Bahir

Bahir, short for Sefer ha-Bahir, meaning Book of Illumination or Brightness, is an early and influential text in medieval Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah). Traditionally attributed to the 1st‑ or 2nd‑century sage Nehunya ben HaKanah, modern scholarship regards this as pseudepigraphic and dates the work to the late 12th or early 13th century, likely produced in the Provençal or northern French regions (with possible connections to the school around Isaac the Blind). The Bahir’s authorship and dating have been subjects of scholarly debate, but its influence on the development of Kabbalistic thought is widely acknowledged.

The Bahir presents a collection of esoteric teachings in a concise, aphoristic style. It is notable for early explicit discussions of the divine emanations, traditionally known as the sefirot, and for employing the concept of the Ein Sof, the infinite light beyond divine manifestation. The text describes creation as a process of emanation through spiritual worlds and emphasizes the mystical power of Torah, the Names of God, and Hebrew letters as instruments of divine action. Its imagery is often allegorical and visionary, using light, breath, and letters to convey complex theological ideas. Many of its ideas would be expanded in later Kabbalistic works, most prominently the Zohar.

Influence and reception: The Bahir helped shape medieval Kabbalah and contributed to the later Zoharic tradition, particularly in its treatment of the sefirot and the symbolic use of Hebrew letters. Because of doubts about its antiquity and authorship, it was subject to critical scrutiny, but it became a foundational text for many later mystics and translators.

Manuscripts and translations: The Bahir survives in several medieval Hebrew manuscripts and has been printed and translated in the modern era. An English translation, such as Aryeh Kaplan’s The Bahir (Book of Illumination), has helped disseminate its ideas to a broader audience, though scholarly discussions about date and lineage continue.