#gnostic kabbalah

[chicagognosis]

The controversial Gospel of Judas is a powerful scripture depicting the relationship between betrayal and transcendence. While religious groups intensely, fearfully, and dogmatically contest its authenticity, this scripture is clarified through a comparative study of Samael Aun Weor's writings. Just as an actor plays a part in a film and should not be condemned for it, likewise the Apostle Judas should not be denigrated for the role he played in a necessary cosmic drama led by Jesus, the Master Aberamentho. By understanding who Judas is in us, we can better understand the ways we betray our own selves while striving for divine reality.

[santmat]

Gospel of Thomas Studies - Message and Key Verses: Need For A Living One, Not Just Old Scriptures

52. His Disciples said to him: Twenty-four prophets preached in Israel, and they all spoke of you. He said to them: "You have ignored the Living One who is in your presence and you have spoken only of the dead."

59. Jesus said: "Look to the Living-One while you are alive, otherwise, you might die and seek to see him and will be unable to find him."

5. Know what is in front of your face and what is hidden from you will be revealed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed.

(108) Yeshua said, Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me. I myself shall become that person, and the hidden things will be revealed to that one.

What the Living Master Reveals to the Student

17. The Master says: I will give to you what eye has not seen, what ear has not heard, what hand has not touched, and what has not occurred to the mind of man."

Or as Kabir Has Said

“It is the mercy of my true Guru that has made me to know the Unknown;

I have learned from Him how to

walk without feet,

to see without eyes,

to hear without ears,

to drink without mouth,

to fly without wings." 

After the Teacher Dies, All We Have Are Old Scriptures From Now On? Rather, There is Succession and a New Living One Appointed For the Next Generation in the Gospel of Thomas   

12) The students said to Yeshua, We know you will leave us. Who will be our leader?

Yeshua said to them, Wherever you are, seek out Yaakov the Just. For his sake heaven and earth came into being.

12. The Disciples said to Jesus: We know that you will go away from us. Who is it that will be our teacher?

Jesus said to them: Wherever you are, you will go to James the Righteous, for whose sake Heaven and Earth were made (came into being.)

For Whose Sake Heaven and Earth Came Into Being, an Old Hebrew Axiom of Wisdom Explained  

"Whenever feeling downcast, each person should vitally remember, 'For my sake, the entire world was created.'" (Baal Shem Tov)

The Baal Shem Tov is sort of the "Rumi" or "Kabir" of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), an example of a towering figure and great mystic of one of the great schools of spirituality. The ending part, "For my sake, the entire world was created", is a variation of an ancient axiom of wisdom. A version of it even turns up in saying twelve of the Gospel of THOMAS: "The students said to Yeshua, 'We know you will leave us. Who will be our leader?' Yeshua said to them, 'Wherever you are, seek out Yaakov the Just [James the Just]. For his sake heaven and earth came into being.'"

Martin Buber elaborates and expands on this axiom in a way that includes us all: “Every person should know and consider the fact that you, in the particular way that you are made, are unique in the world, and no one like you has ever been. For if someone like you had already been, there would be no reason for you to be in this world.” (Ten Rings: Hasidic Sayings, Martin Buber)

Here's a big picture view from the Sikh scriptures of India, the Adi Granth, Peace Lagoon translation: "It was for the sake of the God-conscious beings that our True Lord created this earth, and began this play of death and birth".

[knoxvillerose-blog]

I sell Vintage Books at KnoxvilleRose On Etsy. This is a small sample of the works currently avaialble at the shop! Recently added some new inventory. I cater to the Ceremonial Magician, Witch & Occultist mostly, with forays into the Parnormal, Religions, Anthropology.... and more!

[cadmar]

Comes to You

Have you ever noticed that the world comes to you? In fact, the entire universe comes to you! It all comes to you, and the question becomes: what is your answer?

"Comes to you" comes from all your sensory processes. You do not have to do anything. You don't have to lift a finger! It is a gift from the universe. The chemical-electrical signals of the universe enters inside of you. Then, what do you do with this gift?

