Heavenly Journey Research Articles

UT PICTURA POESIS: ОБРАЗ ТВОРЧЕСТВА СИМОНЕ МАРТИНИ В ПОЭМЕ МАРИО ЛУЦИ "ЗЕМНОЕ И НЕБЕСНОЕ СТРАНСТВИЕ СИМОНЕ МАРТИНИ"

The poem “Earthly and Heavenly Journey of Simone Martini” (1994) was composed by a great Italian poet of the 20th century Mario Luzi when he was eighty years old. Simone Martini’s painting, spiritual, poetic, rooted in courtly culture and at the same time reflecting a meditative and medieval worldview, is close in spirit to Luzi’s poetry. The poet and the painter share the focus of their creative gaze on the Heavenly, viewing the world sub specie aeternitatis. “Giving a voice” to the Sienese painter, speaking on his art, Luzi expresses his views on his own poetry: painting in the poem becomes a metaphor for poetry and, more broadly, for art in general. At the same time, an excellent knowledge of the art of Simone Martini enabled the poet to create a surprisingly accurate and expressive image of his work. The purpose of the article is to analyse part of the poem entitled “He, his art”.

Re-Evaluating the Notion of Isrâ and Mi’râj in Ibadi Tradition: With Special References to the Modern Sirah Readings

The notion of mi’râj (the heavenly journey of Prophet Muhammad) is an important non-homogenic topic, although it is not often handled in Ibadi intellectual, sīrah (biography of the Prophet) and exegetical traditions. In this article, we analyse the treatment of the subject chronologically in the Ibadi tradition. We discuss the Ibadis’ main concerns on the subject, how they differ, what inferences they make from the related verses, sīrah, hadith and exegetical (tafsir) reports, and most importantly whether they accept the notion of mi’râj. This article analyses the notion of isrâ because of its close relationship to mi’râj. In summary, there are variations on the issue of mi’râj among the North African and Omani Ibadis. Even more interesting is the existence of significant nuances among the Omani Ibadis. In short, while all North African Ibadis accept mi’raj as an event, it is observed that some Omani Ibadis accept it, while others sometimes reject it for religious and sometimes rational grounds.

Bolesław Leśmian in Italy: Milo De Angelis and his heavenly journey

The artistic creativity of Bolesław Leśmian – remarkably colourful, musical, and philosophically versatile – has endeared him to readers worldwide over the course of a century. In spite of many socio-political barriers, Leśmian’s poetry become a point of reference, as was the case in Italy in the 1970s. At this time a fi rst encounter with the works of the Polish artist became a crucial moment for a young poet – Milo De Angelis. After a stay in Warsaw, De Angelis founded a literary magazine called “Niebo”, number 11 of which was entirely dedicated to Leśmian, whose visions profoundly infl uenced the poetics of the Italian author, even in later years.

What is the function of didactic poetry?

Concentrating on the motif of the heavenly journey in Manilius’s “Astronomica”, this contribution raises the question as to whether the combination of poetry and teaching in didactic poetry can bring about intrinsic advantages. It is argued that the motif does not just transport the poet’s claim to have privileged access to knowledge, but can also have objective functions in the transfer of knowledge. According to recent cognitive studies, perception is deeply rooted in the sensorimotor system; in light of these insights, the motif can be seen to make the subject of instruction more experienceable for the recipients as it depicts bodily interaction with the cosmos.

