Guide
Otherworldly Journeys in Early Jewish Literature
3rd Century BCE–3rd Century CE
Restricted
By Carol Bakhos
Apocalypses that describe otherworldly journeys feature humans who are taken to visit the divine other world, where they learn about the structure of the cosmos, God’s heavenly temple, the origins of evil, and other mysteries.
Related Primary Sources
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God’s Celestial Palace and Enoch’s Commission
And in the vision thus it appeared to me: Behold, clouds called me in the vision, and mists summoned me. Shooting-stars and lightnings urged me on and whirled me along, and in my vision winds gave me…
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Bodily Ascent to Heaven
And the Lord, with his own mouth, said to me, “Courage, Enoch, do not fear! Arise and stand before my face forever.” And Michael, the arch…
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The Grapevine in the Garden of Eden
And the angel said to me, “When God made the garden and commanded Michael to gather two hundred thousand and three angels so that they could plant the garden, Michael planted the olive and Gabriel…
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Phoenix, Guardian of the World
And taking me, he led me where the sun goes forth. And he showed me a chariot drawn by four horses and fire underneath it. And upon the chariot sat a man wearing a fiery crown. The chariot was drawn…
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Vision of the Glory of God
And it came to pass when the sun was setting, and behold a smoke like that of a furnace, and the angels who had the divided portions of the…