You are in an enclosed bubble and the entire universe is outside. The universe enters inside your bubble, one input at a time. The amount the universe enters inside your bubble depends on your reaction. What do you do with all of this?

Your reaction is your answer. You push back. You take the very, small piece of the universe and you bounce it back to where it came from. A small piece of the universe stays with you and the rest bounces back. What stays with you, changes you.

The universe enters and the universe leaves. How much the universe leaves behind depends on you. That is how simple this is! This is what the universe left behind: The universe gave you life. Gave you consciousness. Gave you existence. And now, what do you do?

[mightyostanes]

Some Excerpts from the Zohar

Here's some excerpts from the masterful book Seekers of The Face: Secrets of the Idra Rabba of the Zohar by Melila Hellner-Eshed in the series (Stanford Studies In Jewish Mysticism). I love this book especially how it contrasts Jewish 'Gnosticism' with the more pessimistic and defeatist Christian strain.

While admittedly heretical to most 'modern movements' I think this understanding has its merits and clears up a lot of issues I have with Jewish Theology and Theodicy. As well as explaining why the world is so messed up, especially for Jews. I also tend to find it odd how people who consider themselves 'heterodox' or 'fringe' in the community gravitate toward mildly Semiticized and Judaized Gardnerian Witchcraft. Maybe it's because magic for practical sells better than abstract spiritual enlightenment.

[templeofthescarletstar]

The Corruption of the All-Father Archetype: From Creator to Demiurge

Across cultures and mythologies, the image of the All-Father emerges as a dominant archetype—a powerful sky god who rules from above, often associated with storms, thunder, and divine authority. Zeus, Odin, Yahweh, Ba’al, and other deities share strikingly similar characteristics, embodying creation, kingship, and law. However, over time, this archetype has been twisted, shifting from a benevolent father figure into an oppressive force of control. In its most extreme form, this authoritarian version of the divine becomes the Demiurge—the false god of Gnostic tradition, a being more aligned with Satan than with the true source of divinity.

1. The Storm God Archetype

The All-Father is typically depicted as a sky god who wields power over storms and the forces of nature. His role as a ruler over both gods and humanity reflects his position as the lawgiver and judge.

Zeus reigns over Olympus, wielding thunderbolts as symbols of divine justice.

Odin is the all-seeing patriarch of the Norse pantheon, associated with wisdom but also with war and control.

Ba’al Hadad was the Canaanite storm god, honored as both a fertility and warrior deity.

Yahweh, in early biblical texts, mirrors Ba’al as a storm-wielding deity who commands obedience and punishes defiance.

Despite their differences, these gods share a common foundation: they represent order, power, and the intermediary between humanity and the ultimate divine source.(1)

 However, as religious structures centralized power, this archetype was altered to serve an authoritarian agenda.

2. The Transformation into the Demiurge

In Gnostic thought, the creator god of the material world is not the true, benevolent source of divinity but rather a corrupt and jealous entity known as Yaldabaoth (or Ialdabaoth). This false god, believing itself to be supreme, traps human souls in the physical realm, enforcing blind obedience and ignorance.

Yaldabaoth’s defining traits—pride, wrath, and an obsession with dominance—mirror the characteristics of the jealous, punishing Yahweh of the Old Testament.

The Gnostic Apocryphon of John describes Yaldabaoth as a "lion-faced serpent" who declares, “I am a jealous god, and there is none besides me,” not realizing he is only a fragment of a greater reality.

This echoes Exodus 20:5, where Yahweh proclaims, “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”

Rather than being the ultimate divine force, this figure represents the imprisonment of humanity within a false reality—a corrupted version of the All-Father archetype, designed to maintain control rather than grant enlightenment.

3. The True Satan: A Deception of Authority

If the Demiurge is a god who demands blind obedience, punishes knowledge, and seeks to keep humanity subjugated, then the very figure many worship as the ultimate deity may, in truth, be the adversary of spiritual awakening. This would mean that what mainstream religion calls “God” may actually be the true Satan—not in the sense of the Christian devil, but as the great deceiver who keeps humanity in spiritual bondage.

