Zohar
/ˈzoʊ.hɑːr/noun
The principal mystical text of Kabbalah, written chiefly in Aramaic and Hebrew.
Did you know?Although tradition attributes the Zohar to the second-century sage Simeon bar Yochai, most scholars date its principal composition to thirteenth-century Castile, especially the circle of Moses de León.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
z-h-r (זהר)
“A Semitic root associated with shining, radiance, or giving warning”
Late Antique Hebrew
Hebrew
zohar (זֹהַר)
“Brightness, splendor, or radiant light”
Late Antique Aramaic
Aramaic
zohar
“Radiance or brilliance”
2nd Century CE (traditional attribution)
Aramaic
Sefer ha-Zohar
“The Book of Splendor, traditionally linked to Simeon bar Yochai”
13th Century
Aramaic
Sefer ha-Zohar
“A major mystical work circulating in Castile and associated with Moses de León”
Modern English
English
Zohar
“The central or most influential text of Jewish Kabbalah”