page_title: List of Jewish Kabbalists
section_title: Medieval emergence and development of Kabbalah (12th-15th centuries)
hierarchical_section_title: List of Jewish Kabbalists / Medieval emergence and development of Kabbalah (12th-15th centuries)
caption_attribution_description: Español: Busto en Guadalajara (España) de Moisés de León, filósofo y rabino judío español del siglo XIII, escritor del Zohar, realizado por Luis Sanguino. Português: Busto em Guadalajara (Espanha) de Moses de León, filósofo e rabino judeu espanhol do século XIII, auteur del Zohar, realizado por Luis Sanguino. Français&#160;: Buste à Guadalajara (Espagne) de Moïse de León, philosophe et juif rabbin espagnol del siècle XIII, escritor do Zohar, effectué par Luis Sanguino. English: Bust in Guadalajara, Spain, of Moses de Leon, Spanish philosopher and Jewish rabbi of the XIII century, writer of Zohar, by Luis A. Sanguino. Italiano: Scultura en Guadalajara (Spagna) di Mosè di León, autore di Zohar.
context_page_description: This page lists figures in Kabbalah according to historical chronology and schools of thought. In popular reference, Kabbalah has been used to refer to the whole history of Jewish mysticism, but more accurately, and as used in academic Jewish studies, Kabbalah refers to the doctrines, practices and esoteric exegetical method in Torah, that emerged in 12th-13th century Southern France and Spain, and was developed further in 16th century Ottoman Palestine. These formed the basis of subsequent Jewish mystical development.
  This is a partial list of Jewish Kabbalists; secondary literature incorporating Kabbalah is enormous, particularly in the voluminous library of Hasidic Judaism that turned esoteric Kabbalah into a popular revivalist movement. Hasidism both adapted Kabbalah to its own internalised psychological concern, and also continued the development of the Jewish mystical tradition. Therefore, only formative articulators of Hasidic thought, or particularly Kabbalistic schools/authors in Hasidism are included here. In the Sabbatean mystical heresy that broke away from Judaism, only the founders are listed.
context_section_description: Provence circle (Southern France - Provence and Languedoc 12th-13th centuries):
  Abraham ben Isaac of Narbonne (RAVaD II) c. 1110–1179
  Abraham ben David of Posquières (RABaD/RAVaD III) 1125–1198
  Isaac the Blind (Yitzhak Sagi Nehor) Neoplatonic approach c. 1160–1235
  Catalonia/Girona circle (North-East Spain 13th century):
  Ezra ben Solomon
  Azriel of Gerona Synthesised Gnostic and Neoplatonic elements c. 1160–1238
  Nachmanides (Moses ben Nahman, RaMBaN) Introduced Kabbalah in classic Bible commentary 1194–1270
  Jacob ben Sheshet
  Meshullam ben Solomon Da Piera
  Castile circle (Northern Spain 13th century). Developed Demonic/Gnostic theory:
  Jacob HaKohen
  Isaac HaKohen Author of Treatise on the Left Emanation
  Todros ben Joseph Abulafia c. 1225–1285
  Moses of Burgos
  Ecstatic/Prophetic-Meditative Kabbalah (13th century):
  Abraham Abulafia Spain, Italy, Malta. 1240-after 1291
  Publication of the Zohar (1280s–90s Northern Spain):
  Moses de León c. 1250–1305
  13th century Kabbalistic commentary:
  Abraham ben Isaac of Granada Southern Spain  13th century
  Joseph Gikatilla Prolific writings, including Shaarei Orah. Spain 1248–after 1305
  Menahem Recanati Only Italian of his time writing mainly Kabbalah 1250–1310
  14th-15th centuries saw a slowing continuation in Kabbalistic commentary:
  Isaac of Acco Pupil of Nahmanides. Israel and Spain 13th-14th century
  Bahya ben Asher (Rabbeinu Behaye) Kabbalistic classic commentary on the Torah. Spain d. 1340
caption: Moses de León, disseminator of the Zohar, main text of Jewish mysticism
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