Christian Cabala: Pico & Reuchlin

Pico della Mirandola's 900 Theses (1486) declared "no science better proves the divinity of Christ than magic and Kabbalah" — and Christian Europe's scholars stampeded. Johannes Reuchlin (De Verbo Mirifico, De Arte Cabalistica) built the first Latin kabbalistic system and defended Hebrew books from burning. Kabbalah became Cabala: same letters, new agenda — and, ironically, this appropriation preserved and spread the texts.