Hekhalot literature (sometimes transliterated as Heichalot), from the Hebrew word for "Palaces," relates to visions of ascents into heavenly palaces. The genre overlaps with Merkabah or "Chariot" literature, which concerns Ezekiel's chariot, so the two are sometimes referred together as "Books of the Palaces and the Chariot" (ספרות ההיכלות והמרכבה). Hekhalot literature is a genre of Jewish esoteric and revelatory texts produced some time between late antiquity — some believe from Talmudic times or earlier — to the Early Middle Ages.
Many motifs of later Kabbalah are based on the Hekhalot texts, and Hekhalot literature itself is based upon earlier sources, including traditions about heavenly ascents of Enoch found among the Dead Sea scrolls and the Hebrew Bible pseudepigrapha.[1] Hekhalot itself has many pseudepigraphic texts.[2]
Hekhalot Zutartey "Lesser Palaces" or "Palaces Minor," which details an ascent of Rabbi Akiva through the seven heavens, seeking revelations regarding the holy name of God
Hekhalot Rabbati "Greater Palaces" or "Palaces Major," which details the ascent of Rabbi Ishmael when he sought to examine the validity of the decree regarding the execution of the Ten Martyrs
Maaseh Merkabah "Account of the Chariot," a collection of hymns recited by the "descenders" into the holy chariot, and heard during their ascent
Hekhalot literature is post-rabbinical, and not a literature of the rabbis, but since it seeks to stand in continuity with the Rabbinic literature, it is often pseudepigraphical.[5]
^Judaism in late antiquity: Volume 1 - Page 36 Jacob Neusner, Alan Jeffery Avery-Peck, Bruce Chilton - 2001 "The Hekhalot literature is "not a literature of the rabbis, yet it seeks to stand in continuity with the Rabbinic literature" (p. 293); this literature is deeply pseudepigraphical and as such post-rabbinical."
