Undressing God: Unitive Imagery in the "Bahir" and the "Zohar"

Abstract

Many different methods have been used in the past to speak about God and humankind's relationship to God. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a unique form of mysticism came about which combined older philosophies and methodologies to create what is called Kabbalah. Kabbalah is a specifically Jewish form of mysticism that has its origins in the early middle ages, and by the twelfth century was adopting a cohesive form as a way of approaching mysticism. The combination of the older philosophies and methodologies allows the mystical texts adequately to address the dualities which are found in the world and within the mystical body of God. Because of the all inclusiveness of God, He is neither masculine nor feminine. However, when speaking of God, I will generally use the masculine pronoun as is conventionally done because no adequate alternative choices exist ('it' as pronoun is best applied to things and not to a living God).