General

General Fred W. Guyette, Michael W. Duggan, and Christopher T. Begg 1649. [Eating Cultures] Michaela Bauks, "Man ist, was man isst. Ein kulturgeschichtlicher Blick auf Esskulturen rund um die Hebräische Bibel," BK 75 (2020) 12-20. B. elaborates on the socio-historical and cultural dimensions of food and meals in the context of the Hebrew Bible. She points to the importance of dietary laws (e.g., in Leviticus) for the identity of a community. Next, she discusses various examples of harmonious or problematic table fellowships in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Num 25:1-3). Meals and food more and more function as identity markers in Judaism. B. then reflects on the production of food and the interconnected purity rules, e.g., the ritually correct slaughtering of an animal or the cultivation of kosher wine. The status of clean or unclean food became an important boundary marker in early Judaism (especially the avoidance of pork or the separation of milky and meaty food, the so-called Kashrut). B. also provides information about the reception of the prescriptions of the Hebrew Bible in rabbinic exegesis.—T.H. 1650. [Gentiles in the Hebrew Bible] Avi Baumol, "BARUKH HA'SHEM: The Unique Role of Gentiles in the Bible," JBQ 48 (2020) 3-15. At certain crucial moments in history, Israel has found friends among the Gentiles. Not always, but sometimes. After the Flood, God called Abraham to be his covenant partner and Abraham became a friend of God. Here and there, Abraham found that some Gentiles could be trusted as friends, such as Melchizedek (Genesis 14). In another time and place, Moses formed a mutually beneficial alliance with Jethro (Exodus 18). When Joshua fought against Jericho, Rahab provided essential help (Joshua 2). King David found Hiram of Tyre to be a good friend to Israel, especially when it came to providing supplies for his building projects (2 Samuel 5). And in Solomon's day, the Queen of Sheba expressed her admiration for Solomon as a wise and just ruler (1 Kings 10).—F.W.G. 1651. Jonathan Ben Dov, "The History of Pentecontad Time Units (I)," A Teacher for All Generations, 93-111 [see #2430]. B.D. seeks for the origins of the fiftieth day and fiftieth year motif in the laws governing the Festival of Weeks and the Jubilee Year in Lev 23:15-16 and Lev 25:8-55 respectively. He first examines the evidence that Hildegard and Julius Lewy presented over seventy years ago to support their thesis that the calculation of time in Leviticus 23 and 25 was based on a calendar of fifty temporal units (a "pentecontad"), which originated in Amorite circles of the second millennium b.c.e. His evaluation of the Old Assyrian and Babylonian material yields no evidence of a pentecontad calendar and thereby eviscerates the possibility of its Amorite origins. B.D., for his part, argues that the highlighting of the fiftieth day and year in the Holiness Code represents a development of earlier Israelite observances. The fifty-day festival of weeks in the Deuteronomic and Priestly traditions represents a shift regarding the agricultural Festival of Weeks with its original undefined duration (Deut 16:9; Lev 23:15; cf. Exod 34:22; Jer 5:24). Priestly writers conceptualized the Jubilee in the fiftieth year as a sevenfold extension of an earlier mandate that prescribed a Sabbath rest for the land every seventh year (Lev 25:8-55; cf. 25:2-7; Exod 23:10-11).—M.W.D. [End Page 603] 1652. Adela Yarbro Collins, "Ascents to Heaven in Antiquity: Toward a Typology," A Teacher for All Generations, 553-72 [see #2430]. C. surveys accounts of humans ascending to heaven in the literature of ancient Mesopotamia, Hebrew Scripture, Jewish texts of the Greco-Roman period, and early Christianity, as well as in the traditions of aboriginal societies. These ancient narratives of heavenly journeys are too diverse to comprise a single literary genre. However, they may be classified in terms of thematic factors such as characterization, choreography, and message. After reviewing a hundred-year span of scholarly attempts to categorize heavenly ascent accounts, C...

"The Entire Place Had Become Fire": Heavenly Worship in Greek Daniel 3

The Additions to Daniel 3 fill the narrative gap of the Hebrew and Aramaic text with worship as if in a heavenly temple, offering a perspective over the entire cosmos. The Song of the Three in particular draws the whole created realm into this architecture, reminiscent of the heavenly journeys of the apocalypses. Comparison with parallels from the Enoch literature and liturgical texts from Qumran suggests a purpose behind the Daniel scribes' adaptation of these literary materials. Through their apocalyptic borrowings, the Additions to Daniel 3 assert the full sanctity of the Hasmonean temple and thus also provide a script for the later reception of this text in church consecrations.

Studying the Scenes of the Abdw fish on the Coffins of the Second Find of Deir El Bahri, 21 Dynasty.

The Abdw fish is considered one of the most important to the religious characteristics in Ancient Egypt, especially during the journey of the heavenly god Re as appeared on the coffins of the second find of Deir El Bahari of the priests of Amun. The desire of the deceased was to accompany Re in his heavenly journey of resurrection and renewal to protect and nurture him in the afterlife. The research aims to: 1- Study the appearance of the Abdw fish on the second find of Deir al-Bahri. 2- Study the relationship of the Abdw fish with the gods that appears with them. 3- Show the location and importance of the Abdw fish in the heavenly journey of Re. 4- Highlight the importance of depicting the Abdw fish on the coffins of the priests of the 21 Dynasty.

