Tree of Life

The Tree of Life (a.k.a. the Tree of Sephiroth) is a term from the Jewish Kabbalah which refers to how the ten attributes of God's manifestation (Sephiroth) are arranged. During Third Impact, after the Mass Production Evangelions crucify Evangelion Unit-01, and Eva 01 is stabbed in its core with the Spear of Longinus, the Mass Production Evas gather around Unit 01 in a pattern resembling the organization of the Sephiroth in the Tree, and Eva 01 transformed into a real, cross-shaped Tree of Life.

Arber Sephirotheca

Arber Sephirotheca, from Volume II of Utriusque Cosmi. Robert Fludd M.D.

Tree of Numbers.

Robert Fludd M.D. born in 1574 in Kent, England, was a Christian mystic and scientist. He penned the diagram to the right.

10 Numbers

The ten Hebrew names of God allotted onto each of the Numbers by Fludd are fairly standard. The interesting parts of this diagram are Fludd's attributions of the Christain Trinity onto the Tree of Numbers.

I. Ehieh, אהיה, "I am". Pater, Father. Here, Crown is given a crown of nine points, showing it's presidency over the nine lower Numbers. Each point may be attributed to each letter of אין סוף אור, see sub-heading 2.3.

II. Iah, which is spelt יה, "God", but Fludd has written יהוה. Filius, Son.

III. Elohim, אלהים, "Gods". Spi. Sanc., Holy Spirit.

IV. El, אל, "of God". Pater, Father.

V. Elohim Gibor, אלהים גבור, "Gods of Power". Filius, Son.

VI. Eloah, אלוה, "God". Spi. Sanc., Holy Spirit.

VII. Iehova Sabaoth, יהוה צבאות, "God of Armies."

VIII. Elohim Sabaoth, אלהים צבאות, "Gods of Armies."

IX. Elchai vel:Sadai, אלחי שדי, "God of The Living." Omnipotentie, Omnipotence.

X. Adonai, אדני, "Lord".

The Name of God, יהוה, is seen associated with particular Numbers along the trunk of the Tree.

י is touching Crown while associated with Wisdom as the Father, the tip of.

ה with Intelligence as the Mother.

ו with the Lesser Countenance of Mercy, Fear, Glory, Victory, Honour and Foundation, but particulally with Glory as the Son.

ה with Kingdom as the Bride.

Formative Names

The ten palm leafs that share Kingdom as their base have written upon them the ten angelic orders that are allotted on the Tree in יצירה. Fludd ascribes the nine orders of Christian angels to each of the Numbers from Crown to Foundation, Kingdom is ascribed Soul.

They have been written in order, firstly in Latin with English translation in italics, then follows their qabalistic equivalent.

I. Cheter in Seraphim, Crown in Seraphim, כתר החיות הקדש

II. Hochma in Cherubi, Wisdom in Cherubs, חכמה האופנים

III. Binah in Thrones, Intelligence in Thrones, בינה האראלים

IV. Chesed in Dominus, Mercy in Dominations, חסד החשמלים

V. Geburah in Potestus, Fear in Powers, גבורה השרפים

VI. Tepheret in Virtutes, Glory in Virtues, תפארת הםלכים

VII. Netreth in Principus, Victory in Principaltities, נצח האלהים

VIII. Hod in Archangeli, Honour in Archangels, הוד הבני אלהים

IX. Iesod in Angelos, Foundation in Angels, יסוד הכרובים

X. Malkuth in Animus, Kingdom in Soul, מלכות האשים

Systema Sephiroticvm X Divino Rvm Nominvm

Systema Sephiroticvm, from Oedipus Ægyptiacus. Athanasius Kircher.

System of Numbers of 10 Divine Names.

Athanasius Kircher born in 1602 in Thuringia, Germany, was a Christian mystic and scientist. He originally penned the diagram to the right.

10 Numbers

You will notice that each of the Numbers has written about it the names of the Numbers again, for each Greater Number is said to have 10 Lesser Numbers within it. Essentally there is a further Tree of Emanations within each number, this repeated through the 4 worlds = 400 Numbers, the same numeric value of the final letter of the Hebrew alphabeth, ת.

