Yet, to properly grasp and understand the infinite wisdom and spiritual power of the mind, it could take a considerable length of time to learn. Therefore, the best way to know of these books is to know them for what they are.
The Zohar is an answer to "What is Kabbalah?" It is a study of the Torah, which were the first five laws handed down to Moses from God on Mount Sinai. The Torah is also called the First Five Books of Moses which Kabbalah studies. These Hebrew books form that which is everything about Kabbalah and guides this mystical occultism in its path towards learning the secrets of creation. Though to be fair, it is not actually a cult, though the red string Kabbalah bracelet is associated with warding off the evil eye.
One of the biggest problems regarding the books of Zohar is that no one can actually agree on their exact origin. Some believe they were lost during the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and were not recovered until Moses De Leon unearthed them in a cave around 1270 AD. Others believe this viewpoint to be a bit off, and believe it was passed down through the second century, after the fall of Constantinople. Before this fall, it is believed that the teachers of Zohar were passed down from instructor to student through oral tradition and continued this oral lineage as a way to preserve the teachings and interpretations of the books of Moses. Regardless of when it was discovered or created, the Zohar has had a tremendous impact on Kabbalah. The thing about Kabbalah is that it is often confusing to those unfamiliar with its teachings, making it seem a bit strange and mysterious. Further investigations into its origins only seem to make the studies appear even more mysterious and vague. Whether it came from the thirteenth century or has been around for quite some time is up to each individual's perception of the study of the Hebrew books. Only you can make that determination from the teachings.