Zohar Volumes 1-3 English Translation by Daniel Matt

Daniel C. Matt

"Daniel C. Matt was content with his life as a professor of Jewish spirituality and author when he got a phone call that would likely determine the rest of his working life.

The task: to work on a new translation of the Zohar, the centerpiece of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism.

Part mystical novel, part biblical commentary, the Zohar emerged in the 13th century in Castile, Spain, though it presents itself as if it were written in the second century. Written in Aramaic and Hebrew, it is believed to be the work of Moses de Leon, a descendant of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai.

The first two volumes are soon to be published by Stanford University Press, but that is only the beginning.

The 52-year-old Matt, a former professor at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union, has been tackling the project for the past four years. He estimates it will include 10 to 12 volumes in all, meaning he could be working on it for another decade.

The scope of the project was enough to give Matt more than a moment’s pause. As a matter of fact, at first he didn’t want to do it at all.

“A mystical text can be enticing, drawing you in with its imagery and profound wisdom,” he said. “I thought it could easily become all-consuming, that it would dominate me — that I might not be able to teach effectively or function normally.”