| The Tree of Life is first documented in Assyria 3000 years
ago. Since then this symbol is found in religious iconography
throughout the world. It is mentioned in the Bible: The Tree of
Life produces the fruits that will reward the faithful; in the
Hebrew Kaballah it represents a fundamental, geometric structure
symbolizing the interconnection between life forces.
The Norse cosmic world Ash has its roots in the underworld
while its branches support the abode of the gods. The Bo-Tree
(or Bodhi-Tree) is revered by the Buddhists, because Buddha
attained enlightenment under it. Even the Christmas Tree and the
Christian cross are related to the ancient and universal icon of
the Tree of Life.
In the nineteenth and twentieth century, the Tree of Life has
been used as a decorative motif in American Folk Art, and it
appears in the spirit drawings of the Shakers. 
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