The biblical serpent in Eden, often demonized as Satan, is the one who offers knowledge (gnosis), while Yahweh is the one who forbids it, reflecting a reversal of roles.

In Gnostic tradition, Sophia, the divine wisdom,(2). seeks to free humanity from the Demiurge’s control, much like Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to grant humanity knowledge.

Figures like Lucifer, originally a bearer of light, may represent the impulse toward self-awareness and liberation rather than evil.(3)

This inversion of divine roles exposes how institutional religion has used the corrupted All-Father archetype to justify control, suppress mystical truth, and prevent individuals from realizing their own divine potential.

Conclusion: Reclaiming the True Divine

The All-Father, in his original form,(4) represents wisdom, creation, and the flow of divine energy into the world. But through manipulation, this figure was twisted into the Demiurge—a being who demands servitude rather than enlightenment. The true divine force is not an external ruler but exists within every individual. The suppressed mystical traditions, from Kabbalah to Hermeticism, provide the keys to breaking free from the Demiurge’s illusion and reclaiming our role as co-creators of reality.

The weapons we need. Because the church is using archetype magick too. 

Footnotes 

1.The masculine or better said Active principle of manifestation. The Sepheroth of Chokhmah. 

2.The feminine or better said Creative principle of manifestation. The Sepheroth of Binah 

3.The Lucifer Archtype serves as a primary Archetype in the TSS system of magick. The Sepheroth of Tiphereth. 

4.By refusing the wisdom of Sophia and denying the feminine principle the chance of creation the vital first energy of thought is wasted and stagnates. No longer linked to the higher mind it becomes Ego instead. This begins the corruption process that creates the shadows of each Sepheroth  known as the Qliphoth. We will discuss this in further detail during chapter five. 

As always special thanks to my newest Patreons Dimmy Love and Joselyne Galaviz and of course anyone who has or is supporting my work. I love you all. If you would like to be mentioned in the comments just follow the link below and become a Patreon. Even if you can only pledge one dallar. It all really helps to keep the content coming.

Patreon.com/themadwitch 

[victusinveritas]

[daz4i]

i likely won't get into genshin but it's probably for the best. bc from what i know abt the lore and world etc i will become the most annoying person in the world if i did

[crashhole]

I love this page of X-men cuz it perfectly illustrates how catalysts, upcoming circumstances, and the near future are essentially “mundane” forms of manifestation, or rather the ~vehicle~ of manifestation 🛩️

Each of these word bubbles allude to the themes of their respective spheres on the Kabbalah, hinting at the process of creation, aka the lightning flash.

X- Kether/Crown- IT is

Mystique- Chokmah/Wisdom- I feel IT

Bishop- Binah/Understanding- what is IT?

Archangel- Chesed/Mercy- what does IT mean?

Gambit- Gavurah/Severity- IT hurts

Psylocke - Netzach/Victory - IT is taking form

Logan - Hod/Splendor - this is what IT represents

Rogue - Yesod/Foundation- I perceive IT

“IT”, of course, being the thing, the circumstance or the reality manifesting in real time

[trueallyps]

Carte de la Création - Le Cycle des Cieux

[lezbianz]

i put succession on in the background so i could focus on writing my essay while having a familiar sound in the background but now i’m just rewatching succession

[chicagognosis]

We are going on a trip to an unknown place, and in order to get to that destination we need to know the way. The gnostic methods that have been passed down to us by teachers across time will be our guide to reach that place, but it is important to understand that every step of that journey we have to take with our own feet. The gnostic work requires effort on the individual’s part. As much as a teacher or a scripture can give us instructions, we have to be making that effort on our own in order to reach the goal.

For that reason it is important to always reflect on our purpose for being here. Why are we studying gnosis? What are we hoping to achieve? Each of us has a personal goal. By not losing sight of that goal, we should be able to reach the end without giving up. As difficulties come up, we should always be holding onto our purpose, and what we are seeking will help us to accomplish that goal.

