I am aware, Huck, that the
Sefer Yetzirah opens with the words 'With 32 mystical/wondrous paths of wisdom engrave(d) Yah', and do take that my post from last night made it appear that I was referring to this.
In fact, I was more concerned that no direct equivocation was made between this opening and the later appended text of the same name (Cf A. Kaplan
Sefer Yetzirah p 296 ff).
Still, I take the point that there is a direct internal evidence that thirty-two is also the number of items listed in the very next segment (1:2), specifically mentioning the ten Sefirot and the twenty-two letters. It needs to also be considered in the context of the tradition - ie, Jewish tradition - in which the serious student would know and understand and be wise to the close connection between the heart (BL), 32, and the Torah.
The text then gains a direct anagogical meaning in its opening: 'With the heart of the Torah's way of wisdom created/engraved Yah'.
This is quite consistent with internal broader exegesis of the texts (plural).
I also tend to agree with both kwaw and A. Kaplan that as the text directly mentions that the letters be positioned in a sphere/circle, and that the 231 gates are thereby formed, the linear lines are implied, resulting in tangential envelopes for ten circles - and, of course, an eleventh central point through which passes lines connecting the gate-posts diametrically arranged.
These, however, I would personally not characterise as 'paths'.
But we have certainly moved away from stagfoot's opening question - and it seems that none of us have an earlier reference than Gikatilla for the earliest depiction of the Tree of Life as ten spheres arranged with connecting lines or 'paths'. However, perhaps I have missed something, but had linked Rabbi Gikatilla with the depiction of the the Tree as depicted on the Latin translation of his
Gates of Light, and does not, to my eyes, depict twenty-two connections.
As it is one of the images on my slowly developing site, I'll here simply link to it for the image - and stand to be corrected if this is not the
Tree of Life referred to (right-hand image, by the way). The number of connections there is sixteen, by the way (including a 'forked' connection), making a total (if one wants to add the
Sefirot) of 26 (the value of IHVH).