I.

II.

III.

IV. Jupiter.

V. Saturn.

VI. Sol.

VII. Mars.

VIII. Venus.

IX. Mercury.

X. Moon.

22 Letters

1.

2.

3. Totius TRINITATIS influxus deferem, "burning away the influx of the entire TRINITY." 72 Central Powers.

4. reciprocus 50 Portarum et 32 Semitarum, "between 50 Gates and 32 Paths."

5. Aquarum divinae misericordiae, "waters of divine mercy."

6.

7. Ignium divinae iustitiae et iudicii "fires of divine justice and judgement."

8.

9. Misericordiae et Iustitiae "[the channel between] Mercy and Justice."

10. 72 Right Powers.

11.

12. 72 Left Powers.

13.

14.

15. Canalis reciprocus Victoriae et Honoris, "the channel between Victory and Honour."

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

אין סוף

There are said to be three stages preceding the process of emanation in qabalah that parallel Genesis i:i-iv.

אין meaning Not, this foreshadows the first three supernal Numbers.

אין סוף meaning Limitless Not, this is the highest aspect of the Tree we can conceptualise as אין preceding it is nothingness. אין סוף foreshadows the first six Numbers.

אין סוף אור meaning Limitless Light of Not, this in it's concentration is called Crown. It contains within it the nine following Numbers.

Horizon Æternitatis

Horizon of Eternity.

The Horizon of Eternity is simply the horizon between Crown and Limitless Not.

50 Portae Lucis

50 Gates of Light.

This is the count of Omer as written of in Leviticus xxiii:xv-xxii. These "50 Gates" are the 7 Lesser Numbers within each of the 7 lower Greater Numbers (see sub-heading 2.1), 7 x 7 = 49 with Binah itself as the 50th Gate by which Moses recieved the Torah from God.

72 Potestates, medice, sinisrce et dextra

72 Powers, central, left and right.

This is the Name Divided found in Exodus xiv:xix-xxi, 216 (216 x 3 = 666, the Master Number of Glory) letters split equally between three verses, when each verse is arranged on top of each other in βουστροφηδόν order, they reveal by appending the suffixes יה or אל an order of 72 angels.

Furnishings of the Temple & The Three Worlds

The two Altars, the Menorah, the Table of Shewbeard and the Tablets of Moses on Kircher's diagram are all furnishings of the Tabernacle (משכן, literally "Place of Dwelling" - see Exodus xxv:i-xx) and later Solomon's Temple. The Place of Dwelling was split into three parts, the Outer Court, the Holy Place and the Holy of Hollies. Each of these three parts are ascribed by Kircher on to each of the triads on the Tree of Emanations. The Outer Court lay behind a veil of cloth and contained both an altar of fire as well as a altar of water (the associated triad is named, Mundus Elementorum, World of Elements by Kircher in his diagram). The Holy Place lay behind another veil of cloth and contained the Menorah and the Table of Shewbread of 12 loaves, patent representations of the 7 Luminaries and the Zodiac (the associated triad is named Mundus Orbium, World of Stars). Behind the last veil of cloth lay the Ark of the Covenant which contained the Tablets of Moses (the associated triad is named Mundus Archetypus, World of Ideas).

248 Positive precepts of the Law & 365 Negative precepts of the Law

As well as the 10 commandments received by Moses on Mt. Sinai there are a further 613 instances on the Torah where God either permits or forbids certain actions, these commandments are called מצווה. God permits 248 actions which are called positive laws, while forbidding 365 actions which are called negative laws throughout the entire Torah.

The number 248 is ascribed to the microcosm as it is the number of major bones in the human body. While the number 365 is ascribed onto the macrocosm as it is the length of one solar year. Here, Kircher has associated the 248 positive laws with the Number named Magnificence and the side of Mercy, while the 365 negative laws Kircher has associated with the Number named Fear and the side of Severity.