Quick Answer
Gershom Scholem (1897–1982) was the founding scholar of Jewish mysticism as an academic discipline. His work revealed deep connections between Kabbalah, Jewish apocalypticism, and Gnosticism — showing that the boundary between Jewish mysticism and Gnostic thought was far less clear than either tradition admitted.
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Quick Facts
- Born in Berlin; emigrated to Palestine in 1923; taught at Hebrew University until his death
- His landmark work Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism (1941) established the field
- Argued that Gnosticism and early Jewish mysticism (Merkabah) share common roots
- His thesis that Kabbalah contains Gnostic elements remains influential and debated