The Secrets of R. Simeon bar Yoḥai

R. Simeon bar Yoḥai, a second-century sage, developed a reputation as a mystic, and much later, the Zohar, the foundational text of kabbalah written in the thirteenth century, was attributed to him. The Secrets of R. Simeon bar Yoḥai (Nistarot R. Shim‘on bar Yoḥai) is an apocalyptic text that also makes use of his reputation as a staunch anti-imperialist and spiritual figure. Here, Simeon asks about which kingdoms will come to rule in the world. He is shown that they include Edom, a term for Christendom (with the phrase “sons of Esau” referring to Christians), and Ishmael, a reference to Islamic rule (using the phrase “sons of Kedar” to describe Arabs). The work has been dated in part from its many references to the Umayyad Caliphate and its failure to mention the fall of that empire, which occurred in the mid-eighth century.