cabalas and conspiratorial dictionaries

[Ted Samsel]

> 
> At 03:15 PM 8/26/97 -0400, JULIUS RAPER wrote:
> 
> >	Is there a conspiracy afoot to conceal the possible Greek source
> >of "cabala" in the Greek "kabbale," which my Greek dictionary defines as
> >3rd person singular aorist of "kataballo," "to throw down, to overthrow,
> >to bring down, to strike down, to cast away, to throw down or sow, to lay
> >down as a foundation" and several other related definitions. 
> >	 No wonder many cultures and institutions feared something
> >subversive afoot when cabalas were mentioned, though the reference may be
> >to the cabalistic cosmogony associated with the gnostics: that our world
> >was a late emanation from the original benevolent godhead, a world created
> >(sown, thrown down) by a minor, none too benevolent demiurge, a dungeon-
> >or prison-world cast down so far that only by liberating the spark of
> >gnosis or wisdom within each of us, our remnant from that original
> >godhead, can we perceive our true state and reunite with our origins.  We
> >are akin to Sophia, carrier of the spark, born in a brothel (in Tyre, I
> >believe)--but through love of Sophia (philo/sophia--or is it philos/ophia,
> >love Ophis, the serpent?) we can augment the spark of gnosis.  This, of
> >course, is the playing field Durrell locates both his Quartet and Quintet
> >upon, and it is a green one, given the way the gnostic cabala has been
> >viewed as heresy (perhaps for good reasons) in European cultures. 
> >	But why would the dictionaries want to hide these possibilities?
> >				JRR
> >
> >
> 
> 	"Sure I'm paranoid... but am I paranoid ENOUGH?"
> 
> 	      ---DWF "IJ"

And for the comic side of all this, read THE WRESTLER'S CRUEL STUDY, by
Stephen Dobyns. 
..other must read items are THE PROUD HIGHWAY (The Letters of Hunter S
Thompson 1955-1967) and INVISIBLE REPUBLIC by Greil Marcus...

Ted Samsel....tejas at infi.net 
  "I want the frimfram sauce with the orson-fay
         and chifaffa on the side...."