Kabbalah and the Bible I

Professor

COURSE PREVIEW

What is Kabbalah? How does Jewish mysticism explain light and darkness, the brokenness of the world, the Messiah, and the Creator himself? Do these understandings coincide with or contradict Biblical truths? Were Jesus (Yeshua of Nazareth) and Paul (Saul of Tarsus) Jewish mystics? Why is the Word of God like “burning fire” that cannot be contained, as the prophet Jeremiah wrote? How did Jewish and Christian mystical thinkers, artists, philosophers, and scientists — from Rabbi Nachmanides to Sir Isaac Newton and from Isaac Luria “the Lion” to Mirandola the Renaissance man — approach this secret knowledge? Join Dr. Gruber on an exciting journey in considering these big questions by looking at original source texts of Jewish mystical tradition and the opinions of notable scholars.

Student feedback

“I think this was the most interesting class I have ever experienced. It is thought-provoking and jostled me out of my comfort zone, but at the same time seems ‘natural’ and fits with my past Biblical study. Thank you so much Dr. Gruber for such a well-prepared, in-depth course! Please complete your next one as I am really looking forward to continued study!” — Jana Jones

Course Features

Sessions 32
Duration 6
Language English

- Lecture1.1
  The Finite and the Infinite
- Lecture1.2
  What is the Mystical Kabbalah?
- Lecture1.3
  Demystifying Mysticism
- Lecture1.4
  Looking through the Lens of Mysticism
- Lecture1.5
  What is the Point of Kabbalah?
- Lecture1.6
  Ancient Sources of Kabbalah
- Lecture1.7
  Medieval Sources of Kabbalah
- Lecture1.8
  Creation in Kabbalah
- Lecture1.9
  Ein Sof and the Beginning
- Lecture1.10
  Knowing YHWH
- Lecture2.11
  Light and Sephirot
- Lecture2.12
  Emanations
- Lecture2.13
  Tsimtsum and Light
- Lecture2.14
  Adam Kadmon and Light 1
- Lecture2.15
  Adam Kadmon and Light 2
- Lecture2.16
  Logos and Infinite Light
- Lecture2.17
  Light and Darkness
- Lecture2.18
  The Other Side
- Lecture2.19
  Unbounded Ein Sof
- Lecture3.20
  A Broken World
- Lecture3.21
  Tikkun Olam
- Lecture3.22
  Messianic Ideas
- Lecture3.23
  Pauline Mysticism 1
- Lecture3.24
  Pauline Mysticism 2
- Lecture3.25
  The Messiah in the Tanakh
- Lecture3.26
  Two Kinds of Messiah?
- Lecture3.27
  Metatron
- Lecture4.28
  Mainstream Kabbalah
- Lecture4.29
  Messianic Times
- Lecture4.30
  Messianic Kabbalah
- Lecture4.31
  Mysticism in Modern Romanticism
- Lecture4.32
  Hidden and Revealed Messiahs

Dr. Yeshaya Gruber

Professor of Jewish History and Culture

Dr. Yeshaya Gruber is Professor of Jewish History and Culture at the Israel Bible Center and hosts the Roundtable Talks with leading scholars and authors in Biblical, Second Temple Period, and Jewish-Christian Studies. He earned his Ph.D. in History from Georgetown University and has held research and teaching positions in Jerusalem, Athens, Sydney, and elsewhere. His extensive travels, coupled with his research and teaching experience, help to enrich his students’ understanding of Jewish-Christian relations, history, and potential future paths.

Dr. Gruber loves to study the interactions of Jewish and Christian texts, traditions, and communities from antiquity to the present. He is especially interested in how language differences and translations influence Biblical interpretation. He is also the co-founder of Kol Hakatuv, an Israeli startup offering high-quality translation and editing services. Dr. Gruber lives in Israel with his family.