Secretum secretorum. Joachim of Fiore, Petrus Alfonsi, and the Kabbalah
Abstract
Two lines of research dealt with the relationship between the Abbot Joachim of Fiore (12th century), Petrus Alfonsi of Huesca (11th century), and the Kabbalah. Gershon Scholem suggested the hypothesis that the Abbot of Fiore and the Spanish kabbalists of the twelfth century simultaneously produced similar works, albeit without knowing each other. This hypothesis will be partially discarded by a second one which shows some aspects of Joachimite’s work derived from the Jewish-Aragonese philosopher’s one, Petrus Alfonsi of Huesca (Moseh Sephardi), who was converted to Christianity. Based on this second hypothesis, it is possible to affirm that the explanation of the Trinity that Pedro Alfonso develops from the Tetragrammaton YHWH according to the Secretum secretorum of the Jews was incorporated by Joachim of Fiore, and that will be especially used in the composition of Figure XIII – Psaltery of ten strings and Figure XI – Three Trinitarian circles. In this way, we raise a third hypothesis: that the connection between Joachim of Fiore with the Kabbalah in addition to be grounded in the Trinitarian explanation of Petrus Alfonsi, is reflected directly in the composition of its figures. Moreover, I suggest that the source on which Petrus Alfonsi is based, and indirectly Joachim of Fiore, is the Secretum Secretorum of the Jews, a compilation of kabbalists texts, among which are the Sefer Yetsirah (Book of Creation or Knowledge), the Sefer al-Raziel (Book of Raziel) and the Liber of Salomonis.Downloads
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