SHEKHINAH. - "Dwelling," a neo-Hebrew term (from the biblical verb šakhān = to dwell) indicating the presence and abode of God in Israel, especially in the ancient Mosaic sanctuary. It is associated with the concept of glory and splendor.
S. occurs in the Aramaic versions of the Bible and in rabbinic literature around A.D. 70. In the Middle Ages, S. signifies the irradiation of divine glory and is identified with the "Holy Spirit." The union of God with the S. constitutes the true unity of God, which transcends the diversity of His various aspects. The Zohar expresses the concept of S. with the symbolic expression of "the sacred garden of apples."
BIBL.: J. Bonsirven, Le judaïsme palestinien, I, Paris 1935, p. 130 ff.; G. Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, New York 1946, cf. index p. 452. Eugenio Zolli