Pawel Maciejko

Associate Professor, Leonard and Helen R. Stulman Chair in Classical Jewish Religion, Thought, and Culture

http://history.jhu.edu/directory/pawel-maciejko/

 

in their actions and policies a good
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example from the proximal geographical
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area and time period of the dogs
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painting is from Johnny's double
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portrait of Joseph the second until
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about the second in which the emperor
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Carson rest his hand on the second body
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of Montesquieu's newly published the
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last plate Lee walk in some sense the
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vod's a portrait might belong to destroy
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- however whereas joseph ii is shown
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with shown with a copy of winter skin
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just expressing his sympathy for the
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novel ideas of the Enlightenment Val
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Stein is portrayed with an entirely
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different kind of book as I immediately
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noticed
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upon entering the turf Joseph Castle the
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book in the hands of the count is
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written in the Hebrew script most book
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appearing in early modern paintings of
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edgings were Latin or less often Greek
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classics or alternatively newly
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published works in European vernaculars
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depictions of Hebrew books were mainly
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that of the Bible usually executed in a
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rather in rather simplistic fashion
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sometimes even in the SU the Hebrew
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script
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characters which was supposed to
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resemble aside from the Bible some books
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employing Hebrew script can be found in
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the portrait of Christian have important
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portraits of Christian hypothesis a case
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in point is generating cough cartilages
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a pain Bonacci
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were produced on the frontispiece of
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history the attacker latina grind in
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Pilates picture pointing to
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schematically rendered book bearing the
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hebrew title of his book of his work
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maganda five-dimensional nothing were of
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any other early modern work of art that
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went beyond this very sketchy
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representation and attempted to produce
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a faceful depiction of a concrete book
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written in Hebrew let alone a
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representation allowing the viewer to
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identify a concrete addition neither am
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i aware of the work of art that were
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produced a specific passage from a
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Hebrew book hazards and he's in the
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biblical curse in the sentence actually
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not true there is a counter example
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maybe get going to get to the discussion
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but for G as a general principle is even
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the emergence of the rabbinic portrait
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delayed genre that did not develop until
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the 18th century did not affect much of
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a change in the typical portrait and
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it's message
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well books are commonplace in rabbinic
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portraits these usually signified
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general attributes of scholarship and
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are frequently eligible in the very few
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cases in which the titles can be made
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out these books are schematically
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depicted works also in Vegas it down to
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the best of my knowledge no attempt to
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represent the precise text has ever been
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made in such project against this
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backdrop the docpods frame portrait is
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highly unusual one can clearly identify
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the title of the book it's specific
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edition and the precise passage taken
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from it
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what Vincennes has in his hands is the
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first volume of the 1558 month of
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edition of the surfer the page is
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divided into two parallel columns the
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right one begins a section of the Sahara
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on the Torah portion hey Sarah and a
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saga was the left one to pick the
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corresponding section of the Midrash
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Rinella the volume is open to follow 127
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director here
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actually if you could yeah and it's as I
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said it's a month of ambition and the
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are my text is perfectly legible
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since the artist in a manner that is
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certainly unprecedented and
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unprecedented and perhaps even unique
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took such pains to reproduce the exact
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text I believe that he meant to convey
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more than just the depth of the sitter's
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learning in obscure Jewish traditions or
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his general interesting development I
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shall assume that the selection of the
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specific passage was not coincidental
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and was meant to convey a concrete
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message to the viewer in an attempt to
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understand this message I shall briefly
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discuss the section of desire that is
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depicted in count Valentine portrait
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the Department of the Zurich time that
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appears in the painting is the very end
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of a large narrative that begins a few
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pages earlier the narrative recounts a
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dialogue between Robbie each second
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Rubirosa the took place during two
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workers the two took from Tiberias to
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leader the starting point for the
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conversation was provided by her Vitas
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amazement it's a quotation 27 and the
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figure of the biblical sorcerer
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according to have the in fact from the
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story of Balaam we made as he puts it
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again another quote learn the mystery it
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teaches us that every act of sorcery is
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possible only through its intrinsic
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connection to the primordial serpent the
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spirit of impurity whoever wants to
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obtain the power of the impure spirit
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must first define himself thus in order
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to practice sorcery but I'm defiled
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himself every night by engaging in
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sexual acts with his donkey rabbit sir
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proceeds to describe details of the
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rituals of witchcraft as performed by
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the law the developing conversation
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touches upon the question of the origin
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of impurity which began with the
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injection of the primordial serpent sign
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in to eat its subsequent diffusion
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throughout humanity its cessation among
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Israel during the giving of the Torah on
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Sinai and its return after the golden
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calf episode the final chord of the
