Kabbalah is a body of Jewish mystical thought based on the belief that the Hebrew Scriptures contain the keys to understanding the mysteries of god and the universe, concealed in the form of alphanumeric codes and esoteric symbols. The exact origins of the kabbalist tradition are uncertain. One popular version has it that God imparted the knowledge, along with the 10 Commandments, directly to Moses on Mt. Sinai, after which it was passed down orally (hence the term "kabbalah," which is Hebrew for "reception"). But its origins are likely more recent, perhaps dating to the middle ages.