Prophetic inspiration after the prophets

By Abraham Joshua Heschel

Book Description

Abraham Joshua Heschel challenges a fundamental assumption about divine revelation in this scholarly exploration of prophetic experience beyond the biblical era. While traditional Jewish teaching maintains that prophecy ceased with the ancient prophets during the Second Temple period, Heschel reveals a more complex and inspiring reality.

Drawing from medieval Jewish sources and writings previously available only in Hebrew, this work demonstrates that belief in ongoing prophetic inspiration persisted throughout Jewish history and continues into modern times. Heschel examines how medieval Jewish scholars understood and experienced direct encounters with the divine, showing that the possibility of prophetic revelation remained alive in Jewish thought long after it was supposedly extinguished.

This investigation into mystical and prophetic experience offers readers a deeper understanding of how spiritual seekers across centuries have approached the possibility of direct divine communication. Heschel's research illuminates not only historical perspectives on prophecy but also the enduring human longing for authentic spiritual encounter.

For those interested in the evolution of religious consciousness and the nature of divine inspiration, this book provides valuable insights into how different generations have understood the potential for ongoing revelation. Heschel's scholarship opens windows into the rich tradition of Jewish mystical thought while addressing universal questions about spiritual experience and divine presence in human life.