But in addition to all of our personal reasons for being on this path, there is also a cosmic purpose to the gnostic work. All of us have the opportunity to become fully developed human beings, if we know the methods, if we apply the science. The human being has an important role in the cosmos: to be a caretaker of all living beings, to be a servant of divinity, a vehicle through which divinity can express within creation, but that is not something that we currently have. That is our goal. That is what we are working toward. In order to achieve that goal, there are a few things that we have to understand.

Today we are going to learn about what gnosis is. What does it mean when we say gnosis? That type of knowledge is distinct from the knowledge that we learn in school. Most of our education nowadays is just to educate the intellect and the mind, and to stuff us full of information. So, we are going to understand today a very clear idea of what gnosis is and how that knowledge is different.

Also, what is the goal of the gnostic work? Why do we apply this method to ourselves? Why do we undergo the struggles of working with a spiritual method? What is the goal? What is the purpose of that?

Secondly, we are going to learn about consciousness and the role that consciousness plays in helping us to reach our spiritual goal.

Finally, we will apply a spiritual principle to ourselves in a practical way to understand how we can have the right foundation for beginning the gnostic work. ​

Audio lecture with accompanying video, PowerPoint, and transcription!

[santmat]

The Five Names of God: Simran Words - Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast - A Satsang Without Walls

In many branches of Sant Mat we have a five-name (panch naam) mantra (five simran words). These are sacred names of God associated with the first five planes, heavenly realms of creation. From the glossary of Sant Mat we read: "Simran means Remembrance: repetition of names or thoughts; in Sant Mat, the simran of worldly thoughts is controlled through the Simran of the Five Charged Names, repeated by an initiate throughout the day, and when sitting for meditation, as a means of collecting the thought-currents at the Third Eye Center. These Divine names are also used as passwords of sorts to higher planes, and provide protection from Negative Power influences." (Repeat the Name)

Today: all about the Five Names of Sant Mat, their proper use as an essential technique to concentrate at the Third Eye Center and go within according to Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, Sant Garib Das, from the Satsang Discourses of Sant Ram Singh, as well as there is discussion about the origins and history of the Five Names dating back to the Kabir-Sant Dharam Das line of Masters. Also explored: the Five Sufi Names, and about the importance of the Most High name Radhasoami used by Sant Garib Das (Anmol Vachan) and Swami Ji Maharaj (Sar Bachan Radhaswami Poetry). In Sant Mat mysticism there are not five or seven deities but one God, the one Lord of the Soul  manifesting at the various levels of creation. As Guru Nanak has said in his Morning Prayer (Jap Ji): "There is One God, Truth is His Name." (One Love)

The Five Names of God: Simran Words - Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast @ YouTube: 

https://youtu.be/JAfca83Jox4

YouTube Channel: Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts: 

https://www.youtube.com/@SpiritualAwakeningRadio/videos

The Five Names of God: Simran Words - Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast - Listen or Download MP3 @ 

https://traffic.libsyn.com/spiritualawakeningradio/The_Five_Names_of_God.mp3

@ the Podcast Website With Buttons That Go To the Popular Podcast APPS - Wherever You Follow Podcasts: 

https://SpiritualAwakeningRadio.libsyn.com/the-five-names-of-god-simran-words

@ Apple Podcasts: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-five-names-of-god-simran-words/id1477577384?i=1000643766511

Collection of Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts @ Apple: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-awakening-radio/id1477577384

@ Spotify Podcasts: 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2UWbqjkGQBrOMWteT0x3dT

@ Amazon Music and Podcasts: 

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ca7918b0-4005-4724-a2e5-b27f51ecdba6/spiritual-awakening-radio

& @ Wherever You Subscribe and Follow Podcasts - At Your Favorite Podcast APP Just Do a Search for "Spiritual Awakening Radio" -  (Youtube, Youtube Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon, Audible, PodBean, Podcast APP, Overcast, Jio Saavan, iHeart Radio, CastBox, etc...): 

https://linktr.ee/SpiritualAwakeningRadio

Simran is described as a Bhakti practice to be done in a spirit of love and devotion, with passages on this from Sant Tulsi Sahib and Kabir. (God is Love)

