While reading about Sukkot1 I came across a mention of a prayer recited during Sukkot, during which a celebrant invites the seven 'exalted guests' (well-known heroes and leaders of the Hebrew people/religion) into his home before a meal eaten in the sukkah. According to the Wikipedia article, this originates with Isaac Luria's Kabbalah tradition, and I haven't found any other references to this prayer/ceremony that he called ushpizin (Aramaic for 'guests') elsewhere.
My question is, is there any earlier form of such a tradition predating Lurianic Kabbalah? If not, when was this first openly used by the Jewish community?
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