The resurrection of the dead and the world to come according to Saadia Gaon, Rambam, and Ramban

Abstract

An attempt will be made to clarify the two central concepts of the Messianic era, the resurrection of the dead and the world to come, as they are portrayed in medieval Jewish Philosophy. ¶

In the original sources we find that there is no clear and unified concept of the Messianic era. Some prophets view the Messianic era as utopian, other prophets view the Day of the Lord as a day of destruction and darkness, our sages, when discussing the Messianic era, selected those prophecies which tended to support their individual views. It follows that our sages also do not have a single basic concept of the Messianic era. The differences are so extreme that one viewpoint totally negates the other. It is necessary to concentrate on these contrasts as they furnish the background for the development of the various currents of thought on the redemption. These central themes will be considered, relating to the ideas of Saadia Gaon, Rambam and Ramban.