Three in one or one that is three: On the dating of Abraham Abulafia's Sefer ha-Ot

This article suggests that Sefer ha-Ot, an apocalyptic work written by Abraham Abulafia (1240-ca. 1290/1), is not one book, but three, and that each section reflects different periods in his life. By dating Abulafia's messianic career from a vision in 1276, the backdrop for the writing of the first two sections is set out, and a vision in late 1285 helps explain the very different style of the third section, the one that gives its name to the whole book. The first two sections reflect a very intense period of messianic activity and where it is clear that the expected Messiah is Abulafia himself, while the third section deals with the wars at the end of days, and only hints at the possibility that Abulafia is indeed the expected Messiah.