The Sefirot (singular: Sefirah), the ten emanations or attributes through which divine energy flows in Kabbalah, were first conceptualized as a structured system in the medieval period, but their arrangement into the iconic "Tree of Life" (Etz Chaim or Ilan) diagram—a hierarchical, tree-like formation with interconnected nodes and paths—developed later. This visual representation symbolizes the process of creation, from the infinite divine (Ein Sof) down to the material world, with the Sefirot arranged in three pillars (mercy, severity, and balance) and connected by 22 paths corresponding to the Hebrew letters. ### Historical Development - **Early Conceptualization of the Sefirot (12th Century)**: The Sefirot as a theological concept emerged in Provence, France, around the 12th century, particularly through the school of Rabbi Isaac the Blind (c. 1160–1235). This was influenced by earlier texts like the *Sefer Yetzirah* (Book of Formation, dating to the 2nd–6th centuries C...
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