The Messiah Texts: Jewish Legends of Three Thousand YearsFollowing a detailed introduction to the world of messianic ideology and its significance in Jewish history, The Messiah Texts traces the progress of the messianic legend from its biblical beginnings to contemporary expressions.Renowned scholar Raphael Patai has skillfully selected passages from a voluminous literature spanning three millennia. Using his own translations from Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Latin, and other original texts, Patai excerpts delightful folk tales, apocalyptic fantasies, and parables of prophetic power. All are central to the understanding of a magnificent heritage. patai also investigates the false messiahs who have appeared throughout Jewish history, the modern Messiah-influenced movements such as reform Judaism and Zionism, and the numerous reasons put forth by the various branches of Judaism as to why the Messiah has not yet appeared. |
Contents
xiii | |
xix | |
xxi | |
1 The Biblical Preamble | 1 |
2 Preexistence and Names of the Messiah | 16 |
3 Early Messiahs | 23 |
4 The Ancestry of the Messiah | 37 |
5 The Waiting | 42 |
20 The Triumph of the Lord | 189 |
21 Resurrection | 197 |
22 The Last Judgment | 211 |
23 Messianic Jerusalem | 220 |
24 Miraculous Fertility | 229 |
25 The Banquet | 235 |
26 New Worlds and a New Tora | 247 |
27 Universal Blessings | 258 |
6 Counting the Days | 54 |
7 Hastening the End | 65 |
8 Son of the Clouds | 81 |
9 The Birds Nest | 84 |
10 Contest in Heaven | 90 |
11 The Pangs of Times | 95 |
12 The Suffering Messiah | 104 |
13 The Mother of the Messiah | 122 |
14 Elijah the Great Forerunner | 131 |
15 Gog and Magog | 145 |
16 Armilus | 156 |
17 Messiah ben Joseph | 165 |
18 Wars and Victories | 171 |
19 The Ingathering and the Return of the Shekhina | 181 |
28 Messiah Dreams | 265 |
29 The Modern Postlude | 274 |
30 Recapitulation | 310 |
Prayers for the Coming of the Messiah | 321 |
Maimonides on the Messiah | 323 |
A Messiah Catechism | 328 |
The Popes Letter | 330 |
A Messianic Disputation | 332 |
Grimmelshausens Account | 339 |
Epilogue | 343 |
Chronological List of Sources | 344 |
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363 | |
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Common terms and phrases
angels Armilus asked banquet Behold Biblical blessed memory bring Children of Israel coming dead desert divine dwell earth Edom Elijah of blessed Ephraim evil exile eyes father future Garden of Eden gates Gehenna glory Gog and Magog hand Hasidic Hayyim heart heaven hidden hour the Holy ibid Instantly Jacob Jerusalem Jewish Jews Judah King Messiah Land of Israel legend Mashiah Master Matronit Menahem Messiah ben David Messiah ben Joseph Midrash miracles Moses mountains mouth myth Nahman nations night peace pious prayer prince prophecy prophet Rabba Rabbi Redeemer Redemption rejoice resurrection revealed righteous sages Sefer servant Shabbatai Zevi Shekhina Shim'on shofar sins slay souls spirit stand stones story suffering supernal Talmudic Temple thee things thou thousand throne Tora tribes Tzaddiq unto voice waiting whole world wicked written Yitzhaq Yohanan Zerubbabel Zion Zohar