Essay by Donald Kuspit The first monograph by famed actor and director Leonard Nimoy, this eerily beautiful photographic study of the female form reveals Nimoy's intrigue with Old Testament mythology and ancient spirituality. The Shekhina, described by the Kabbala as God's feminine counterpart, is understood by mystics to be a crucial element of both divine and human spirit, symbolising the creativity and wisdom without which no being is complete. Here, Nimoy uses 50 duotone photos as an exhaustive investigation of his own spirituality.

A revised edition containing new chapters on the Shekhina.

This book deals with the nature and development of Jewish myth from the Talmudic period through Kabbalah to Hasidism. It describes the changes in this myth in its various stages and the external influences on it. The author shows that myth is in the essence of the Jewish religion and that, rather than being created out of external influences, Kabbalah is one of its manifestions. The book also deals with the related subject of Messianism, and delves into the special spiritual personalities of some messianic figures in Jewish history to show how myth was incarnate in them.

'A classic, a landmark in modern Hebrew letters. Beautifully written and deeply learned ... the appearance of the long-awaited English translation is a cause for celebration.' - Elliot Ginsburg, Journal of Religion

In The Feminine Messiah, Ruth Kara-Ivanov Kaniel explores the theosophical revolution that is reflected by the identification of the figure of King David and the image of the divine presence, the Shekhina, in medieval kabbalistic literature.

This polymethodic, interdisciplinary, and multitraditional approach to the study of women and religion emphasizes the comparative dimension and establishes a dialogue between the humanities and the social sciences. Volume IV includes the following contributions: Our Mother Rachel by Susan Starr Sered; Mapuche Women's Empowerment as Shaman—Healers (Machis) in Chile by Ana Mariella Bacigalupo; The Secret Writing of Chinese Women: Religious Practice and Beliefs by Lee Rainey; and The Sea Goddess and the Goddess of Democracy by Vivian-Lee Nyitray.

In The Censor, the Editor, and the Text, Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin examines the impact of Catholic censorship on the publication and dissemination of Hebrew literature in the early modern period. Hebrew literature made the transition to print in Italian print houses, most of which were owned by Christians. These became lively meeting places for Christian scholars, rabbis, and the many converts from Judaism who were employed as editors and censors. Raz-Krakotzkin examines the principles and practices of ecclesiastical censorship that were established in the second half of the sixteenth century as a part of this process. The book examines the development of censorship as part of the institutionalization of new measures of control over literature in this period, suggesting that we view surveillance of Hebrew literature not only as a measure directed against the Jews but also as a part of the rise of Hebraist discourse and therefore as a means of integrating Jewish literature into the Christian canon. On another level, The Censor, the Editor, and the Text explores the implications of censorship in relation to other agents that participated in the preparation of texts for publishing—authors, publishers, editors, and readers. The censorship imposed upon the Jews had a definite impact on Hebrew literature, but it hardly denied its reading, in fact confirming the right of the Jews to possess and use most of their literature. By bringing together two apparently unrelated issues—the role of censorship in the creation of print culture and the place of Jewish culture in the context of Christian society—Raz-Krakotzkin advances a new outlook on both, allowing each to be examined through the conceptual framework usually reserved for the other.