Because of the ancient character of the Kabbalah, there are multiple histories to it, since there is no real evidence to fully support any version. Outlined here are two versions taken from The Elements of the Qabalah by Will Parfitt, which describe a mythical or mystical version, and a real version. The mystical version tends to be narrative in its method, similar to the Bible in the way in which it describes it as a story, while the real version is taken from definite evidence and seems to be more of a history lesson than anything exciting. In general, no one really knows if the mystical version is real, but the mundane version is definitely documented.

Other versions exist which I have encountered on the net, but have feared to put in here, because of their flagrant disregard for any sort of real knowledge of Hebrew, and an almost fanatical reliance on one individual being the New Messiah, Seventh Angel, etc. I will warn you of this site, since it begins with the comment that QBLH, Kabbalah, is rooted in the word Qiblah, the point of adoration. In fact, Qiblah would be spelled QBLH, the same as Kabbalah. It also drags on and in the end speaks of " when the excrement hits the fan and the cities of the world fall" while preaching world peace. There are many of these sites, and you should be fully aware of the Kabbalah and its accepted meanings before you branch off and become amazed by these revelations!

In the beginning, the creator taught the angels a secret wisdom. After humans (Adam and Eve) fell from grace, the angels decided to teach this wisdom to humankind, to help them regain their link to paradise (Eden). Only some listened and applied this knowledge, while the rest decided to continue in a mundane, mortal manner. This knowledge then soon died out with the few humans who applied it.

Generations later, the creator made a covenant with Abraham, part of which involved this secret wisdom, what has become know as the Kabbalah. Abraham later revealed this knowledge to Isaac and Jacob, and they in turn revealed it to Joseph. Joseph died without being able to pass it on any further, so it died with him. Fortunately, Abraham had written the more important elements of it in a book, called the 'Sepher Yetzirah', which he had hidden in a cave.

The creator then decided that this wisdom could only be revealed to another individual, when they had reached a high level of spiritual attainment. Moses was this person. He had aligned his will with his Higher Self when he broke the chains of slavery and ignorance. The creator then transmitted to him an exoteric lore (the Ten Commandments) and a secret inner teaching (the Kabbalah). Moses was inspired to write his newfound understandings in a manner which was understandable in a mundane fashion, while also containing allusions, codes and symbolism to describe the creator's secret inner teachings. These writings compose the first four books of the Bible.

Later, a secret society formed and studied the lore of Moses, as well as the book written by Abraham, which they had found in the cave. This knowledge was passed on orally, and never written down.

Two books form the basis of Kabbalism, the Zohar (the book of Splendour, or light) and the Sepher Yetzirah (the book of Formation). There is no real evidence that can concretely prove who the author of either of these is, with scholars disagreeing on the ability for any one person to ascribe it to. They could have been of a truly ancient origin as described in the mythical history, or they could have been the written version of the later oral tradition. The Sepher Yetzirah was definitely written before the sixth century AD, possibly by Rabbi Akiba, an enlightened Jewish Mystic, around 100AD.

Kabbalism remained obscure for many years after, until the thirteenth century in Spain, where a small explosion in popularity occurred. It was in this period that the book the Sepher Bahir (book of Brilliance) was written.

In the fourteenth century, a Rabbi called Moses de Leon published a version of the Zohar that became widely available to the scholars of the time.

During the Middle Ages, the Kabbalah flourished throughout Europe, but particularly in the community at Safed in the Holy Land. By the end of the sixteenth century two schools of Kabbalistic thought had become established. These were under the leadership of Moses Cordova, and Isaac Luria. Although the Orthodoxy placed Kabbalism out of bounds of the many in fear of its power, it continued strongly underground.

In the middle of the eighteenth century, a great teacher, Israel ben Eliezer- known as Baal Shem Tov (the Besht) founded Hasidism ('the devout ones' in Hebrew) and made it accessible to the masses. Despite this, Orthodoxy prevailed, and Kabbalism remained only an underground force.