What do you think?
Rate this book
Saturn's Jews: On the Witches' Sabbat and Sabbateanism
This book explores the phenomenon of Saturnism, namely the belief that the planet Saturn, the seventh known planet in ancient astrology, was appointed upon the Jews, who celebrated the Sabbath, the seventh day of the Jewish week.
Moshe Idel details how the anonymous, late 14th century Sefer Ha-Peliyah was to have disturbing consequences in the Jewish world three centuries later, interweaving luminaries with the cultural, historical, religious, and philosophical concepts of their day, and demonstrating how cultural agents were inadvertently instrumental in the mid-17th-century mass-movement Sabbateanism that led to the conviction that Sabbatai Tzevi was the Messiah.
Exploring how the tragic misperception of the Jewish Sabbath by the non-Jewish world led to a linkage of Jews with sorcery in 14th and 15th-century Europe, associating their holy day with the witches' 'Sabbat' gathering, Idel brings this wide-ranging study into the present day with an analysis of 20th-century scholarship and thought influenced by Saturnism, particularly lingering themes related to melancholy in the works of Gershom Scholem and Walter Benjamin.
Moshe Idel details how the anonymous, late 14th century Sefer Ha-Peliyah was to have disturbing consequences in the Jewish world three centuries later, interweaving luminaries with the cultural, historical, religious, and philosophical concepts of their day, and demonstrating how cultural agents were inadvertently instrumental in the mid-17th-century mass-movement Sabbateanism that led to the conviction that Sabbatai Tzevi was the Messiah.
Exploring how the tragic misperception of the Jewish Sabbath by the non-Jewish world led to a linkage of Jews with sorcery in 14th and 15th-century Europe, associating their holy day with the witches' 'Sabbat' gathering, Idel brings this wide-ranging study into the present day with an analysis of 20th-century scholarship and thought influenced by Saturnism, particularly lingering themes related to melancholy in the works of Gershom Scholem and Walter Benjamin.
216 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2011
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 24, 2016
an interesting premise, but it's far from a full thesis. Somewhat disjointed collection of ideas.
Read
November 2, 2022The book confirms the ageless worship of creation and planets. The book states Saturn witches believe they’re The Angel of Death and obviously part of the Kabbalah cults and their Tikkun Olam. The rebellion like Cronos always eats it’s children.
“…We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising until the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.
Samuel Adams Aug 1st 1776
“…A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their government to it’s true principles..”.
Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor 4 June 1798
“…We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising until the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.
Samuel Adams Aug 1st 1776
“…A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their government to it’s true principles..”.
Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor 4 June 1798
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews