From its beginnings in small Jewish communities in the Mediterranean, Kabbalah - the ancient Jewish tradition of mystical interpretation of the Bible, using esoteric methods such as ciphers and numerology - has had an immense influence on Western culture. This volume examines that influence from its beginning, to practical Kabbalah and magic, to modern manifestations in art and popular culture. The Many Faces of Kabbalah: the joint exhibition of the Judisches Museum (Jewish Museum) in Vienna and the Joods Historisch Museum (Jewish Historical Museum) in Amsterdam presented the various facets of Kabbalah, from the historical development and early Jewish mysticism, to practical Kabbalah and magic, to modern manifestations in art and popular culture. It followed the traces that Kabbalah has left in the most diverse forms of modern art: in painting, sculpture, design, literature, film, and music. Published to accompany the exhibition, this book provides an astonishing look behind the scenes of this "hidden world". Artists: Ghiora Aharoni, Mordecai Ardon, Michael Berkowitz, William Blake, David Bowie, Rachel Brown, Moshe Castel, Rene Clemensic, Belu Simion Fainaru, Victoria Hanna, Louis Kahn, Isidor Kaufmann, Anselm Kiefer, R. B. Kitaj, Sigalit Landau, Paul K. Lynch, Madonna, Barnett Newman, Leonard Nimoy, Mark Podwal, Dan Reisner, Hanna Rovina, Gabriele Seethaler, Harry Smith, Rudolf Steiner, Roman Vishniac, Frank Lloyd Wright, Jacques Zucker.
