In 1600, the English physicist William Gilbert published the first comprehensive study on a phenomenon he would call ‘electrica’, or as we call it nowadays, electricity. Gilbert’s discovery of an unexplored scientific field drew great interest – though this knowledge had actually been around for 1,600 years, contained within the pages of the Zohar.
Hebrew Zohar Chadash on Yitro, Volume 18 verse 341:
וּמִתּוֹכָהּ כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל, הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, דְּאִינוּן חֵיוָן אֶשָׁא מְמַלְּלָן, וְאִינוּן זוֹהֲרָא דְּזָהֵיר, סָלְקָא וְנָחֲתָא, אֶשָׁא דְּלָהִיט, קָאֵים וְלָא קָאֵים, דְּלֵית מַאן דְּיָכוֹל לְמֵיקַם בֵּיהּ בְּדוּכְתָּא חָדָא. וְעַיְינִין וְחֶזְווֹהִי לָא יָכְלִין לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עֲלֵיהּ. הָא אִיהוּ, וְהָא לָא אִיהוּ. הָא בְּדוּכְתָּא חָדָא, וְהָא בְּדוּכְתָּא אָחֳרָא. הָא סָלֵיק, וְהָא נָחֵית. וּבְחֵיזוּ דָא, אִתְטַמַּר מַה דְּאִתְטַמַּר, וְאִתְגְּנֵיז מַה דְּאִתְגְּנֵיז.
English translation: We explained before that Electricity is enlightening glow, going up and down (AC: Alternating Currents) and no one can analyze it in one place. And the eyes and the vision can’t control it.
In this verse, the Zohar describes electricity as something in constant motion that cannot be seen. It also shows an understanding of how electricity functions by identifying Alternating Currents.
There’s more.
Hebrew Zohar Chadash on Yitro, Volume 18 verse 347:
וּמִתּוֹכָהּ, מִתּוֹכָהּ דְּמַאן. מִתּוֹךְ הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי חַשְׁמַל. וְאִי תֵימָא, הָא כְתִיב חַשְׁמַל, וְהָא כְתִיב חַשְׁמְלָה, דְּמַשְׁמַע דְּחַשְׁמַל אִיהוּ דְּכַר, וְחַשְׁמְלָה אִיהִי נוּקְבָא וְהָכָא כְּתִיב חַשְׁמַל, אַמַּאי כְּתִיב וּמִתּוֹכָהּ.
English translation: And he asks: “It says ‘from within her’, within of who?” And he answers: “within that is called Electricity. And if you are going to say, that it says Electricity and it says Electricita, what does it mean? –That Electricity is male and Electricita is female, positive and negative polarities.
Not until the late 18th century would science detect two opposing charges found in electricity, the positive and negative charges. As we can clearly see, the Zohar was well aware of this knowledge – nearly 19 centuries beforehand!
The ancient book of wisdom that is the Zohar contains numerous examples of how our world operates – written at a time when this knowledge was not common place. In fact, many recent scientific discoveries are contained in the Zohar. To learn more, please visit Zohar.com.