A complex and ancient cosmological theory of the universe rumored to have been founded by the patriarch Abraham after his departure from Babylon. The main texts of Cabbalah are the Sefer Yetzirah and the Zohar. Cabbalah was practiced exclusively by Jews until Christians adapted the theories in the early Romanesque period.
There are three main branches of Cabbalistic study: theoretical, meditative and magical. The theoretical aspect of Cabbalah deals with the characteristics and dynamics of the spiritual realm, the realm inhabited by angels, demons and human souls. Meditative Cabbalah is a kind of yoga, dedicated to reaching higher levels of consciousness through concentration and mental discipline. Magical Cabbalah is closely related to meditative Cabbalah and consists of the various signs, incantations and rituals through which one can influence or alter the natural world.
Cabbalism is closely connected to the Hebrew alphabet: every letter in Hebrew corresponds to a number, so any text in Hebrew can be read as a series of numbers as well as a series of words. According to Cabbalists, the texts of the Torah, Sepher Yetzirah and Zohar contain numerological codes which, when deciphered, can predict the future or instruct a person in the utilization of magical powers.