tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521975688667535978.post3964531952792913966..comments2024-02-16T22:11:10.153-08:00Comments on The Temple of Zenarchy: Kosher Jewish Magic (and Paganism!)Chance J. Feldsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640824562790000442noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521975688667535978.post-59378955375820796442011-12-22T07:46:40.824-08:002011-12-22T07:46:40.824-08:00I honestly have no idea. But I'd imagine that ...I honestly have no idea. But I'd imagine that other less iconoclastic Jewish scholars would probably want to pretend Patai never existed.Chance J. Feldsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09640824562790000442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521975688667535978.post-29248661413900469802011-12-22T06:28:01.425-08:002011-12-22T06:28:01.425-08:00Interesting, I'll have to get a copy of the bo...Interesting, I'll have to get a copy of the book in the new year. <br /><br />Do you know if any other scholars/academics quote this book? I tried to look him up in my small library could not find mention of him by G. Scholem, M. Idel, etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521975688667535978.post-50420696911715422032011-12-21T14:24:43.865-08:002011-12-21T14:24:43.865-08:00Not the case at all, actually. He starts with bibl...Not the case at all, actually. He starts with biblical and pre-biblical sources and works his way up to the present day. His analysis of Asherah and Astarte worship (as referenced in many different books of the bible) is impressive, given the lengths to which the authors went in trying to obscure exactly what was going on.<br /><br />"Yahwist" equates to monotheist writing, while "Elohist" equates to more polytheist (or polytheism-friendly) writing, so no other categories are really necessary.Chance J. Feldsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09640824562790000442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521975688667535978.post-69181664640495406212011-12-21T14:06:29.206-08:002011-12-21T14:06:29.206-08:00I've yet to read Patai's Hebrew Goddess. F...I've yet to read Patai's Hebrew Goddess. From what I've read the arguments that he makes in that book are based on sources from the 9th-10th century onwards. I'd be curious to find what you make of his book once you've finished it.<br /><br />As to the topic of "the Yahwist" versus "the Elohist"... is there a group of authors for each of the names of God? Or are there just two groups that also make use of other names like "El Shaddai"?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521975688667535978.post-53549485858882729032011-12-21T06:06:04.576-08:002011-12-21T06:06:04.576-08:00I'm glad you found it thought-provoking. LIke ...I'm glad you found it thought-provoking. LIke I said, this is a possible interpretation of the 1st and 2nd commandments. It's not one I personally choose to use in my own life, but it's one that I think a Jewish pagan would find helpful. <br /><br />I'm currently reading The Hebrew Goddess (finally), and in it Patai points out that the prophets were 100 percent Yahwist. So it makes total sense that Elijah's reading of the 10 commandments would exclude all other gods. That doesn't make it the only possible reading, though, just the most commonly accepted one.Chance J. Feldsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09640824562790000442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521975688667535978.post-72107570854552864722011-12-21T02:48:37.135-08:002011-12-21T02:48:37.135-08:00Great post. I disagree with your views on the inte...Great post. I disagree with your views on the interpretation of the 10 commandments, as Elijah put it: either worship one god or the other but not both.<br /><br />Anyway, your classification of kosher, treif and parev magic made me smile and was thought-provoking. I look forward to many more interesting and challenging posts from you in the future :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com