The sights of Jewish mysticism: a guide to the Zohar. Book review: Green, A. Putevoditel’ po knige Zohar [A Guide to the Zohar], transl. by E. Levin. Moscow: Biblioteka M. Grinberga Publ.; Knizhniki Publ., 2025. 304 pp. (In Russian)

A review of the 2025 Russian translation of Arthur Green's "Guide to the Book of Zohar" (2004), a concise introduction to Jewish mysticism originally published alongside the first English translation of the Zohar. The review notes that Green's work, while a significant contribution to Russian-language Jewish and religious studies, necessarily simplifies and schematizes its material—particularly the relationship between Jewish mysticism and philosophy—in order to present a holistic picture of the Zohar's history, context of creation, and main themes.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The review is devoted to the Russian-language translation of the Abraham Isaac (Arthur) Green’s “Guide to the Book of Zohar” (2004) that was published in 2025. Arthur Green is one of the famous thinkers and researchers of Jewish mysticism, and his “Guide” is a small but capacious introduction to Jewish mysticism. It was published in 2004 as an addition to the publication of the English translation of the Book of Zohar that began in 2003. The translation of Green’s “Guide” into Russian is undoubtedly a significant event for Russian-language Jewish Studies and for Russian religious studies. At the same time the author of the review notes that the creation of a holistic picture of the mysticism of the Zohar that includes the history of formation, the context of creation the text, as well as a brief description of the main themes of this monument of Jewish mysticism re­quired Green to significantly schematize his transmitting the material, especially when he is describing the relationship between Jewish mysticism and philosophy.