opinion because the Israelites shared family and cultic life with the neighboring peoples, to whom they were closely related. The Dtm believed that Israel was meant to exterminate these neighbors, not live and love with them. It is clear from the Bible that throughout Israelite history, many Israelites saw no contradiction in marrying a Siddonian, worshipping the Asherah, and remaining faithful to YHVH. According to Patai's count, for most of the years the Temple in Jerusalem stood, it was home to the Asherah. But this reality became a terrible sin in the eyes of the Dtm, and the reason for the destruction of Jerusalem. They wrote much of the Deuteronomistic history from this perspective (in the biblical books mentioned above). Let us read these texts against the grain, and see if we can discover other voices. ![[Jds 3 1-8]] *Study Notes and Questions:* In this text, we see the basic logic of the Dtm: Israel married and worshipped with the *goyim*, and so God shmiced them by way of Cushan-rishathaim. But if we met the Israelites in verses 5-6, would they describe themselves as having forgotten YHVH? Archeology and the biblical narrative testify that Israelites often worshipped YHVH together with other deities and other peoples. How is it that they didn't see a contradiction? Lets imagine that some of these YHVH worshippers were among the people of verses 5-6. What would they say in response to the narrators conclusion in verse 7? #### Source 3: Solomon's House of Prayer for All People Wiki: The conventional dates of Solomon's reign are derived from [biblical chronology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_chronology "Biblical chronology") and are set from about 970 to 931 [BCE](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era "Common Era"). ![[I Kings 11 1-13]] *Study Notes and Questions*: This text represents the Dtm's answer to the question: Why was David's house divided? It was because of Solomon's foreign influences and religious pluralism. What should we believe in this story? 1) Did Solomon do these things, hear God reprimand him, and thus would agree with the narrator's condemnation? 2) Or might we say he would have agreed with the narrator that establishing shrines in the hills around Jerusalem would be an abomination, but that he didn't do it, and the narrator just made this up to retroactively justify the division of David's House? 3) Or might we say that Solomon did erect the shrines, but does not think he was reprimanded by God, and would reject the narrator's condemnation if he read it? Maybe he would say he was realizing the ideal behind Isaiah's later vision: ![[Isaiah 56 7]] #### Source 4: Josiah Destroys Solomon's Shrines **Introduction** During the reign of [King Josiah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah) (c. 640–609 BCE), a book was found in the Temple. Many scholars believe that it was some version of the Book of Deuteronomy. Its discovery resulted in a rampage of seemingly religiously inspired violence. Josiah's voice is important for us to hear. If you don't have time to read the whole text, just read the parts in bold. What do you think of Josiah's policies? After reading the text below, return to Source 1 above. How do Josiah's policies look in that context? ![[I Kings 22 10 - 23 21 English Shorter Version]] *Now re-read Patai above. Where are our biblical spiritual ancestors?* ### 1.3 Practice: The Circular Tenfold Name ![[שם העגול המעושר.png]] ## Class 2: The Mitnabim In this class, we will explore the *mitnabim* or "speakers-in-ecstacy" who appear in the Hebrew Bible. The *mitnabim* are not historical fiction in the sense that they appear in the Book of Samuel (unlike the *mitnabot* who appear only in our imagination). However, the Book of Samuel is not history, but itself a work that combines historical, mythical and religious materials. In this sense, the Hebrew Bible is partly a work of historical fiction. ### 2.2 Optional Background Readings #### 2.21 Background on Prophecy in the Ancient Near East In our exploration of the *mitnabim* and *mitnabot*, we are entering the world of ecstatic prophecy in the ancient Near East. If you'd like to get some background before class, check out these selections from Martti Nissinen, *Ancient Prophecy - Near Eastern, Biblical and Greek Perspectives*: ![[Nissinen on Prophetic Ecstasy in