Flights of the Soul: Visions, Heavenly Journeys and Peak Experiences in the Biblical World, written by John J. Pilch

Flights of the Soul: Visions, Heavenly Journeys and Peak Experiences in the Biblical World, written by John J. Pilch

Skaistykla ir „padangių muitinės“: tarpinės pomirtinės būklės problemiškumas Ortodoksų teologijoje

Besides the eschatological doctrine on the states of Heaven and Hell, Catholic Church has also developed a teaching about Purgatory. The closest teaching in Orthodox Church to Purgatory is a doctrine about areal of “toll houses”. But there is no consensus whether this teaching is a doctrine of the Church, private theological opinion or a heresy. This article analyses a teaching about “toll-houses” in the context of debates inside the Orthodox Church and compares it to Gnostic heavenly journeys and Catholic doctrine on Purgatory.

The Familiar and the Fantastic in Narratives of Mu[hdot]ammad's Ascension to the Heavenly Spheres

The story of Mu[hdot]ammad's Night Journey and Ascension to the Heavenly Spheres is perhaps the most fantastic episode in the Prophet's biography, and its fantastic aspects became widely accepted as historical facts notwithstanding the misgivings of early Muslim scholars. This paper investigates the narrative function of the fantastic in Ibn Kathīr's extensive accounts of the story within a comparative framework. By examining his version of Mu[hdot]ammad's Journey against narratives of utopia in western literature, it is possible to see the striking similarity in their narratives' patterns, always beginning with the ‘familiar’ departure, then moving into the ‘remarkable’ journey, and ending in the ‘fantastic’ arrival, where the traveller comes into contact with the source of special knowledge. This paper proposes that Muslim al-Isrā’ wa-l-Mi‘rāj and western narratives of utopia follow a fairly universal structure, what I would call ‘utopian travel rubric’, which blends the ‘familiar’, ‘remarkable’ and ‘fantastic’ to engender a sense of plausibility for both the Heavenly and Utopian journeys.

Book Review: Flights of the Soul: Visions, Heavenly Journeys, and Peak Experiences in the Biblical World

Book Review: Flights of the Soul: Visions, Heavenly Journeys, and Peak Experiences in the Biblical World

Flights of the Soul: Visions, Heavenly Journeys and Peak Experiences in the Biblical World. By JOHN J. PILCH.

Flights of the Soul: Visions, Heavenly Journeys and Peak Experiences in the Biblical World. By JOHN J. PILCH.

Snatched into Paradise (2 Cor 12:1–10): Paul's Heavenly Journey in the Context of Early Christian Experience. BZNW 179

Book Review| January 01 2012 Snatched into Paradise (2 Cor 12:1–10): Paul's Heavenly Journey in the Context of Early Christian Experience. BZNW 179 Snatched into Paradise (2 Cor 12:1–10): Paul's Heavenly Journey in the Context of Early Christian Experience. BZNW 179Wallace, James Buchanan Peter Balla Peter Balla Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Bulletin for Biblical Research (2012) 22 (2): 291–293. https://doi.org/10.2307/26424777 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Twitter Permissions Search Site Citation Peter Balla; Snatched into Paradise (2 Cor 12:1–10): Paul's Heavenly Journey in the Context of Early Christian Experience. BZNW 179. Bulletin for Biblical Research 1 January 2012; 22 (2): 291–293. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/26424777 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All Scholarly Publishing CollectivePenn State University PressBulletin for Biblical Research Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. Copyright © 2012 by The Pennsylvania State University. All rights reserved.2012The Pennsylvania State University Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Frederick S. Colby. The Subtleties of the Ascension: Early Mystical Sayings on Muhammad’s Heavenly Journey. Fons Vitae, 2006, 267 p. (The Fons Vitae Sulami Series)

translated & annotated by Voici la premiere traduction en anglais d’un ouvrage du Xe s., consacre au Me‘rāj du Prophete et recemment decouvert. Il contient 56 textes de la plume de soufis tels que Ḥallāj, Junayd et Basṭāmī, et permet de comprendre comment les premiers soufis lisaient et interpretaient le Coran et le ḥadīṯ. Il devoile la maniere dont les mystiques comprirent cet evenement-cle de la vie du Prophete, son Voyage nocturne de la Mekke a Jerusalem et son Ascension au Ciel pour y ren...

