The Magical Cosmos of Yohanan Alemanno: Christian and Jewish Magic in the Service of a Kabbalist

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Abstract

Yohanan ben Isaac Alemanno (1435-1505?) was an Italian kabbalist, philosopher and physician. In his less known autograph, Paris, BnF héb. 849, he incorporated contemporary Christian magic sources with kabbalah,providing a practical method to ascend to the upper worlds for gaining prophecy. This article brings together Alemanno’s autograph and contemporary magical works, in order to demonstrate a radical change in Alemanno’s approach towards demonic magic, and the way he interpreted it using a cosmology he developed. Then, Alemanno’s cosmology will be used for reconsidering a concept of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494): The Triplex Merkabah.
Translated title of the contributionהקוסמוס המאגי של יוחנן אלימנו: מאגיה נוצרית ויהודית בשירותיו של מקובל
Original languageAmerican English
Article number3
Pages (from-to)65-92
Number of pages28
Journalמחשבת ישראל
Volume2
StatePublished - 2020

IHP publications

  • ihp
  • Allemanno, Johanan ben Isaac -- approximately 1435-approximately 1504
  • Cabala
  • Christianity -- Relations -- Judaism
  • Cosmology
  • Judaism -- Relations -- Christianity
  • Sefirot (Cabala)
  • Witchcraft
  • אלימנו, יוחנן -- 1435-1505?
  • יהדות ונצרות
  • כישוף
  • ספירות (קבלה)
  • קבלה
  • קבלה מעשית
  • קבלה נוצרית
  • קוסמולוגיה

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