300 is the gematria value of the Hebrew letter Shin (ש). The letter’s name derives from a root meaning “tooth,” and its form is often interpreted as three tongues of flame or a trident, evoking the elemental fire that Shin represents. In the Hebrew alphabet, Shin is the twenty‑first letter and the third of the “mother letters” (along with Aleph and Mem), traditionally associated with the element of Fire and with the divine breath that animates creation.

Position on the Tree of Life

300 corresponds to Path 31, the thirty‑first path of the Sephirothic Tree. This path connects the sephirah Tiphareth (Beauty) with the sephirah Yesod (Foundation) and is attributed to the letter Shin. In the diagram of the Tree, Path 31 is the central vertical path of the three “mother letter” paths, balancing the air of Aleph and the water of Mem with the fire of Shin.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

In the correspondences of Liber 777, the astrological attribution of Path 31 is the Sun. This aligns with the solar nature of Tiphareth, the sephirah of the Sun, which Shin helps to link to the lunar foundation of Yesod. The Sun’s fire is both creative and destructive, mirroring the dual aspect of Shin—the letter that can be written with a dot on the right (Shin) or on the left (Sin), representing the two sides of divine judgment and mercy.

Historical context

The number 300 appears throughout Hebrew scripture and Kabbalistic literature as the gematria of Shin. One of its most famous occurrences is in the name “Yehoshua” (Joshua), which is the name “Yeshua” (Jesus) with an added Shin, raising its value from 386 to 391 and symbolizing the indwelling of the divine spirit. In the Book of Judges, Gideon’s army of 300 men (Judges 7) is a classic example of divine selection through fire and water tests, echoing the elemental nature of Shin. In the Sefer Yetzirah, Shin is one of the three “mothers” from which the universe is formed, and its numerical value 300 is linked to the three hundred worlds of the Zohar (Tikkunei Zohar 17a) and to the three hundred and ten worlds of the righteous in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 100a). The letter Shin also appears on the head‑tefillin and on the mezuzah, representing the name of God (Shaddai) and the protection of the divine presence.

In the Hermetic Qabalah of the Golden Dawn, 300 is the number of the great fire of the Sun, the creative and destructive force that purifies and illuminates. The path of Shin is the path of the Sun’s rays, and its numerical value 300 is the sum of the threefold flame that burns away dross and reveals the inner light.

In Liber 777

At step 31 (Path 31) of the table “Numerical Value of Col. CLXXV,” the number 300 appears as the direct gematria of Shin. This value is shared with the “31 bis” entry, which also lists 300, indicating that the same numerical attribution holds for the alternative arrangement of the paths. In the context of the 777 system, 300 is not merely a quantity but a key that unlocks the solar‑fiery nature of the thirty‑first path, connecting the aspirant to the transformative power of the Sun and the elemental fire that stands at the heart of the Tree of Life.