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dialogue is the pronouncement of the
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Rebbe Itzhak which is reproduced on the
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belt Stein portrait in extension and
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this is what I'm interested and I'm
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quoting it in English you will get the
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transcription of the Hebrew Aramaic and
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every impure spirit
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clings to the serpent before actually I
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will give you a transcription
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and every impure spirit links to the
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serpent before arriving in the world no
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1 in the world escapes him for he
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manifests in everything until the times
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of the Blessed holy one eliminates him
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from the world as it is written
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she will swallow up death forever which
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is isaiah 25:8 it is also on no and
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further I will eliminate the spirit of
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impurity from Paris and which is the
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final okay now while the Ducks painting
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reproduce this entire passage the sitter
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points to one specific sentence in the
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right column around the middle of the
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painted page right so this is what you
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have highlighted here the honey who each
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stochastic Ola
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is the sentence to advance transaction
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point right for he manifests in
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everything he is the spirit of injury
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manifesting everything until the time
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that the blasts hold one someday
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eliminates him from the world this is
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the second incident it's interesting as
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we remember the section of the Czar at
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the end of which appears on the Ducks
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painting begins with the promise that we
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may learn the mystery if there is a
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mystery hidden in the picture
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the key to it may be provided by the
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sentence to it while transporting alas
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the worlds have desired themselves
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merely hint at secrets they do not
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reveal their content we must look for
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more clues as it happens the portrait
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provides one more clue which explicitly
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mentions secrets or mysteries at the
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right bottom corner of the picture at
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the very edge of the table at which the
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count is sitting one may see a small
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brass black actually
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when we see a small brass plaque was an
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Arabic inscription a sir Muhammad our
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soul the mysteries of Muhammad it's a
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messenger
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now I believe that the portrait suggests
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what what the portrait suggests is that
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the mystery the desire promises the
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teachers is somehow connected
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or maybe stunts amount to the mystery of
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muhammad the messenger and that this
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mystery refers to the ultimate
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elimination by god of the spirit of
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impurity from earth
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our soul the messenger or maybe the
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apostle is the standard appellation of
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muhammad in the quran it appears for
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instance in the surah al-e-imran 3 144
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which asserts of mohammed is only a
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messenger of god as us denying his
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divinity however as I have been assured
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by my learned colleagues the phrase the
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mysteries of mohammed the messenger is
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by no means standard in fact insofar as
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i think i was able to ascertain it does
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not appear in any muslim source and he
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drives strangely in the ears of most of
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the scholars of islam who my consultant
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the Jewish commentaries and azar that
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were in circulation involves tense times
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also do not contain anything that would
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help us to solve the mystery of the
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passage that appears in the portrait
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we shall impose a gloss Nick - Ximena
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does not even mention the section in
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question there be Shimon lobby's captain
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pass treats it in a very cursory way
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because the various area car also brings
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nothing that would allow us to link to
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link it to the mysteries of Muhammad's
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in my future none of the works of
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Christian Kabbalah that I am familiar
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with touch upon the section of desire
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reproducing the Ducks painting
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these are the classic Jewish Kabbalistic
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commentary's in order to track all sort
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by Christian Cabalists contain any
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occurrence of the name of the founder of
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Islam as far as I know there is only one
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type of source from the period which
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mentions Muhammad by name and discusses
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the mysteries of desire these are these
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are works of Satan Kabbalah composed in
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the Ottoman Empire after the conversion
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of subjects to Islam in these words the
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name of Muhammad inherit mysteries or
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sometimes invoking discussions of
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sometimes complex relationship to his
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adopted religion and more broadly to the
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non-jewish world in an attempt to shed
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some light on the iconography of count
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well Justin's portrait I shall bring
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here a passage from the commentary of
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the sounds composed by Rabbi Israel
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cousin of kissteria one of the most
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important disciples of shaft a space
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profit-making of Gaza and this is what
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you have in your on your handout now
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since its flow of gematria it doesn't
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flow so I want to read the text you have
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the text in front of you either these
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are original or are in in the English
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translation I will just interpret what
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you what you have
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Israel Kazan in this passage discusses
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mysteries mentions the name of Muhammad
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and touches upon the quality of being
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committed the text is structured as a
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Kabbalistic exegesis of verse 23 of the
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49 chapter Isaiah Kings will be your
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foster fathers and their Queens your
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nursing mothers they will bow down
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before you with their faces up to the
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ground and they will they will leak the
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best at your feet
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Kazan invokes this verse in order to
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develop the notion that with the advent
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of the end of days the non-jews and in
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particular young Jewish authorities will
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also recognize shafted speak as the true