When Going on a Heavenly Journey, Travel Light and Dress Appropriately

How is it that when people on earth encounter heavenly beings these consistently appear in human guise; yet, when, in turn, humans enter the celestial world these selfsame human visitors seem to take on qualities of angelic beings? Could it be that the properties of the very different environments profoundly affect the nature of both residents and visitors? To answer these questions this article looks at the various texts dealing with epiphanies and heavenly journeys and descents from the perspective of the spaces that form the settings of these narratives. The sample texts will shed light on the correlation between the nature of heavenly angelic/divine and earthly human beings, on the one hand, and the substances that both realms are thought to consist of, on the other. The analysis of the texts will enable us to indicate a structure through which to create a paradigm by which other narratives of human—divine encounters may be tested and understood. In addition, this paradigm will be able to better explain the mechanics of both boundary crossings and transgressions.

Narrating Muhammad’s Night Journey

The story of Muhammad’s night journey to Jerusalem and ascent to heavenenjoys huge popularity across the Muslim world. It has functioned as a vehiclefor many forms of artistic expression throughout the ages as well as havingbeen subject to much literary development. In addition, it has impactedand interacted with legal and theological dogma that may be seen in elementsranging fromthe establishment of the five daily prayers (on which seethe fascinating essay by Ron Buckley, “The Isra’/Mi`raj and the prescriptionof the five daily prayers,” in Andreas Christmann, Robert Gleave [eds.],Studies in Islamic Law: A Festschrift for Colin Imber [Oxford: Oxford UniversityPress, 2007], 23-49) to the conceptualization of paradise and hell (see the treatment in Nerina Rustomji, The Garden and the Fire: Heaven andHell in Islamic Culture [NewYork: Columbia University Press, 2008], especiallypp. 26-39).Historically, the narrative makes its basic appearance in some of the earliestMuslim texts, for example, in Ibn Ishaq’s eighth-century work entitledLife ofMuhammad. The emergence of the story has been seen (in, for example,Brooke Olson Vuckovic, Heavenly Journeys, Earthly Concerns: TheLegacy of the Mi`raj in the Formation of Islam [New York and London:Routledge, 2005]) as an important element in the historical formation ofIslamic identity; it has also been seen by some as having had a powerfulimpact on European imaginings of the hereafter, as found in medieval writerssuch as Dante ...

The Liturgy of the Messiah: The Apocalypse of David in Hekhalot Literature

The connection between literature and Merkavah mysticism occupies a prominent place in the study of Hekhalot literature. The text most frequently adduced in scholarly research is the Hebrew book of Enoch, which has been characterized as a grand summary of the Jewish and mystical traditions.1 Since Gershom Scholem's account of early Jewish mysticism, the notion that traditions live on in Hekhalot literature has been generally accepted. Scholem emphasized that the Merkavah mystic's heavenly journey, the goal of which lies in beholding God on his throne, is tied to a vision of the Messianic end.2 For Scholem, the connection between throne mysticism and the messianic idea finds expression in just those short apocalyptic chapters3 which were included in the various tracts, and which for Scholem belonged to the core of Hekhalot literature.4 These short text units can be clearly differentiated from their immediate context on the basis of formal characteristics. Their

Celestial Worship and Ecstatic-Visionary Experience

John’s visions in Revelation not only contain scenes of heavenly worship, but also take place in the context of community worship. In this experience, the community understands itself to be caught up into the angelic worship in heaven. Parallel texts, such as The Ladder of Jacob, The Apocalypse of Abraham, The Ascension of Isaiah, a number of Dead Sea Scrolls and some synagogal prayers, illustrate various dimensions of this phenomenon. In this ecstatic experience the visionary is both representative of, and mediator for, his community, gaining access to heavenly power in ways not dissimilar to magical liturgies. Thus the early Christian and Jewish accounts of heavenly journeys and worship are not just literary phenomena: they express a powerful and popular ecstatic religiosity.

Preparation for the heavenly journey: Jn 13:1-10 and the footwashing of the Mandaean coronation ritual

Article Preparation for the heavenly journey: Jn 13:1-10 and the footwashing of the Mandaean coronation ritual was published on September 1, 1993 in the journal Zeitschrift für Religionswissenschaft (volume 1, issue 1).

:A Valley of Vision: The Heavenly Journey of Abraham ben Hananiah Yagel

:<i>A Valley of Vision: The Heavenly Journey of Abraham ben Hananiah Yagel</i>