Near East]] ![[Nissinen on Prophetic Ecstasy among the Israelites]] #### 2.22 Gender Equality and Fluidity in Ancient Near Eastern Prophetic Circles ![[Gender Equality and Fluidity in Prophetic Tradition]] #### 2.23 Background on the Book of Samuel ![[Introduction to the Book of Samuel]] #### 2.24 Interpreting the Bible's Portrayal of the Mitnabim as the Basis for the Mitnabot ![[The Biblical Portrayal of the Band of Prophets]] ### 2.3 *Hevruta* > [!example] *Hevruta Study* > > We'll spend about 30-40 minutes in *hevruta* today (there are general instructions for hevruta learning above). > > In the text, we learn about what the events that occurred when the prophet Samuel first anointed Saul to be king. There is a huge amount of interesting material here! We'll focus on getting to know the band of *mitnabim*, prophets or "speakers in ecstasy". The *mitnabot* we are reconstructing int his course are based on the *mitnabim* that appear in this text. > > The band of *mitnabim* appear twice in the passage. First, when Samuel tells Saul about them, and again, when Saul meets them. Pay special attention to everything said about this band: What are they doing? Who are they? What does it mean that Saul joins them? You'll find the commentaries below helpful. > > Notice the role of "the spirit of God" and the transformation of Saul (once he said to "become another man" and later on to "receive a new heart"). The *spirit* and the *transformation* are important parts of prophetic practice, as we will discover in connection with Abulafia, also. #### 2.31 Saul and the Band of Prophets ![[Samuel 10 Robert Alter]] ##### 2.311 Robert Alter's Commentary on Samuel 10 ![[Samuel 10 Robert Alter Commentary]] ![[pistacia atlantica]] *"The Terebinth of Tabor was evidently a cultic site" (See Alter on 1 Samuel 10:3).* ##### Anchor Bible Commentary on Samuel 10 (P. Kyle McCarter) ![[Samuel 10 Anchor Bible Commentary]] #### 2.32 Additional Source (If there's time): Saul Again Meets the Band of Prophets ![[Samuel 1 19 JPS 1985]] ##### 2.321Anchor Bible Commentary (P. Kyle McCarter) ![[Samuel 19 Anchor Commentary]] #### Even more Sources **Can't get enough of the *mitnabim*? No worries! Here are more links** [[Eldad and Meidad Speaking in Ecstasy]] [[Saul Raves because of the Evil Spirit]] [[The Prophets of Ba'al Rave]] [[Musical Prophesying in Chronicles]] <div style="page-break-after: always;"></div> ## Class 3: The Hebrew Goddess in Ancient Israel ### Source 1: Asherah at Kuntillet Arjud This is an excellent introduction to the findings at Kuntillet Arjud. Look [here](https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/article/the-persisting-uncertainties-of-kuntillet-ajrud/) for the full article. Below are selections: ![[Selections from Hershel Shanks BAS Library]] ## Class 4: Abulafia: Practicing Prophecy ![[Entering the Divine Name]] <div style="page-break-after: always;"></div> [[The Mitnabot at Achvat Amim#Contents|Back to Table of Contents]] ## Class 5: The Hebrew Goddess in Tiqqunei Zohar ##### Introduction The below description of the Shekhinah appears in part of the literature of the Zohar called *Tiqqunei Zohar*. It was written by unknown authors in the school of the Zohar, probably in the beginning of the 14th century in Spain. In the fictional world of the *mitnabot*, this is one of the texts that was uncovered from the inscriptions. It made its way to medieval Spain, where it became embedded in the work *Tiqqunei Zohar* ![[The Head of the Goddess]] ### Commentary ![[Commentary on Head of Goddess for Mitnabot]] [[The Mitnabot at Achvat Amim#Contents|Back to Table of Contents]] <div style="page-break-after: always;"></div> ## Class 6: The Sefirotic Tree ### 6.1 Introduction In today's class, we will will explore one of the most foundational ideas in Kabbalistic tradition: The sefirotic tree. We saw above that the tree of life was a central symbol of the Hebrew Goddess during the period of the First Temple, when the worship of Asherah was an important part of the cult of YHVH for many if not most Israelites (and that according to the narrative of the Hebrew Bible itself, even if many of its later editors opposed Asherah worship). Now we'll get deeper into the idea of the Tree of Life as the Tree of Sefirot. There are many ways to imagine the tree. I'd like to emphasize the way the sefirotic tree of life