Rabbi Bun said: What is the meaning of that which is written, "From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth was" (Proverbs 8:23)? What is "from everlasting (me-olam)"? That one must conceal it (le-ha'alimo) from all the world, as it is written, "He has also set the world (ha-olam) in their heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11); do not read it "the world (ha-olam)" but rather "the concealment (ha-he'elem)." The Torah said: I came first, to be the head of the world, as it is said, "From everlasting I was established, from the beginning" (Proverbs 8:23). And if you should say that perhaps the earth came before it, Scripture teaches, "before the earth was" (Proverbs 8:23), as it is written, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). And what is "created"? He created all the needs of everything, and afterward "God," and what is written after it? "the heavens and the earth."
The First Created Being
Sefer HaBahir 10
אָמַר רַבִּי בּוּן: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״מֵעוֹלָם נִסַּכְתִּי מֵרֹאשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי אָרֶץ״, מַאי מֵעוֹלָם, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַעֲלִימוֹ מִכּוּלֵי עָלְמָא, דִּכְתִיב ״גַּם אֶת הָעוֹלָם נָתַן בְּלִבָּם״, אַל תִּקְרָא הָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא הַהֶעְלֵם. אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה: אֲנִי קָדַמְתִּי לִהְיוֹת רֹאשׁ לָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״מֵעוֹלָם נִסַּכְתִּי מֵרֹאשׁ״. וְאִם תֹּאמַר שֶׁמָּא הָאָרֶץ קָדְמָה לָהּ, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״מִקַּדְמֵי אָרֶץ״, כְּדִכְתִיב ״בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ״. וּמַאי בָּרָא, בָּרָא כָּל צָרְכֵי הַכֹּל וְאַחַר כָּךְ אֱלֹהִים, וּמַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ.