זוהר שמות — דף קצא ע”א

Rabbi Shim'on weeps and reveals a secret whispered to him from the head of the heavenly academy of the Garden of Eden: the erev rav who mixed with Israel at the Exodus from Egypt is the one who caused the sin of the golden calf. These Egyptian sorcerers held secret magical treasures they activated at sundown. Nine hundred ninety-five rungs of the impure side roamed the mountains of darkness. The erev rav attracted by Israel ultimately caused the forced disclosure of this secret.