Text: The Tree of Life, of course, is mentioned many times in the Bible, from the beginning of the Book of Genesis to last part of the Book of Revelation. One who eats from this Tree, according to the Bible, is given "eternal life." The above diagram of the Tree of Life is part of an ancient tradition called "Kabala." Other spellings of the word include, kabbala, cabala, cabbala, quabala, and qabbalah. This is generally known as a special Hebrew tradition, the occult philosophy of certain Jewish rabbis, especially in the Middle Ages, based on a mystical interpretation of the Scriptures. Many scholars believe that the tradition is much older; that it traces back to the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians. Connections to Ancient Sumeria Over one hundred years ago, clay tablets were found in present day Iraq. They were artifacts with Cuneiform writings and pictographic carvings, left by the ancient people of that region. The Assyrian and Babylonian empires were located in that area long ago, but an even more ancient one preceded them, called Sumer, which in the Bible is called "Land of Shine'ar." According to scholar, Zecharia Sitchin, in Divine Encounters (page 7) - Sumer (the biblical Shine'ar) was the land where the first known and fully documented civilization sprang up after the Deluge, appearing suddenly and all at once some six thousand years ago. Some of the pictographic carvings have depictions similar to the Kabalistic Tree of Life. The oldest story in history, The Epic of Gilgamesh, was also found. Gilgamesh was a king, who was part god. He traveled to a far place, looking for the plant or tree that gave eternal life. The Meaning of the Tree of Life The Kabalistic Tree is sometimes called The Sephirotic Tree of Life. The circles or spheres are called sephiroth. A single circle or sphere is called a sephira. The teachings about the Kabalistic Tree of Life are very deep and complex. The ten spheres and 22 paths of The Tree generally represent the nature of the forces behind Creation on all levels, from microscopic to macrocosmic. The Tarot Cards are also associated with The Tree.

See Also:

Source: