The Book of Zohar is the only book to be held sacred other than the Bible and the Talmud. Its value lies also in its poetic characteristics as well as its putting forward unusual ideas, charged with strong emotions and abounding in mythical images. Thus it has become the most important source of inspiration in the field of Kabbalah ever since it was published at the end of the 13th century and has been nourishing Jewish culture throughout the centuries. Jewish tradition attributes the writing of the book to R. Shimeon Bar Yohay (Rashbi) who lived in the 2nd century CE, but researchers have convincingly proven that most of it was written in 13th century Spain, while some of it might be as early as the 11th century.

In this course we will focus on one of the Zohar's later strata – a collection of stories which tell the writers' imagined collective autobiography. We will learn how to read such a Zoharic text and how to decipher its symbolism and its poetics.

Course requirements: regular attendance in classes and taking an exam.