There were 288 Sparks which fell and these may be derived in a variety of manners.
Since there occurred a species of fall in all but the Highest of Sefirot. Each Sefirah is itself a World of 32 Paths. And thus, 9 Sefiroth x 32 Sparks = 288 Sparks that Fell.
In each categorization of the Great Name, there are also found 72 Sparks. Since there are 4 species of this Name, 4 Names x 72 Sparks = 288 Sparks that Fell.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God hovered above the face of the waters.”
– Genesis (Bereshit) I: 1-2
In the above excerpt from the Torah, the term for ‘hovered’ or ‘was hovering’ is merachefet (MRChPhTh). The letters of this term can be transposed or recombined (a form of ‘Temurah’) into two terms. The first term is spelled Mem-Tav (Meit) and means “died”. The second term is R-Ph-Ch denoting the number 288 (Resh [200] + Peh [80] + Cheth [8]). Thus we learn from Our Teacher, the ARIZAL, in Sefer Likutim; the “Death of the Kings of Edom” is analogous to the “Shattering of the Vessels,” which caused the fall of the 288 Sparks of the Kings of Edom and from which the World of Emendation has been reconstructed from the residua of the Fallen Kings.
St John of Asia in Europe 
This is very interesting and I’m wondering of what is the “residua” composed? I’m assuming it’s like a hull around the nutty center of the Spark.
It is indeed that!… but is also called the “dregs of the wine” and the “dross of gold”.
The scoria in alchemy is still held for use in later stages of the Work. Is that true with the residua also?
Only to an extent, which is a bit too complex to adequately explain in a quick reply but relates to Nogah as the “redeemable Qliphah” due to its ability to “shine” since Nogah means ‘glow’ or ‘illuminate’ and concerns the individual spherical configurations of Sefirot… So slightly different than in metallic Alchemy on a physical level. However, it is a very astute observation you have made and it does have some correspondence to the scoria. In Kabbalah, only the Messiah is capable of redeeming the “irredeemable Qliphot”. I’m not sure if this helps but is the best I can explain briefly off the top of my head.
Thanks, it does. Godwin’s Cabalistic shows Nogah as brightness and Nogah with a Vav as Venus. Is just the first one what you’re taking about here?
The terms are quite interrelated. So, they tend to imply each other, so to speak. So, if one examines the Philosophus Ritual in the Order of the G.D. in the Outer (the grade prior to the “Portal” and 5=6 degrees, which one enters via the door of Venus… noting that Nechushat or Nechushtan means brass or bronze as well as the name of the Serpent held up by Moses in the wilderness… and Nechushon David’s ancestor helped Moses part the Red Sea… and Nechash/Nachosh is the serpent whose gematria equals that of Messiah…):
“This is the Serpent Nehushtan which Moses made when the Children of Israel were bitten by the Serpents of Fire in the wilderness. It is the Serpent of the Paths of the Tree. And he set it on a pole, that is, twined round the middle Pillar of the Sephiroth. And the word used in the passage in Numbers 21 for Fiery Serpents, is the same as the name of the angels of Geburah, the same spelling, the same pointing, Seraphim, around the middle Pillar of the Sephiroth, because that is the reconciler between the Fires of Geburah and Severity, and the Waters of Chesed or Mercy, and hence it is said in the New Testament, that it is a type of Christ, the Reconciler. And the Serpent is of Brass, the Metal of Venus, whose Sphere is called Nogah or External Splendor, as shown further in the Alchemic symbol of the Planet Venus, wherein the circle of the Sun is exalted above the Cross of corrosion. And therefore it is said in the Zohar, that alone of the Shells is the Serpent Nogah found in Holiness, and he is called the Bilanx of Justice. Why then is he called the External or false Splendor? Because he indeed united the Paths but comprehended not the Sephiroth. Nevertheless he is also the Celestial Serpent of Wisdom. But the Serpent of Temptation is the Serpent of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and not that of the Tree of Life.”
Also drawing attention to Nachosh/Nechosh, the Serpent in the garden in Genesis…
This is all very meaningful, even Alchemically… and worthy of much study.
“Contemplation” would actually be a better term than “study”….but likewise involving several diagrams