Abraham Abulafia

Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia, a 13th-century Spanish scholar, taught what he called “Prophetic Kabbalah” or “Kabbalah of Names,” the pursuit of prophetic enlightenment through meditation and manipulations of letters and divine names. He claimed to have had several prophetic experiences as well as a possible messianic role. Opposition from Rashba, a kabbalist of the “sefirot” school and a respected legal authority, sidelined Abulafia, especially in Spain. Abulafia's works, however, were still copied, studied, and quoted, often not by name. Support from Chida in the 18th century helped restore public favor, and many of Abulafia’s works have since been printed.