Mention is made of a mystical Jewish Gnostic sect of antiquity referred to by scholars as the Sethians who also had a five-name mantra approach, only using five Hebrew names, which are to be found embedded in certain Nag Hammadi and other texts. Recommended are two books that compare contemporary Sant Mat with mystical Judaism including Kabbalah. The program concludes with selections from the mystical poetry of a mysterious figure called "the Master" and "the Teacher of Righteousness", mystic verses found in the Psalm Scroll of the Dead Sea Scrolls mainly about the experience of Divine Light, but one might also notice references to reincarnation, the liberation of the soul, the Third Eye, and spiritually hearing the Divine Word or Spiritual Sound. Note: practices associated with contemporary Sant Mat were also known in earlier times by followers of various cousin mystical movements and schools of spirituality that have existed over the centuries. Even ideas that became associated Christianity and Gnostic movements such as seeking out living masters or living ones (Odes of Solomon, Gospel of Thomas), vegetarian ethics, humane treatment of animals (scriptures attributed to Enoch and Isaiah), initiations, baptism in rivers of living water, a new covenant (Dead Sea Scroll texts), genesis interpretations that include a lesser demiurge figure and a sophia wisdom figure (Septuagint, Apocryphon of John), the view that the soul needs to ascend through a series of heavenly regions (Book of First Enoch, Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice, Ascension of Isaiah, Ginza Rabba) are ideas developed during the Second Temple period of Judaism. Continuations and interpretations of Judaic ideas were adopted by many sects and spiritual movements during the first and later centuries AD. (Education For a More Peaceful Planet!)

At the Feet of the Masters,

James Bean

Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts

Sant Mat Satsang Podcasts

Sant Mat Radhasoami

A Satsang Without Walls

https://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

#Spirituality #Meditation #Simran #Satsang #God #SantMat #Radhasoami #SuratShabdYoga #Gnosticism #Kabbalah #DeadSeaScrolls #Podcasts #SpiritualAwakeningRadio #SpiritualityPodcasts #SpiritualPodcasts #Sant_Mat #Radha_Soami #Radhaswami #Radhasoamiji #ScienceOfTheSoul #ScienceOfSpirituality #RSSB #RSSBBeas #RssbQuote #ThirdEye #ThirdEyeOpen #ThirdEyeThoughts #ThirdEyeAwakening #ThirdEyeChakra #3rdEye

[darkhawk1126]

Hah!! No you don’t.. get back in there..

[cadmar]

4D Thought

Our brain is 3D with all neurons also being 3D. The chemical-electrical signals are also 3D with 3D interactions with our 3D world. All our brain can interact with and sense is all within 3D creating our 3D thoughts which are 3D neural patterns.

So, what is 4D thought. It is not 3D thought. Our 4D thought can "read" our 3D thoughts, but our 3D thoughts can not "read" 4D thoughts. Why can the 3D not have the ability to "read" 4D thoughts while 4D can "read" 3D thoughts?

What does it mean to "read"? Read is to notice a change. To compare one moment to another. To compare "what is now" to "what it was a moment ago". The moment ago can be a split second, or years, or decades, or centuries. Our 3D world is all interactions and is always changing! Our 3D brain is always changing. Our 3D neurons are always changing. Our 3D neural patterns are always changing. We are always constantly changing! That is evolution and we are products of evolution! We compare what has changed and how much it has changed and how long it took to change.

Does the 4D world change? If the 4D world does not change, then the 3D brain can not compare and can not "read" it. To the 3D brain, then, there is no 4D world as the 3D brain can not interact with it!

The only ability the 3D brain has is to notice the change that has happened within itself! This is similar to going outside after a lightning storm and noticing the tree damaged from a lightning strike. One never saw the lightning strike, but notices the change of the tree's physical appearance! Our 3D brain notices the changes within the neural patterns, connections, and interactions! Something caused the changes and this "something" the brain can not detect!

This is the only ability to "read" the 4D world: the changes 4D made to the 3D world! This "read" is the real of real, the tearing of the veil! The invisible becoming "visible"! The rock of strength! The termination of the sting of death!