symbolizes an overflowing. An overflowing of what? I'd like us to think of the *shefa elohi* the divine overflowing, as consisting of a kind of liquid energy. At first, in the singularity before the Big Bang (Keter), the liquid was purely transparent, none of the colors and constellations that would later emerge from it could be seen in its complete simplicity. Behind, around and including the sefirot tree, is *ein sof*. *Ein sof* is the totality of what is - what we know and beyond that which we know. It is the set of all things and not-things (that which we don't know to be a thing). From this *ein sof*, this nothingness, begins the flow of the stream of liquid energy from an unknown place we cannot see (Keter) until it emerges at a single point, and we see the shining liquid emerge, illuminating all around in its utter transparency. The liquid energy gathers in a great sea, Binah. This sea is still completely immaterial, but in the depths of this sea, colors and constellations and currents start to emerge. We can see that the liquid that was fully transparent is now alive with countless shapes, lights and shadows, change and development, every increasing. Until the sea of Binah overflows, and its waters increase, differentiating into different forms. The forms are symbolized by the lower sefirot. They are things that we call by names like powers, attributes, qualities and/or entities. They life, consciousness, love, justice, beauty, compassion, creativity, relationality, sexuality and all other forces of goodness and flourishing. ### 6.2 Zohar on Ein Sof and the Sefirot (Raya Meheimna) | Zohar Bo (2:42a-43a) | זוהר בא (ב:מד ע"א - מג ע"א) | | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | ![[Merkava dadam - mitnabot - achvat amim]] | ![[מרכבה דאדם למתנבאות - אחוות עמים]]<br><br><br> | #### Illustration of the Image in the Zohar Above ![[Graphic for Flow of Ein Sof and the Sefirot - English.png]] ### The Central Verses Quoted in the Above Zohar: Divrei Hayamim (Chronicles) 1:29:10-15 This section opens up the dramatic event in which the Assembly of Israel are gathered together to anoint Solomon as King and charge him with responsibility of governing the people and building the Temple. David's words, speaking to Y-H-V-H and blessing Hir before the entire assembly, have become part of the canon of Jewish liturgy, and are very likely the source for some of the names of the Sefirot. In the text below, David evokes God's presence (and perhaps image also) and describes the divine attributes he sees. Its not clear if he means to describe his own attributes as king, and to thank God for them as the source, or to describe the attributes of God, in the image of whom the King is, and therefore he also shares that attributes. This says a lot about the nature of the attributes of God as revealed in the sefirotic tree/overflow: It is a divine-human image. | JPS 2023 | Robert Alter | תנ"ך | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | David blessed GOD in front of all the assemblage; David said, “Blessed are You, ETERNAL One, God of Israel our father, from eternity to eternity. Yours, ETERNAL One, are greatness, might, splendor, triumph, and majesty—yes, all that is in heaven and on earth; to You, ETERNAL One, belong kingship and preeminence above all. | 10 And David blessed the LORD before the eyes of all the assembly, and David said: “Blessed are you, O LORD, God of Israel, our father from everlasting to everlasting. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the might and the splendor and the triumph and the grandeur, indeed, all in the heavens and on the earth. Yours, O LORD, is the kingship, and what is exalted as head over all. | וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ דָּוִיד֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔"ה לְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־הַקָּהָ֑ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֗יד בָּר֨וּךְ אַתָּ֤ה יְהֹוָ"ה֙ אֱלֹהֵי֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אָבִ֔ינוּ מֵעוֹלָ֖ם וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ יא לְךָ֣ יְ֠הֹוָ֠"ה הַגְּדֻלָּ֨ה וְהַגְּבוּרָ֤ה וְהַתִּפְאֶ֙רֶת֙ וְהַנֵּ֣צַח וְהַה֔וֹד כִּי־כֹ֖ל בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֑רֶץ לְךָ֤ יהו”ה הַמַּמְלָכָ֔ה וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂ֖א לְכֹ֥ל ׀ לְרֹֽאשׁ׃ | ### 6.3 Charts ##### Traditional Sefirotic Chart ![[Sefirot Matt Plus YHVH.png]] ##### Interpretation of Sefirot as our Ultimate Concern / ADAM ![[ADAM Y-H-V-H Graphic.png]] #### The Chariot of ADAM - The Divine Human Image ![[female sefirot.jpg]] [[The Mitnabot at Achvat Amim#Contents|Back to Table of Contents]] <div style="page-break-after: always;"></div> ## Class 7: Getting Deeper into Prophecy ### Source 1: Intention for the Vocalization ![[In the hour you desire - Hebrew and English]] #### Commentary on Source 1 ![[Commentary on kavanah for hazkarah]] ### Source 2: You are the Mashiach! ![[21 Abulafia Anointing Oil Text in Hebrew-English Table]] #### Commentary on Source 2 ![[Anointing Oil Commentary]] ### Source 3: Listen to your Body ![[ראשית נבואה עברית -אנגלית]] [[The Mitnabot at Achvat Amim#Contents|Back to Table of Contents]] <div style="page-break-after: always;"></div> ## Class 8: Pilgrimage to Bamat Alonim (The High Place of the Oaks) ### 8.1 The Cult of the Mitnabot #### In the High Places In keeping with mainstream [[The Mitnabot in History#Canaanites-Israelites in History|Canaanite-Israelite]] practice in this period, the *mitnabot* worshiped God in shrines called *bamot* which were located on the tops of hills or otherwise important places. Here (below) is the outward view from nearby one of the shrines associated with the Mitnabot: ![[view from bamah.png]] Here (below) you can see inside a nearby Mitnabot shrine: ![[alonim 1 stone and stairs 1.jpg]] *A photo I took of the actual place, [[Alonei Anak]], on January 4, 2025.* While none of the cultic objects of the shrine survived, the inscriptions clearly document what objects existed and how they were used. Everything involving the *mitnabot*'s cult was characteristic of cultic practices across Canaanite-Israelite and other Northwest Semitic cultures. At the same time, their practice was also very local and idiosyncratic, as religious customs tended to vary by region and family during this period. #### Stones, Trees and Altars The Mitnabot's shrines, like most Canaanite-Israelites of their time, included ***matsevot*** (מצבות, standing stones), ***asherot*** (אשרות, sacred trees) and ***mizbechot*** (מזבחות, altars) for sacrifice and incense ([including Cannabis](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cannabis-found-altar-ancient-israeli-shrine-180975016/)). At the shrines, they would have engaged in prophetic practices involving music and *hitnabut* or speaking in ecstasy. Recent scholarship by B. Sommer (See [[Bibliographies]]) has suggested that the ancient Israelites, like the larger Canaanite or Northwest Semitic milieu, regarded deities as characterized by a fluidity of physical presence: They could invest themselves at the same time in multiple bodies (such as standing stones and sacred trees) and places. In Mesopotamia, these objects were often statues in human form. However, in the Israelite's Northwest Semitic context, the bodies of deities were generally aniconic, that is, took the abstract shapes of stones or trees but not humanlike forms (although bulls were also common). Some scholars have suggested that the standing stones were phallic while the sacred trees were yonic. The stones may have acted as bodies for El, Baal or Y-H-V-H, conceived as a male deity, and the trees for Asherah, the mother Goddess of the Canaanite-Isrealite pantheon. ![[Hazor image of masseboth in place.png]] *Pictured above: Standing Stones found at Tel Hazor* . See https://www.imj.org.il/en/collections/394221-0 ![[alonim 13 Stones at Alonim.jpg]] Above: *Stones lying in a row at the site of one of the Mitnabot's shrines in the Judean Hills* ##### The Standing Stone of Jacob our Father We can get a sense of the Israelite standing stone from a story about Yaakov Avinu, Jacob our father: ![[Jacob and the Standing Stone]] On these passages, Benjamin Sommer writes in *The Bodies of God and the World of Ancient Israel*: ![[Sommer on Gods Presence in Stone]] On the *Beytl*, Sommer writes: ![[Sommer on Betyl]] #### Revisiting the Bodies of God? It might seem bizarre to think of divinity as located in a physical body, such as a sacred rock or tree, or at some particular place. However, I think there is some important truth to it. Broadly speaking, as we've seen in the context of mystical symbolism, divinity may be symbolized by the