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Messiah Kings will be your foster
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fathers is taken as denoting the rulers
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of Gentiles who has become believers in
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shaft HP and patrons of his face during
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Capone's a Kabbalistic idea that the
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reign of ever after ruler is only
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possible thanks to his deriving energy
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from the corresponding ruler of or
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guardian on height Israel phazon
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interprets the second part of the verse
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their Queens will be nursing mothers as
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referring to the recognition of supplies
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Messianic mandate also with inhabitants
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of the angelic or in disguise the mud in
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this case demonic growl the acceptance
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of shaft eight-speed by the kings of
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this world is possible only because the
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profound change has taken place in the
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higher world the domain rulers of the
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earthly rulers are turning to good with
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great love they're identified some
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around
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whose guardian starts in order to answer
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this question
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present points to the mystery revealed
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by his teacher making of Gaza in
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connection with a Talmudic dictum quoted
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here as not for nothing it's a starting
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follow the rain already in the original
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context of detracted grab a comma this
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dictum which was a slightly different
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form in the Talmud and return to it it's
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predicated upon the biblical verse so
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ISA went to Ishmael John's 28:9 Esau and
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Ishmael are traditional emblems of
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Christianity and Islam or spectively in
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Cabela's formers some symbolically
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associated was the most girl bird the
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Raven
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while the latter is represented by the
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story it would seem that the recognition
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of shaft HP because the true Messiah by
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the non-jews means his recognition by
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Muslims and Christians yes it yet is not
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so simple
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the strength of associations linking
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some L ISA Raven and Christianity on the
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one hand and the garfish Mahan starting
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and Islam on the other are not so baton
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innovations there attested by several
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earlier Kabbalistic works for instance
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by a cabinet and superiors meg alarm
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code and the addition of a circle
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suppose I recognize it since unlike that
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Israel Hassan would hail them especial
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mysteries revealed by Natan of Gazans
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updates be if anything has an account
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suppose the neatness of the scheme
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established by earlier Kabbalist
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according to Natan of Gaza as quoted by
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Hassan subtext the interpret the
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gematria concerning the star in cascada
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as referring to the uncircumcised that
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is to say the first reason and not as
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would one expect the Muslims on the
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other hand the last section of the
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fragment which you had in front of you
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brings the symbol of the Raven with
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Arabs which is a selector for Muslims
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rather than with Christians thus in
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version of the balances of symbols is
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strengthened the hasn't inversion of the
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face of the phrase from Baba kama in the
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Talmud it reads not for nothing did the
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Raven follow the star
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it hasn't not for nothing it's a star
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and follow the Raven now and here comes
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the most disappointing sentence of the
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spectrum wasn't a framework of this
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presentation I cannot get into the most
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more extensive discussion of this
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passage what I will say is this not only
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did Ottomans awaken eschatology develop
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a doctoring of the adulation of shaft
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leads female non-jews in messianic times
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it also expounded the notion of a
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fundamental change in the mutual
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relationship between Islam and
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Christianity in a natural shock tight
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space acceptance as the true Messiah by
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Muslims and Christians according to this
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view will not happen in one stroke
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chaplain will be first recognized by the
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former and only subsequently by the
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latter indeed Israel hasn't comentary
21:58
contains some first-hand accounts of
22:00
Muslims awakens non-jewish origin and
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treats the first stage of this process
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as partly accomplished the second stage
22:07
however the spreading of sebacean is in
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the Christian world involves a profound
22:12
shift in the world so high some of the
22:16
guardian of ESO and of Christians will
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become the guardian of the Ishmaelites
22:20
well Rafa will become the warden of
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Christendom this change in the spiritual
22:25
world will also will also cut an
22:28
important this world the dimension
22:30
between involve the political triumph of
22:32
Christianity over Islam this is
22:36
indicated their husbands in version of
22:38
the Talmudic dictum about the Raven in
22:40
the story in primordial times ISA went
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to Ishmael in the time of the torrid
22:46
emption Ishmael will come to easel
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the Muslim countries in particular the
22:51
Ottoman Empire will be taken over by
22:53
Christian kingdoms in light of the wider
22:56
sebacean doctrine the final sentences of
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the passage from Israel's Azam do not
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refer as they may seem at first glance
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to the Muslims falling under the rule of
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and becoming servants of disobedience it
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refers resurrected or being subjugated
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by the Christians
23:12
it is a peculiar baton in versions of
23:17
the master-slave dialectic justice
23:19
updates he let himself be subjugated by
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Ishmael and converted to Islam in order
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to turn Muslims into his faithful
23:26
believers so the conquest of Ishmael by
23:28
ezel will lead will lead to the
23:31
spreading of the gospel of the true
23:33
Messiah in the Christian world this is
23:36
the ultimate mystery of Muhammad at the
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end of times Muslims will become
23:41
messengers or apostles of shopton see
23:43
the magnet the believers of Jesus I
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submit the bacon Kabbalistic speculation
23:52
provides the most fitting key to unlock
23:54
the secret of the iconography of the
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valvetrain portrait I did not wish to
23:58
claim that count valvetrain or the
24:00
anonymous artist were executed the
24:02
painting studied the works of Israel has
24:04
an of astoria on some other civilian
24:07
Kabbalist but I believe I can establish
24:09
a national historical connection between
24:12
the count and someone intimately
24:14
familiar was the world of sebacean
24:17
kabbalah if we invert the Dukes
24:19
paintings on the back of the picture we
24:22
will see a German inscription
24:23
identifying the sitter and giving a
24:26
brief account of his life this is the
24:30
inscription and this is the
24:32
transcription of the inscription again I
24:35
for the lack of time I will not read it
24:37
it was added later their problems with
24:39
the subscription but what I am really
24:42
interested
24:49
which basically says that while Stein
24:52
stuttered Hebrew writings encounter
24:55
context of his activities as friends the
25:04
inscription on the reverse side of the

 

 
25:06
dog's painting was the inscription of