Vol. 25 No 2 (2024)
Artes

Pico’s Kabbalistic Exegesis in Heptaplus: An Outline of the Problem

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Jan Herůfek
University of Ostrava
DOI : https://doi.org/10.59533/Verb.2024.25.2.1

Publiée 12/31/2024

Mots-clés

  • Giovanni Pico della Mirandola,
  • Flavius Mithridates,
  • kabbalistic exegesis,
  • Heptaplus

Comment citer

Herůfek, J. (2024). Pico’s Kabbalistic Exegesis in Heptaplus: An Outline of the Problem. Verbum – Analecta Neolatina, 25(2), 217–248. https://doi.org/10.59533/Verb.2024.25.2.1

(c) Tous droits réservés Jan Herůfek 2025

Creative Commons License

Ce travail est disponible sous la licence Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International .

Résumé

The paper deals with Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s concept of kabbalistic exegesis. This is mostly apparent in his works Commento (1486), Conclusiones (1486), Apologia (1487) and Heptaplus (1489). Firstly, the study focuses on the origins and motifs of Pico’s kabbalistic exegesis in the framework of prisca theologia. Secondly, it analyses potential Jewish sources (e.g., “Abulafia”, “Recanati”), translated by Flavius Mithridates, and then considers, how Pico incorporates those into his kabbalistic exegesis in Heptaplus in particular. In this context, it must be said that due to Mithridates, Pico’s concept of Kabbalah acquires an almost supernatural and divine character.

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