Sefer Yetzirah

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

A short, cryptic work describing creation through the 10 sefirot and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It is the earliest text of Jewish mysticism.

Traditional attribution

Attributed to the patriarch Abraham, or to Rabbi Akiva.

Historical scholarship

Anonymous; dates proposed range from the 2nd to the 9th century.

Context and curiosity

Legend says rabbis used it to create a golem.

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to Judaism (Late Antique Judaism). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as c. 2nd–6th century CE (debated) and original language or script as Hebrew. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

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Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sefer_Yetzirah

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.