[mightyostanes]

The Covenant of Shem

(TW: Using the Talmud and Midrash to commit Heresy)

First off, I don't take any narrative in Genesis as literal truth at all even if I find it spiritually meaningful. I am of course, of the opinion that anything even remotely resembling hard historical fact starts around Exodus and Numbers. And even then, I'm not sure how much of it is distorted by the multi century long gap between when the events purportedly happened and when they were written down. I am also of the opinion that Judaism fundamentally grew out of the milieu of Syro-Mesopotamian and Hurro-Hittite religions that surrounded the ancient Israelites. It is of course, absolutely an evolution and a step forward in the same way that Homo Sapiens are more evolved than Homo Erectus, but to deny its roots is completely illogical in my opinion.

Because of this, I find comparing the Tanakh to other stories in the ancient semitic world incredibly valuable both spiritually and academically. Especially by seeing what Judaism chose to change and alter versus what they kept. Studying these ancient faiths can also help add context to various passages by putting them into the context of the religious and cultural norms of the time they were written down. Of course, this may sound denigrating to look for answers in scriptural interpretation in the Ugaritic Ba'al cycle and the Neo Babylonian Enuma Elish but it's also important to outreach with other small MENA ethnoreligions around today. Many of whom share ideas both with us and the Ancient Semitic, Hurro-Hittite, and Iranic religions that would also evolve and coalesce into Judaism. The key to this linkage both with the Ziggurates of Ur, and the Yazidis, Druze, and Mandaeans of the modern age is the biblical figure of Shem.

For those of you that don't know Shem is the third son of Noach and the ancestor of most peoples who speak semitic languages (Bereshis 9:18). Like his brother Japeth, Shem covered his drunken naked father and received a blessing instead of receiving a curse like Ham (Bereshis (9:20-27). For the record Ham isn't strictly the father of Africans, instead he was mainly the father of groups the Israelities didn't like, such as Egypt (Mitzrayim), Nimrod, the Canaanites (Canaan) and even the probably Indo-European Philistines (Through his Grandson Caphtor). It's entirely possible that Ethiopians and Nubians simply got caught in the crossfire because they were very closed to and partially related to the Egyptians. Especially as the Pharaohs of the period most of our earliest Hebrew texts come from (The 8th to 7th centuries BCE) were members of the purely Nubian 25th Dynasty that was in close contact with the monarchy in Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:9). Therefore, contrary to what racist asshats may think the curse of Ham wasn't black skin (The Philistines were described as fair, and most Canaanites resembled Israelites and modern Lebanese Maronite Christians), it was getting their asses handed to them by the Israelites in the biblical past.

Moving back from that tangent on taking biblical quotes out of context to fuel racism, let's return to the topic of Shem. Because Shem was the direct ancestor of Abraham it makes a lot of sense for Jews wanting to give Abraham an impressive pedigree for a Hellenistic gentile audience to start writing about Shem and how Abraham either inherited his library or studied with him in person (1). According to these texts such Pagan luminaries as Galen, Hippocrates and even the Greek demigod Asclepius used various medical treatise supposedly written by Shem. The fact that Nehushtan resembled the Greek symbol of Asclepius, a deity who had temples in and around Eretz Israel most likely did not go unnoticed by Jewish intellectuals (2). Shem's academy also gave pre-Mosaic patriarchs and Matriarchs somewhere and something to study (Bereshit Rabbah: 63: 10) thus making them more rabbinic figures who also poured over texts for secret meanings and consulted their seniors on matters of Jewish law.

