 On this basis Arthur Green speculates, that while the "Zohar" was written by a circle of Kabbalists in medieval Spain, they may have believed they were channeling the souls and direct revelations from the earlier mystic circle of Shimon bar Yochai in 2nd century Galilee depicted in the Zohar's narrative.Academics have compared the Zohar mystic circle of Spain with the romanticised wandering mystic circle of Galilee described in the text.Similarly, Isaac Luria gathered his disciples at the traditional Idra assembly location, placing each in the seat of their former reincarnations as students of Shimon bar Yochai.