(Hebrew; " Book of Brightness ")
Hebrew commentary on the Old Testament that had a major influence on the development of the Kabbala .
It also influenced the symbology of Judaism in general by calling attention to the mystical significance of the shapes and sounds of the Hebrew alphabet . The Bahir first appeared in France in the 12th century, though Kabbalists consider it much older. It introduced the concept of the transmigration of souls and the notion of a cosmic or spiritual tree that symbolizes the flow of divine creative power. Though Kabbalists view it as authoritative, mainstream Judaism rejects it as heretical.