In addition to his study hall, Shem was associated with the character of Melchizedek found in Genesis 18 (Nedarim 32b:6). The enigmatic priest of El Elyon who blesses Abraham after his war against the Babylonian and Elamite forces. In that same Talmudic section, it not only states that he was born circumcised thus putting him in quite an exclusive club, but also that he was the one who transmitted priesthood to Israel. Similarly his study hall/court also hosted the divine presence (Makkot 23b:12, Yoma 10a:1). Something those passages say had only happened three times in human history. In the non-rabbinic but contemporaneous, Qumran literature Melchizedek is also seen as the earthly incarnation of the Archangel Michael, while some Heikalot literature identified him as another angelic being (1). While this may seem odd to reference, it's quite clear that Jews deemed 'rabbinical' by Karaites had access to texts like these or texts with similar themes. Later on in the Zohar Melchizedek is hinted at as a potential past incarnation of the Messiah (Zohar Lech Lecha 240:24), and as a potential Partzuf of the Sefira of Malkuth (Idra Zutra 79). It's relatively obvious that the writers of these passages would've been familiar with the tradition that Shem and Melchizedek were the same person.

Ironically this high esteem for Shem may not simply come from his ancestral status but also his name. In second temple and heterodox Rabbinic Judaism there was this idea of G-d's name as a hypostatic entity that could reside inside or rest on human beings allowing them to act as superhuman, possibly even super angelic intermediaries (3). With the idea that this name somehow contained all divine knowledge and even had an accompanying angel in the form of either Yahoel or Metatron, beings that though not identical with the name did act as the ultimate wielders and guardians of the name if not direct emanations of the name which emanates from G-d (3). This theology was known as Shem theology as opposed to the image focused Kavod theology, so it becomes pretty obvious who the Rabbis and other interpreters would assume the Shem of G-d definitely rested on (3).

In fact, it's quite possible that some commentators may even have thought that Shem was an actual incarnation of Yahoel or Metatron. Before everyone gets their undergarments in a twist, the main issue between Jewish and Christian theology is the idea that G-d cannot incarnate as a human. This does not mean that angels including incredibly important ones can't incarnate, possess people, or even shape embryos in their likeness (4). In the Merkavah Rabbah, Rabbi Ishmael Hakohen is said to be either the son, the image, or the earthly double of the archangel Gabriel whom he receives his power from (4). Indeed, angelic doubles or personal angels are mentioned in a literal translation of Tractate Kallah 3:4 when Rabbi Akiba argues with some other sages is, "How dare the angel of your heart transgress the words of your colleagues.". Therefore, rather than Shem being seen as exceptional for having an angelic aspect it'd be more likely that Shem's importance came from having a much more important angel in that role than most people. As well as offering an easy way to tie rabbinic doctrine into popular ideas of Melchizedek being intimately connected with high-ranking angels. More importantly unlike most people, Shem would probably be intimately aware of said personal angel.

Because of his relatively high-ranking status and role as a source of esoteric wisdom it'd make sense that he'd at least teach his sons certain things regarding theology and cosmology. Even if over time, said knowledge became garbled and corrupted over time. The sons of Shem are Arphaxad (Jews, Chaldeans, Sumerians, and Akkadians), Lud (Kurds and Anatolians), Elam (Medes and other southern Iranians), Ashur (Assyrians), and Aram (Amorites and other related groups). Therefore, the religions of those groups descended at least partially from the teachings of Shem who in some circles was a figure superior to Noah, and Avraham, and potentially equal to Enoch, Jacob, and Moses in some respects.

Indeed, there is precedence for giving less favored sons secret knowledge as a consolation prize in Jewish texts. Avraham gives his other sons occult secrets as a gift in Sanhedrin 91a. Mysteries that Medieval Kabbalists would consider somewhat unsavory but important to being a fully realized mystic capable of enacting Tikkun on the divine.

As a pre-Diluvian and thus pre-Jewish patriarch, Shem also acts as a backdoor for non-Jewish ideas by putting them within the Jewish tradition. Because it was claimed that Galen and Hippocrates got their knowledge from Shem (1), it was therefore allowed to bring some of their ideas into Jewish thought on the basis that Jews were simply retrieving them. A similar process was applied to Hermetic literature by implying that Hermes Trismegistus was either Moses or Enoch (5). Indeed, in Avodah Zarah 43a:5, using amulets with pagan gods such as Apis or Isis was allowed under the assumption that they represented biblical figures such as Joseph or Eve. Figures that if their amulets worked even if made by Akumim meant that these figures had some powers in and of themselves.

