Hekhalot literature, also spelled Heichalot, comes from the Hebrew word for "Palaces." It describes visions of entering heaven while still alive. This type of writing overlaps with Merkabah mysticism, also known as "Chariot literature," which focuses on the vision of a throne-chariot described in the Bible by the prophet Ezekiel. Together, these two types of writings are sometimes called the "Books of the Palaces and the Chariot" (Hebrew: ספרות ההיכלות והמרכבה). Hekhalot literature is a group of Jewish secret and revealing texts written between late antiquity (some believe from the time of the Talmud or earlier) and the Early Middle Ages.

Many ideas in later Kabbalah, a Jewish mystical tradition, are based on Hekhalot texts. Hekhalot literature itself draws from earlier sources, such as traditions about the heavenly journeys of Enoch found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Pseudepigrapha. Hekhalot literature includes many pseudepigraphic texts, which are writings that claim to be from a famous person but were actually written later.

Texts

Some of the Hekhalot texts include:

• Hekhalot Zutartey ("Lesser Palaces" or "Palaces Minor"), which describes Rabbi Akiva's journey through the seven heavens to learn about the holy name of God.
• Hekhalot Rabbati ("Greater Palaces" or "Palaces Major"), which describes Rabbi Ishmael's journey to investigate the fairness of a decision about the Ten Martyrs.
• Maaseh Merkabah ("Account of the Chariot"), a collection of hymns sung by people who traveled to the holy chariot and heard them during their return.
• Merkavah Rabba ("Greater Chariot").
• 3 Enoch or "Book of Palaces."

Other similar texts include:

• Re'uyyot Yehezqel ("The Visions of Ezekiel").
• Massekhet Hekhalot ("The Tractate of the Palaces").
• Shi'ur Qomah ("Divine Dimensions").
• Sefer HaRazim ("Book of the Mysteries").
• The Sword of Moses.
• Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva.

The Hekhalot texts often highlight the Kedushah prayer and include hymns based on it. These hymns may have been used to help mystics enter a trance-like state. Time, as described in these hymns, is not based on a calendar. Instead, it focuses on a present, ongoing, and simultaneous "sacred time."

Dating and genre

Hekhalot literature came after the time of the rabbis and was not written by them. However, it tried to connect with the ideas of Rabbinic literature, which is why some texts in Hekhalot are sometimes falsely attributed to famous people. Some scholars believe Hekhalot was created in Palestine, and Michael Swartz thinks the ideas in Hekhalot were widely known among Jewish people during the early years of classical piyyut (5th–7th century).

Hekhalot includes examples of early texts that describe different versions of history.

Some people think Hekhalot is linked to a group called the merkaba mystics. James Davila believes the merkaba mystics used ideas from Hekhalot literature in their rituals and that these mystics may have acted as spiritual guides, similar to shamans.