Like Angels on Jacob's Ladder: Abraham Abulafia, the Franciscans, and Joachimism

192 Pages·2008·1.28 MB·English

by  Harvey J. Hames

LIKE ANGELS ON
JACOB S LADDER
’
Harvey J. Hames
Like Angels on Jacob’s Ladder

Like Angels on Jacob’s Ladder
Abraham Abulafia, the Franciscans and Joachimism
Harvey J. Hames
State University of New York Press
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2007 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
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www.sunypress.edu
Production by Kelli W. Leroux
Marketing by Anne M. Valentine
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hames, Harvey J.
Like angels on Jacob’s ladder : Abraham Abulafia, the Franciscans, and
Joachimism / Harvey J. Hames.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-0-7914-7271-2 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Abulafia, Abraham ben Samuel, 1240–ca. 1292. 2. Joachim, of Fiore,
ca. 1132–1202.
3. Cabala—History. 4. Ecstasy (Judaism) 5. Salvation. 6. Judaism—
Relation—Christianity. 7. History—Religious aspects—Christianity—
History of doctrines—Middle Ages, 600–1500. I. Title.
bm526.h3862008
296.8'2—dc22 2007014884
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For
Mum and Dad
with love and gratitude

God’s seal is truth.
—Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin
It is known that no intellectual should judge the work of
another until one has read the whole book and understood
everything therein to the smallest detail.
—Abraham Abulafia, Sefer ha-Edut
And it is the way of all authors who write books for the
honour of God, everywhere and at all times; that he will
no doubt suffer as a result of his book.
—Abraham Abulafia, Hayei ha-Nefesh

Contents
A Note to the Reader xi
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Joachim and Joachimism in Italy 11
Chapter 2 A Life Reviewed 29
Chapter 3 The Politics of Universal Salvation 54
Chapter 4 1280—Rome Revisited 71
Chapter 5 Abulafia the “Diplomat”: Was There Method
in his Madness? 89
Conclusion 102
Notes 107
Bibliography 151
ix