About the book: 2021 / In this book, one of the most prominent scientists of the 20th century, Gershom Scholem (1897-1982), again reveals the esoteric world of Jewish mysticism. Kabbalah is a rich tradition, full of constant attempts to reach and depict the direct experience of God; this book focuses on its origins in southern France and Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries. The book has become an important contribution not only to the history of Jewish medieval mysticism, but also to the study of medieval mysticism in general, and will be of interest to historians and psychologists, as well as students of the history of religions.