Forces Shaping Late Medieval Kabbala

🧿 The period following the emergence of the Zohar in Europe was profoundly destabilizing to Jewish life in Sefarad and Ashkenaz alike, shaping how Kabbala would take form in the coming centuries.

A copper engraving depicting the serious earthquake that struck Lisbon, Portugal, in November 1755, apparently made shortly thereafter. In 1531, a smaller earthquake struck Lisbon, fulfilling the prophecy of the messianic pretender Shlomo Molcho—and cementing his authority locally. Though this engraving is obviously later, I thought its chaos was an app…