Moses ben Shem Tov has written:

'Perush ha-merkavah' -- subject(s): Bible, Cabala, Commentaries, Merkava

Despite its claimed antiquity, Kabbalah appears to have been given its earliest formulation in the eleventh century in France and spread from there, most notably to Spain. There were undoubtedly precedents, including the literature of earlier Merkavah mysticism (after around 100 CE) inspired by the vision of the chariot-throne in the Book of Ezekiel. Beyond the specifically Jewish notions contained within the kabbalah, some scholars believe that it reflects a strong Neoplatonic influence, especially in its doctrines of emanation and the transmigration of souls.

Despite its claimed antiquity, Kabbalah appears to have been given its earliest formulation in the eleventh century in France and spread from there, most notably to Spain. There were undoubtedly precedents, including the literature of earlier Merkavah mysticism (after around 100 CE) inspired by the vision of the chariot-throne in the Book of Ezekiel. Beyond the specifically Jewish notions contained within the kabbalah, some scholars believe that it reflects a strong Neoplatonic influence, especially in its doctrines of emanation and the transmigration of souls.