PDF eBooksby Mikhayah ben David

Jewish "Selah" (סלה/صلاة) Postures for Prayer, Mantra and Meditation
Talmudic sources on the role of the spine in Jewish mysticism and Eastern Meditation, as well as how to enunciate the Shema for Biblical meditation postures are cited, as is a detailed explanation of how, when and how many times to perform the Salah according to the Jewish `Issuniyah Movement which came to prominence in Late Antiquity. Also included are rabbinic commentaries on how to approach such meditative practices, including proper diet.
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The Sabaeans, Magians and Zandīqīn As They Pertain To Islāmic Origins
Arab writers after around 832 CE typically identify a group of star and planet worshipping polytheists as Sabaeans. This late view is undoubtedly the source of Maimonides’ confusion on the matter as well. The Qur’ānic Sabaeans, however, are a group which is never associated with polytheism or shirk, and never even critiqued. As we will see, Muḥammad himself is described by his “polytheistic” adversaries as Sabaean, indicating that whatever their religion was, it was certainly more similar - if not identical - to the minhāj of Muḥammad than the planet and star worshipping cults which later authors describe. This text examines the identity of the enigmatic Qur'anic Sabaeans, who they were identified as before the Qur'an, and why some later authors amalgamated them with the Mandaeans. It further examines the identity of the Magians, and addresses why the Qur'an speaks of them along with the mushrikin; why they were not described as Ahl al-Kitab. The category of the Zandiqin is also explored, including the Jewish and Persian uses of this term to refer to a group related to the Sabaeans, before the Qur'an and the rise of the Caliphate. All of this comes together to lend to a more historical understanding of the socio-religious context of the Qur'anic orations within a Jewish sectarian milieu.
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The Quest for the Historical Muhammad: How the Third Quest Era of Christian Origins Can Help Us Understand Muhammad's Islam
A NEW MASSIVE study on the Eras of the Quest for the Historical Jesus and how we can apply the Third Quest (Post-Quest) Era methodologies to the Quest for the Historical Muhammad. This study additionally surveys the differences between Traditionalist and Revisionist (Historical-Critical) scholarship in Islamic Studies, and the various approaches of scholars in these schools of thought
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The Fast of Moses: The Lunisolar Calendar of the Qur'an and the Jewish Origins of Islam
This article details the origins of Islamic fasting as rooted in Jewish practice amongst chassidim rishonim. It uses Islamic source material to demonstrate that the fast Muhammad recommended to "those who believe" was in fact the Biblical Fast of Moses. This article then employs both Jewish Biblical and Talmudic sources in proving this case, and demonstrates that Islamic Origins were originally Jewish, before the Caliphate uprooted the Qur'an, creating a hadith genre to fill in the gaps left by disconnection from Arabian Jewish minhag.
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The Identity of the Qur’anic Nazarenes: A Broken Off Branch
The term Naṣārā, which appears throughout the Qur’an to refer to followers of Jesus, is clearly distinguished from normative Christianity in our aforementioned Sassanid era inscription of Kirtir. The term is a variant pronunciation of the Aramaic ܢܳܨܪܳܝܶܐ, naṣraye (singular: ܢܳܨܪܳܝܳܐ, naṣraya), which as we will recalled was the lingua franca of the educated in the Middle East leading up to, and during the life of Muḥammad. Sidney Harrison Griffith writes in The Church In the Shadow of the Mosque: Christians and Muslims In The World, that though “there is some controversy about its etymology and exact significance,” yet there is no question that “the modern scholarly consensus is that it is simply the Arabic form of the name ‘Nazoreans’ or ‘Nazarenes’.” With this consensus in mind, the only question then remains, “what is the significance of this term” and who was this group which was distinguished from Christianity.
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Who the Qur’an Mentions and Who It Doesn’t: Critically Looking At Translations of “Jew” in the Qur’an
Muḥammad apparently had many social aims, relative to general Arab society, but his movement was socio-religious in nature. He addresses groups associated with Jewish sectarianism, using the following terms in the Qur’ān: Yahūd (Jews) Yahūdan (Judeans), and uses the term “to turn” (hadu, hudna, etc). The latter reference is employed as a verb, not as a designation, except for when we see the form Hūdan, the exact term the Qur’ān uses for the prophet Hūd, and not for Jews directly. These derivations from the hud root, are employed both positively and negatively to describe those who turn towards God and those who turn away. We see reference to “those who turn” being used for both those who turn towards God, as in the case of the Children of Israel at Sinai, as well as, conversely, “those who turn” away from the straight path.
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Revaluating and Interpreting the Sources on the `Isawiyah Jews (`Issuniyim)
This work deals with the points of proto-Shi`ah correlation, as well as Essenic origins and Judeo-Sufi connections of this Jewish sect which Steven Wasserstrom characterizes as "Between Muslim and Jew."
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Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaqi: His Life and Approach to Justice in the Torah
i did this paper for a Hebrew 600 level class. Working through Rashi's commentary on Genesis/Berashit i briefly summarize his biography, impact and importance, and then dig into some of his exegesis on the Torah with a focus on the theme of Yisrael as by definition JUST and UPRIGHT individuals. Related to this, i examine Rashi's claims that the Land was granted on the basis of JUSTICE and UPRIGHTNESS alone... not based upon genetic lineage.
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From Qumran to the Qur’ān (Part 1)
Read a section of this text here: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=446565545678
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The Qur’ān as Midrash: Islāmic Origins and the Sacred Writings of Judaism
It has been widely acknowledged, by scholars such as these and even the casual reader who peruses the Qur’ān, that its pages are filled with accounts of a Biblical origin. The lesser known fact is that it is also replete with Talmūdic and otherwise Midrashic expansions. The Qur’ān assumes the listener is already familiar with the stories of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh). It thus uses a common Jewish form of exegesis – Midrash – to demonstrate the moral of the story, relative to contemporary events. Indeed, the “corrections” and “contradictions” of the Torah, presumed by the Muslim world to be an implicit rejection of Jewish doctrines within the Qur’ānic text, are of the sort we normally find between the Torah and Talmūdic (and otherwise Midrashic) exegesis.
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Unraveling the Myth of the Banū Qurayẓah: The Origins of Islāmicate Genocide
This revolutionary thesis argues the controversial, yet historically undeniable, position that a key story of Islāmic history is a fabrication, based upon an emerging reaction to Jewish Messianism under the Abbāsid Caliphate. This work argues is that they story of the genocide of the Banū Qurayẓah, though initially met with ambivalence and rejection by the author’s contemporaries, was invited to remain within the Ummah as the attitude towards Jews worsened.
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Baḥya ibn Paqūda and the Origins of Medieval Judeo-Ṣūfīsm
If you are interested in reading about one of the most mind-blowing topics in religious studies then order Baḥya ibn Paqūda and the Origins of Medieval Judeo-Ṣūfīsm!!! This paper was written my for my Honor's Thesis in Religious Studies and will be continued for my Master's Thesis on the Maimonidean Dynasty (which i have a precursor paper on already). Thepaper discusses Rabbenū Baḥya, a prominent medieval Rabbi in Islāmic Spain and the author of the first monograph on Jewish ethics, still widely studied in Rabbinic circles today. My Professor was first introduced to his Guide to the Duties of the Hearts in Yeshiva, training to be a Rabbi, under the Hebrew title and translation by Yehudah ibn Tibbon, Chovot ha'Levavot. Later, at Harvard, he was introduced to the text as a Judeo-Sufi work, under its original Arabic title Al-Hidāyah ilā Farā'idhu-l-Qulūb.
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The Significance of the God Fearers in the Environment of Early Christianity: Gentile Sympathizers of Judaism and the Success of the Paulean Meme
Very extensive research on Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins. The name says it all. This was my paper for my Senior Seminar. Extensive research into the "Post Quest" documentation of proselyte Jewish converts and "theosebes" (God-Fearers) in the environment ofthe formative years of Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity.
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The Legacy of Maimonides: Reason, Pluralism and the Judea-Sufism of the Maimonidean Dynasty
Delves into the paradox that is the Rambam. On the one hand, clearly a devoted Jew, one of the most important and influential Rabbis in history (who outlined the 13 principles of Judaism); On the other hand, this essay shows that him and his heirs recognized the validity of Islaamic rites, paraphrased the Qur'aan, and moreover that though seemingly perplexing to the orthodoxies of both religious paradigms today, that these things were clearly connected in his mind, and all an undeniable part of who he was and what his philosophy represented. I cannot stress how much I would encourage anyone, especially a Jew or Muslim, to read this.

