cabala

n. [ LL. See Cabal, n. ] 1. A kind of occult theosophy or traditional interpretation of the Scriptures among Jewish rabbis and certain mediæval Christians, which treats of the nature of god and the mystery of human existence. It assumes that every letter, word, number, and accent of Scripture contains a hidden sense; and it teaches the methods of interpretation for ascertaining these occult meanings. The cabalists pretend even to foretell events by this means. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Secret science in general; mystic art; mystery. [ 1913 Webster ]