Dibbuk

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | 472 words | Copyright

Dibbuk or dybbuk. An evil spirit in Jewish folklore. The term appeared in literature in Germany and Poland in the 17th cent. The spirit was supposed to enter a person as a result of a secret sin. The dibbuk is connected with belief in ibbur, a limited transmigration of souls: the ibbur is the birth in a good person of a righteous soul, thus reinforcing that person's goodness. It was a natural extension to suppose that an evil spirit could take up residence in another.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Dibbuk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Dibbuk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 9, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Dibbuk.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Dibbuk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 09, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Dibbuk.html

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