If you are not familiar with Moses ben Maimon you will learn a lot from this text. If you arefamiliar with him then you will similarly learn more than you likely had ever imagined about his multidimensional relationship with Islaam and Sufism. Long the subject of discussion in both Islaamic and Jewish scholastic circles, the influence of Islaam on his writings, and even codification of Judaism is hardly open to debate.

Considered one of the greatest Jewish thinkers of all times, Maimonides often quoted and paraphrased from from Islaamic sources and even the Qur'aan. His "Thirteen Principles" are clearly a reaction to the "Pillars" in Islaamic thought. However, his relationship was not purely uncritical. Maimonides attacked and praised different groups of mutakallimun. In his letter to thehead of the persecuted Yemenite Jewish community, his attacks on Islaam seem scathing. How can these seeming contradictions be reconciled?

To complicate the situation, and fascinatingly for the reader, the legacy of Judeo-Sufism in his progeny is addressed. This text might raise more questions than it answers, but if so, this is only because so much related to these issues have been tidily swept under the rug of history.
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The Emperor and the King: The Comprehensive and Rational Exegesis on Rabbi Nachman's Elusive Tale
The Emperor and the King is one of Rabbi Nachman of Brezlov’s famous stories. In the case of this tale there is no commentary provided by Rabbi Natan. The Brezlover tradition says that when the Messianic Era is upon us then exegesis of this text will become apparent. Indeed the Gardener had never left the Garden. A must for any student of Chassidut or just seekers who enjoy the works of this lovely teacher.
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"The Philosophy and Impact of Philo of Alexandria" Philosophical Trend Impressions from Hellenistic Judaism and Its Offshoots
A vindication of the great Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo from the clutches of those Christians who seek to misinterpret his works to fit their own theology, as well as a key piece of evidence for the idea that, on the contrary, Philo strongly influenced the writer of the Gospel of John in the New Testament and later Christian doctrines. I recommend this eBook to anyone who is interested in Philo, Jewish philosophy, the New Testament, early Christian theology, early Judaic mysticism, the Second Temple era, etc.

i could not think of a more important eText for anyone interested in the development of Proto-Christianity from Judaism into Christianity to read. In the end, this will likely be formulated into "The Greatest Story NEVER Told" project. For now it is being sold as a separate text, as it has no direct place in the aforementioned book, as of yet. In any event, as i often hear about so many of these texts, "it is worth every penny." For Muslims, there is a secret alluded to herein about the word choice in the Qur'aanic naming of Moses. This, however, is only hinted at, and not explained within the text (though astute readers may pick up on it with no additional explanation needed).
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"Existence Precedes Essence:" Comparing and Contrasting Mullaa Sadraa’s Metaphilosophy with the Existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre
A very interesting look into parallels between the philosophies of Mullaa Sadraa, of the16th Century, recognized by many as the most brilliant and influential Muslim philosopher in thelast thousand years, and the later movement of the Existentialists in the 20th century, and especially the most influential philosopher of this school, Jean-Paul Sartre. Definitely a great read, and recommended to any who have studied either school.
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Beyond E.DIN: Exploring the Origins of Genesis in Early Mesopotamian Religion
This is one of two articles i wrote for a class that dealt with Biblical parallels in early Mesopotamian religion(s). i named it after a series of texts i banged out a decade ago while working as a security supervisor at P&G's animal torture facilities.
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The Legacy of Abraham the Hebrew: Migration, Dissemination and Unity of the Eber and Arab lines
This is the second text i wrote for a class correlating Early Mesopotamia history and religion with the accounts found in the Torah, Midrashic accounts and such. The text explores the meaning (and differences), between Hebrew and the latter "Children of Israel" and "Jew." Also explores various Mesopotamian records of the Hebrews of both Isaaci and Ishmaeli lines.
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Proof of the Divine: Empiricism and Reasoning the Existence of a CONSCIOUS Higher Power
This is a fairly short text written a few years back when i somehow got talked into tabling at a lot of shows. Having to reiterate my position on how a conscious Supreme Power - which created and sustains the Universe within it's Mind - can be ascertained purely through reason and empiricism... well... got old. i wrote this so i could refer interested parties to it, and otherwise tell uninterested parties to read it or leave me alone.
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"Talithah Kumi"
This is a novelette based off of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's chapter of "Brothers Karamazov" (1879-1880), entitled "The Grand Inquisitor." Whereas Ivan and Alyosha were constructed of elements of Dostoyevsky's personality, the respective characters in Talithah Kumi are drawn from elements of my own personality and stages of development. The story is my exploration of a modern potentiality (even slightly futuristic), framing of the context which Dostoyevsky's nihilist Ivan developed.
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Gun Control and Black Powerlessness
i wrote this this text in one of the most influential courses i took as an Undergrad. The course was a "Religion and Diversity" requirement. The text is fairly self-explanatory, but is based on loads of information from primary sources which will both disgust and surprise you. If ever there is a need for a popular uprising, this text would be on the required reading list, fueling the necessary discontent to spark it.
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The Greatest Story NEVER Told
The culmination of a lifetime of research and no less than 16 years of concentrated effort, this book is the first phase in what will be the intended major writing of my career. There is nothing that presents as well documented, diverse and complete a picture of the life of the historical Jesus as do the tentative chapters of this text.
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Self Cultivation in Philosophical-Speculative Daoism: Indications of Practical Methods in the Laozi and Zhuangzi Texts
Many scholars of Chinese Religion tend to take an approach that divides the Philosophical-Speculative tradition of the Laozi and Zhuangzi era Daoist texts from that of later "religious" Daoism as epitomized in the T'ien Shr and T'aiping/Huang Jin Movement.
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Virtue and the Way: Cultivating Flood-Like Qi
Though this is one of the least expensive booklets from San Szu, it is perhaps the most important. The text covers detailed explanation of the Daodejing which is often overlooked, as well as the understanding the Daodejing by Mencius and the fundamental re-evaluation of the Laozi in light of the Mawangdui version and textual ordering, Related to this is the discussion of where morality fits into one's lifestyle when they seek to live in accordance with the Dao, and engage in alchemic practices of "Qi cultivation."
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