Die Lehre der drei Lichter in der christlichen Kabbala

The article examines the history of the reception of a peculiar Kabbalistic doctrine, usually attributed to Hai Goon about the supernal three lights that form the highest level of the divinity, called "or qadmon", "or tzach" and "or metzuchtzach", meaning, ancient, pure and purified light. Many Christian Kabbalists noted the analogy with the doctrine of the Trinity and exploited it in their own teaching and for the controversy and missionary activity. A quite unexpected chapter of this history is the resurfacing of the "three light" in Freemason circles in the 18. century and beyond. The vitality of this motif and the intricacy of its transmission for the object of a case study in cultural appropriation or syncretism no less than in diachronic productive misunderstanding.