Page 117 - Foundations

de Leon, a rich man of Avila, named Joseph, offered the widow, who had been left without means,
a large sum of money for the original from which her husband had made the copy; and she then
confessed that her husband himself was the author of the work. She had asked him several times, she
said, why he had chosen to credit his own teachings to another, and he had always answered that
doctrines put into the mouth of the miracle-working Simeon ben Yohai would be a rich source of
profit. Incredible as this story seems, it at least proves that shortly after its appearance the work was
believed by some to have been written entirely by Moses de Leon.
[Source: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Zohar.html]

The claim that Shimon bar Yochai was inspired by the prophet Elijah to write the Zohar is not one
that any Christian should take seriously. Furthermore, the Zohar contains many unorthodox and
heretical interpretations of the Scriptures. Kabbalists (initiates into the mystical teachings of Judaism)
accept the Zohar as being of divine origin. The word “Kaballah” means “tradition.” However, when
applied to those who are students of the Zohar and other Jewish mystical writings, the term is
generally understood to mean alternative, or unorthodox tradition.

It is worth noting that each of these writings that serve as sources for the serpent seed doctrine are of
very doubtful and deceptive origin. Neither the Gnostic Gospel of Philip, or the Gospel of Thomas,
were written by the New Testament men that their names refer to. Similarly, the Zohar, which was
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unknown until the 13 century when a Spanish Jew had it published, was not written by a Rabbi of
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the 2 century, nor was it inspired by Elijah. It has been, and continues to be, a common practice of
deceivers to supply false and lying attributions to the origins of literary works. Even as Joseph Smith
claimed that the angel Moroni led him to the golden plates upon which were written the Book of
Mormon, so too have men from antiquity sought to ascribe legitimacy to deceiving texts by lying
about their original authorship. This brings all that is taught in these pseudepigraphal (falsely
attributed) writings into reproach. That these books abound with false and heretical teachings does
not commend them as sources for Biblical understanding. The honest man should not look to the
company of liars and deceivers to receive insight into the word of God.

What is the Serpent Seed Doctrine?

The serpent seed doctrine exists in variant forms today. It remains a foundational doctrine of Jewish
Kabbalists, and has crossed over to an increasing extent in recent years into Christianity. The
teachings of Jewish mysticism have gained some traction in recent years as numerous celebrities have
embraced this system of belief. Among those are/were Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow,