ALL AUTHORS are listed under their first name, with the anonymous authors first.

Anonymous author of Avodat hakodesh

An anonymous kabbalist of the sixteenth century who wrote, according to his testimony, under the inspiration of ‘the holy spirit and the angel of the covenant’. His book Avodat hakodesh (Holy Worship) was written in Italy between 1564 and 1567 and is devoted to messianic expectations of the imminent redemption in 1575 in the light of the torments of exile of the previous decades, which were interpreted as pre-messianic tribulations. On the book see Tamar, Studies in the History of the Jews.

Anonymous author of Galya raza

An anonymous kabbalist who lived in the sixteenth century, presumably in the Byzantine Christian culture within the Ottoman Empire. In his book, written in 1552, he struggled to establish the superior status of the kabbalah, which he linked with the approaching messianic era. He ascribed significant importance to theories of reincarnation and transmigration of the soul and tied the theories of transmigration to eschatological calculations alluded to in Scriptures and corroborated in the Zohar. The author, who describes himself as persecuted and mocked by his contemporaries owing to his concern with kabbalah, was particularly interested in the stories of sinners in the Bible in general and of forbidden marriage (incestuous relations) in particular, stories he associated with the pre-determined messianic scheme according to dreams and visions that he integrated with the mystical tradition of the Zohar. On Galya raza see the edition by Elior; Elior, ‘Doctrine of Transmigration’; Tishby, ‘On the Problems of the Book’.

Anonymous authors of Heikhalot literature

An anonymous circle of mystics who lived in the land of Israel in the early centuries CE, after the destruction of the Second Temple. They left rich mystical and poetic literary traditions written in beautiful Hebrew which describe heavenly sanctuaries and celestial servants, modelled after the earthly Temple and its priestly and levitical servants. These mystical circles, which described themselves as yoredei hamerkavah (descenders to the chariot or masters of the chariot) and left many prayers inspired by the angelic liturgy, were familiar with the liturgical and mystical traditions of the Qumran priests (Zadokite priests), and like their priestly predecessors they expressed profound interest in Enoch son of Jared, the hero of the ancient priestly tradition (see below, Enoch); they most probably had a priestly identity and affiliation.