just an illusion. I want you tonight to face them again. You
must find out what that creature is.’
‘The creature?’
‘Yes. That monster that attacked you in
your dream.’
‘But, isn’t that an illusion?’
‘No I do not think so. If they are to
succeed in their endeavours my enemies need a supernatural patron. I believe
that you have seen the demon.’
‘But surely?’
‘No. I am certain of it. I must learn
what power they have tapped into. That may at least give me an idea how to
beat them.’
This was crazy.
But Tiferet seemed to believe all he was
saying. Could it possibly be the truth?
‘All right. You’ve told me this much.
Tell me the rest. Why are these stones so important?’
Tiferet looked at Jake as if trying to
decide and then, after a few seconds pause, he began to speak.
‘What do you know of Kabbalah?’
‘Not very much. I know that it is Jewish
mysticism but the Rabbis treat it as forbidden knowledge that you cannot learn
until you are over the age of forty or something.’
‘That’s right. But do you know why that
is?’
Jake shrugged his shoulders.
‘Ever heard of Shabbatai Zevi?’
‘Wasn’t he a false messiah, or something?’
‘That’s right. What is interesting is how
it all came about. In the seventeenth century world Jewry was steeped in
mysticism and everything seemed to point to the coming of the Messiah. In 1666
Zevi already believed that he was the chosen-one but this was confirmed when,
in that year, he met with another mystic, Natan of Gaza. Nathan of Gaza had
already received a vision in which God had appeared to him and Shabbatai Zevi
figured very prominently in it. It was Nathan who managed to convince the
world that the long awaited Messiah of the Jews had arrived.’
Jake wondered where all this was leading
but he decided not to interrupt. Tiferet had a fascinating manner. No doubt
he was an excellent lecturer in his chosen field.
‘Over the next few years world Jewry,
accepted the truth of the claims until the final disillusionment when Zevi
converted to Islam. It was as a reaction to these events that mysticism lost
its popular appeal and became condemned by the Rabbinate.’
Jake nodded, ‘So this guy, Zevi, was the
turning point?’
‘That’s right. Many years ago I made a
particular study of that era. My interest was the motivations of Zevi and in
particular, Nathan of Gaza. I could not believe that these events happened in
a vacuum. I became convinced that there had to exist a book or books that gave
rise to a prophecy that the Messiah was coming at that time. Eventually I
found it.
‘A name that I doubt you will have come
across is Abraham Abulafia.’
Jake shook his head.
‘Abulafia was a thirteenth century mystic
who had also been called Messiah in his lifetime. My teacher, Scholem, talks
of Abulafia as the founder of the school of prophetic mysticism which in many
ways is similar to the Eastern methods that we all know; yoga and the like.
‘Abulafia was able to enter into a
trance-like state and, in that condition, he had visions and prophesies. A
prolific writer, Abulafia wrote books that were manuals on the method of
achieving trances and he also expressed his prophesies in detail.
‘Branded as a heretic and accused of
flirting with Christianity and paganism, after his death, the Rabbis tried to
bury his teaching. Some of his books were destroyed and others hidden away by
his followers.
‘I learnt that he had written of the
coming of the Messiah and that in a bastardised version of his work the seventeenth
century was shown to be the time. Whilst I could not locate the original text
I discovered that certain scholars had it in their possession at about the same
time as Shabbatai Zevi lived. I also discovered that they tried to carry out
the ritual that Abulafia had described.’
‘What ritual?’
‘That, young man, is an excellent
question. Without the
must find out what that creature is.’
‘The creature?’
‘Yes. That monster that attacked you in
your dream.’
‘But, isn’t that an illusion?’
‘No I do not think so. If they are to
succeed in their endeavours my enemies need a supernatural patron. I believe
that you have seen the demon.’
‘But surely?’
‘No. I am certain of it. I must learn
what power they have tapped into. That may at least give me an idea how to
beat them.’
This was crazy.
But Tiferet seemed to believe all he was
saying. Could it possibly be the truth?
‘All right. You’ve told me this much.
Tell me the rest. Why are these stones so important?’
Tiferet looked at Jake as if trying to
decide and then, after a few seconds pause, he began to speak.
‘What do you know of Kabbalah?’
‘Not very much. I know that it is Jewish
mysticism but the Rabbis treat it as forbidden knowledge that you cannot learn
until you are over the age of forty or something.’
‘That’s right. But do you know why that
is?’
Jake shrugged his shoulders.
‘Ever heard of Shabbatai Zevi?’
‘Wasn’t he a false messiah, or something?’
‘That’s right. What is interesting is how
it all came about. In the seventeenth century world Jewry was steeped in
mysticism and everything seemed to point to the coming of the Messiah. In 1666
Zevi already believed that he was the chosen-one but this was confirmed when,
in that year, he met with another mystic, Natan of Gaza. Nathan of Gaza had
already received a vision in which God had appeared to him and Shabbatai Zevi
figured very prominently in it. It was Nathan who managed to convince the
world that the long awaited Messiah of the Jews had arrived.’
Jake wondered where all this was leading
but he decided not to interrupt. Tiferet had a fascinating manner. No doubt
he was an excellent lecturer in his chosen field.
‘Over the next few years world Jewry,
accepted the truth of the claims until the final disillusionment when Zevi
converted to Islam. It was as a reaction to these events that mysticism lost
its popular appeal and became condemned by the Rabbinate.’
Jake nodded, ‘So this guy, Zevi, was the
turning point?’
‘That’s right. Many years ago I made a
particular study of that era. My interest was the motivations of Zevi and in
particular, Nathan of Gaza. I could not believe that these events happened in
a vacuum. I became convinced that there had to exist a book or books that gave
rise to a prophecy that the Messiah was coming at that time. Eventually I
found it.
‘A name that I doubt you will have come
across is Abraham Abulafia.’
Jake shook his head.
‘Abulafia was a thirteenth century mystic
who had also been called Messiah in his lifetime. My teacher, Scholem, talks
of Abulafia as the founder of the school of prophetic mysticism which in many
ways is similar to the Eastern methods that we all know; yoga and the like.
‘Abulafia was able to enter into a
trance-like state and, in that condition, he had visions and prophesies. A
prolific writer, Abulafia wrote books that were manuals on the method of
achieving trances and he also expressed his prophesies in detail.
‘Branded as a heretic and accused of
flirting with Christianity and paganism, after his death, the Rabbis tried to
bury his teaching. Some of his books were destroyed and others hidden away by
his followers.
‘I learnt that he had written of the
coming of the Messiah and that in a bastardised version of his work the seventeenth
century was shown to be the time. Whilst I could not locate the original text
I discovered that certain scholars had it in their possession at about the same
time as Shabbatai Zevi lived. I also discovered that they tried to carry out
the ritual that Abulafia had described.’
‘What ritual?’
‘That, young man, is an excellent
question. Without the
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