Becoming Elijah, Daniel C. Matt
Becoming Elijah, Daniel C. Matt
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Becoming Elijah
Prophet of Transformation

Author: Daniel C. Matt

Narrator: Barry Abrams

Unabridged: 5 hr 55 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/18/2022


Synopsis

The story of the prophet Elijah's transformation from fierce zealot to compassionate hero and cherished figure in Jewish tradition

In the Bible Elijah is a zealous prophet, attacking idolatry and injustice, championing God. He performs miracles, restoring life and calling down fire. When his earthly life ends, he vanishes in a whirlwind, carried off to heaven in a fiery chariot. Was this a spectacular death, or did Elijah escape death entirely? The latter view prevailed. Though residing in heaven, Elijah revisits earth—to help, rescue, enlighten, and eventually herald the Messiah. Because of his messianic role, Jews open the door for Elijah during each seder—the meal commemorating liberation from slavery and anticipating final redemption.

How did this zealot turn into a compassionate hero—apparently the most popular figure in Jewish tradition? Becoming Elijah explores this question, tracing how Elijah develops from the Bible to Rabbinic Judaism, Kabbalah, and Jewish ritual (as well as Christianity and Islam). His transformation is pertinent and inspirational for our polarized, fanatical world.

Author Bio

Daniel C. Matt is a leading authority on the Zohar and Kabbalah. He is the author of the bestselling The Essential Kabbalah (translated into seven languages); Zohar: The Book of Enlightenment; God and the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony Between Science and Spirituality; and Zohar: Annotated and Explained. He was professor of Jewish spirituality for over twenty years at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, and he continues to lecture around the country on Jewish mysticism and spirituality. He is the author of the first nine volumes of the annotated translation The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, hailed as "a monumental contribution to the history of Jewish thought."

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