Lastly, unlike in Islam Judaism has an idea of an evolving covenant that continually gets added onto by various divine revelations. The Covenant of the sons of Noah was the precursor to the Covenant of Abraham, which was the precursor to the Covenant at Sinai, which included and preceded the covenant of David. None of these covenants is rendered invalid but it's clear that they aren't all revealed at the same time. So at least for certain groups of people those covenants are still valid even if they aren't members of the Mosaic covenant. Of course, the ancient Mesopotamians and Amorites didn't follow the 7 Noachide laws. But there are groups that explicitly claim Shem as a prophet (Or syncretize another figure to Shem) today that follow these laws assuming one takes Shituf into account.

These groups are the Yazidis, the Druze, the Mandaeans, the Yarnasans, the Alawis, and to a lesser extent, Zoroastrians and Nestorian Christians. All of which are like us, in that they're small persecuted Near Eastern Ethno-Religions. Groups that have found common ground with the Jews while living in diaspora (6). So much so that one Mandaean was shocked with how similar Mandaeans were to the Hasidic Jews he worked with (7). More importantly many of these groups share similar esoteric doctrines to Judaism, including the role of the alphabet in creation, reincarnation, angels incarnating into humans throughout history, angelic doubles, Enoch is Metatron, ostensible monotheism focused on the G-d worshipped by the antediluvian patriarchs, a reluctance to accept converts, the importance of the antediluvian patriarchs, a world soul, as well as an aversion to Pork. Therefore, I'd like to propose a fourth major covenant given to these groups that keep the Noachide laws, the covenant of Shem. Who entrusted the secrets of the universe to his children so that they may heal the world.

More importantly these are esoteric doctrines that Nicene Christians and non-Sufi Muslim don't accept due to their wars on heresy. These are the same esoteric doctrines that Groypers and Anti-Semitic Fundamentalists cite as reasons why Rabbinic Judaism is 'Satanic' or 'evil'. These groups are also metaphorical children of Shem but ones that denied their heritage. Creeds that have disowned Shem and turned to persecute their brothers under the unconscious urgings of Ur, of Habtar, of Samael. By denying or mystical traditions, by shoving Kabbalah under the rug, by considering Heikalot and Shi'ur Qomah as shameful works contaminated by foreign superstition, we potentially risk the same outcome. To become the same Sadducees that our Rabbis fought against for the sake of majority approval in the vain hope that said majority won't persecute us. This isn't to say that mainstream Christianity and Islam won't rejoin the covenant of Shem. Maybe someday they will, but until then it's important to focus on those who still hold this covenant, and as the most numerous and powerful community in this group we should make it our duty to protect them. If we do follow this route, and keep our responsibility to our partners, than who knows, maybe the court of Shem will be rebuilt and once more the Divine Presence shall dwell within it.

Non-Primary Source Bibliography

1.Reeves, John C. Heralds of that good realm syro-mesopotamian gnosis and Jewish traditions. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1996.

2. McCasland, S. Vernon. “The Asklepios Cult in Palestine.” Journal of Biblical Literature 58, no. 3 (1939): 221–27. https://doi.org/10.2307/3259486.

3.Orlov, Andrei A. “Praxis of the Voice: The Divine Name Traditions in the ‘Apocalypse of Abraham.’” Journal of Biblical Literature 127, no. 1 (2008): 53–70. https://doi.org/10.2307/25610106.

4. Idel, Moshe. Ben: Sonship and Jewish mysticism. Continuum, 2008.

Pgs 138-139

5.Lelli, Fabrizio. "Hermes among the Jews: Hermetica as Hebraica from antiquity to the Renaissance." Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft 2, no. 2 (2007): 111+. Gale Literature Resource Center (accessed February 17, 2025). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A171889288/LitRC?u=anon~68c01c5c&sid=googleScholar&xid=ac6d5f42.

6.

Russell, Gerard. Heirs to forgotten kingdoms: Journeys into the disappearing religions of the Middle East. New York: Basic Books, a member of the Perseus Books Group, 2015.

Pg 270

7. Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen. The Mandaeans: Ancient texts and modern people. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Pg 27.