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Despite some of the basic similarities (such as heavenly ascent) between Gnosticism and Hekhalot and Merkavah mysticism, there are also serious differences, such as the way that they understand the Hebrew Bible (Gnosticism denigrated it, while Hekhalot and Merkavah mystics held it in high regard). Deutsch points out that when Gnostic texts are analyzed and compared to Hekhalot and Merkavah texts, it is only a few of the Gnostic texts that really seem to have parallels to those in the Hekhalot and Merkavah corpus. And, those texts that do look related may be related because they were influenced by the Hekhalot and Merkavah texts, not the other way around.
How, then, are we to understand the relationship between Gnosticism and Hekhalot and Merkavah mysticism? Deutsch proposes that the best way to study these texts is to look at them from a comparative standpoint of how each group approached the sacred. It is only then that the similarities and differences will be revealed to a greater extent because, as Deutsch puts it, "only a framework can be constructed on the foundation of the available evidence." (p. 150)
Once someone reads a book like Joseph Dan's _The Ancient Jewish Mysticism_, I would recommend a book like this, which provides a detailed analysis of some of the debates within the field of Hekhalot and Merkavah mysticism. Deutsch pays attention to detail and argues his points persuasively. In the end, the evidence for Hekhalot and Merkavah mysticism being Jewish Gnosticism looks weak. But, although there was probably no unified Rabbinic Gnosticism, there probably were some Gnostic rabbis who helped to shape the movement that produced the Hekhalot and Merkavah mystical texts.
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The Oxford educated Harris lives with his wife and son in Worcester, England.
Harris explains how Ireland's climate and culture have combined to create the distinctive Irish identity. From the island's past which includes Early Stone Age settlements to the coming of Christianity, and through numerous invasions and rebellions one sees the mold that has shaped contemporary Irish life. In the book's 224 pages, Harris examines the Celtic world, the age of monasticism, the Irish at war, the Ascendancy, Home Rule, the Easter Rising and partition, the life of the Traveller, farming, industry, sport and music. Readers will also learn about Irish art, the place of the church in Irish life, Georgian Dublin, the Big House, castles and strongholds, the Literary Revival, and James Joyce.
A chapter devoted to myth and magic explains the life and death of Cuchulainn from the cattle Raid of Cooley, one of the best known stories from the Ulster Cycle. Shown is the bronze statue of the mythic hero which now stands in the General Post Office in Dublin's O'Connell Street.
In Dublin's Fair City, the reader may enjoy a vicarious tour through the Georgian City with stops at Royal Kilmainham, now an art gallery; the library at Trinity College, home of the Book of Kells and which, along with the British library, receives a copy of every book published in the British Isles; and the James Gandon designed Custom House and Four Courts.
Celtic and Christian art in the form of incised stones, beehive huts, high crosses, chalices, torcs, brooches, and illuminated manuscripts fill the pages and provide insight into Ireland's cultural past and the unbroken continuity that extends to the present day.
Heritage of Ireland is skillfully written; Ireland is brought vividly to life on every page of this fascinating volume and is sure to make you want to hop on the next plane to Dublin to see for yourself.
Reviewed by Suzanne Barrett
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