Abstract
The monograph "The Aramaic of the Book of Zohar" brings an overview of the key morphological phenomena to be found in Zohar Aramaic. The introduction acquaints the reader with the broad scientific discussion concerning the character of Zoharic Aramaic from the first relevant scientific works until today.
It describes the early stadium of Zohar Aramaic studies characterized by the denouncement of Zoharic Aramaic as artificial language of questionable quality and subsequent shift leading to its appraisal and classification as a literary language and an integral part of medieval Aramaic literary creativity. The first presented morphological phenomenon are the nouns.
Alongside the personal pronouns that are often used also as a verb "to be", the chapter focuses on demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns and standalone possessive pronouns. Consequently, the greater part of the first chapter is dedicated to substantives and their inflection, to expression of possession and commitment and briefly also to adjectives.
The content of the second chapter, whose length makes a substantial part of the whole book, is an overview of Zoharic Aramaic verbal system, i.e. a realization of verbal roots throughout all verbal forms (participles, perfect and imperfect, infinitive, imperative and the pronominal verbal suffixes that are a distinctive feature of the late literary Aramaic). The three concluding chapters focus on selected adverbs and adverbial prepositions, selected conjunctions and numerals.
All the morphological phenomena are supplemented with examples from the Book of Zohar. The examples illustrate the usage of these phenomena and simultaneously, they bring up the fundamental themes of Zoharic mysticism - the conception of G-d, Zoharic cosmology and cosmogony, anthropology, theurgical performance of mitzvoth, and the teaching and the notion of Tikkun ha-Olam, in other words, a belief that this world can be transformed in a better place.
The distinctive character of Zoharic Aramaic is a barrier that stands in a way of those who want to immerse themselves in Zoharic mysticism. The publication will help those who want to stand this challenge and moreover, it is a valuable source for comparative philological study.