Zohar's *ein sof* and the *sefirot*. As *ein son*, divinity is beyond all definition and conception, and certainly is not physically located in some spot. The ten *sefirot*, however, are the more revealed side of divinity. They consist of powers/attributes/qualities such consciousness, love, justice, beauty, compassion, relationality (*yesod-malkhut*) and creativity. They are often symbolized by the Tree of Life. The more revealed side of God, that is, the *sefirot*, is always manifest to us in physical bodies in particular places. At least that's how I think we see the world today. This is different than the past. In the Middle Ages, many mystics and philosophers identified divinity with something they called *intellect*. What they mean by intellect is something like the essence of awareness / consciousness, together with a kind of transcendental love and bliss. They believed this awareness-love-bliss was its own entity, like gravity, and was an important constituent element of all existence. And they believed it was a completely non-material entity, that existed in a purely spiritual realm. Human beings could access and even overlap this noncorporeal intellect, but only because they too are partly noncorporeal spiritual beings. If we accept modern brain science, however, then everything we know and experience - including our most spiritual and transcendent awareness - happens in matter. Not only that, but matter and energy are two sides of one coin, so that everything we are and feel is bound up with matter/energy. And therefore for us, I think, the *sefirot* are (also) material. When we encounter the stuff of the divine - consciousness, love, justice, beauty, compassion, relationality - we encounter it in bodies. The sefirot can have many bodies in many places, and they mix and combine, so that they share the fluidity of the deities of the ancient Israelites as described by Sommer, but they always appear to us in the physical. And not only in our own bodies. Our experience of ourselves, and of divine powers, is tied up with the physical world around us. The spark of inspiration we feel in a ceremony involving fire is not wholly distinct from the burning flame. The physical entities with which we share our lives are not completely inanimate. The root of the *sefirot* lies in *ein sof*, which both contains and transcends all matter, so in that sense the *sefirot* are also beyond matter. But on our end, when we encounter the *sefirot*, they are embodied. If so, then the embodied divinity of the ancient Israelites, with their stones, trees and altars, may be more accessible to us than it was to the medievals. We, like them, understand that God is manifest in bodies. Perhaps itיs time we rejoin Jacob in pouring oil on a standing stone and listening for voices (Genesis 28:18). This will of course put us in conflict with certain streams of religious intolerance and violence (Deut. 16:21-22) espoused by [[The Mitnabot in History#The Deuteronomist School in History|the same school]] that champions genocidal supremacism, the extermination of Goddess worshippers, monarchy and the monopoly of the male-only priesthood. However, many if not most ancient Israelites, such as the matriarchs and patriarchs, as well as the *mitnabot*, would be on our side. Unlike the areas in which we are reconstructing the practices of the Mitnabot - the prophetic practice, the mystical symbolism and the politics - the cult of the Mitnabot is at this stage a hypothetical reconstruction: I have not received a tradition about how to do this, and have not yet fashioned one for myself. However, I find studying what might have been the cult of the Mitnabot in light of scholarly research into the period and culture fascinating. First of all, because it part of a dramatic and grand mystical-religious narrative. Secondly, because the practices and ideas involved in the ancient Canaanite-Israelite culture seem to me to be profoundly powerful, and to resonate with the Kabbalah of the Zohar. ### 8.2 A Glimpse of the Hebrew Goddess in Tiqqunei Zohar Do you see Her in this Place? ![[The Shekhinah's Names and Manifestations - Bi]] ### 8.3 Elements of Prophetic Consciousness <h1 p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">Here<br> Now</p> ![[יסודות וכיווני מרחב.png]] [[The Mitnabot at Achvat Amim#Contents|Back to Table of Contents]]