challenging the traditional ascription of the zohar to the 2nd-century disciples of shimon bar yochai in israel, liebes asserts that a group of 13th-century spanish kabbalists, which included moses de león, composed the work, each reflecting his own approach to kabbalah. liebes claims that the "ketem paz" on the zohar and the kabbalistic hymn "bar yochai" were written by two different authors with similar names, not the one shimon lavi who is traditionally credited with authoring both works. liebes also finds christian and sabbatean inspiration in the ideas of rebbe nachman of breslov and, at the same time, sabbatean influences on the disciples of the vilna gaon who opposed hasidism.