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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition

Attributed to Abraham the Jew

The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume I

Book of Hieroglyphic Figures

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The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume IThe Two Natures of Natural Spirits · Manuscript 67v · Scan 162

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French Page · Branch 155 of 351

The Two Natures of Natural Spirits · Manuscript 67v · Scan 162

French

Ms. 67v

cela se voit encore mieux dans la confection de notre quintessence qui est non seulement l’image très expresse et le symbole de l’âme et du corps glorifié, mais Jésus-Christ même, autant qu’il peut y avoir de rapports entre le créateur et la créature, entre l’infini et le fini.

Il est sûr qu’il y a des corps plus lumineux, plus fixes et plus pénétrants les uns que les autres ; que les uns sont composés d’éléments actifs seulement, et les autres de passifs, comme sont les étoiles et les planètes qui sont composés de la subtile partie de l’air ou du feu qui sont des éléments actifs, et ne font qu’un avec le corps aérien et lumineux. Ces corps ne peuvent être altérés ni souffrir, ni être corrompus et demeureront incorruptibles en cet état jusqu’au jour du jugement dernier ; les esprits de la quintessence, notre esprit et notre corps, les suivent de près, et sont rassemblés et ramassés de l’essence la plus fixe et la plus grossière de l’air et du feu, avec l’essence la plus subtile de l’eau et de la terre, et ne font qu’un avec ces essences, quoiqu’on les voie mêlés et épars parmi ces parties dont il est très difficile de les retirer ; ils ne jouissent cependant que des qualités du Ciel qui est comme leur premier formateur

Ms. 67v

The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume I: The Two Natures of Natural Spirits

Ms. 67v

This is seen still more clearly in the preparation of our quintessence, which is not only the most exact image and symbol of the soul and glorified body, but Jesus Christ himself, insofar as there can be correspondences between Creator and creature, between the infinite and the finite.

It is certain that some bodies are more luminous, more fixed, and more penetrating than others; some are composed only of active elements, others of passive elements. Such are the stars and planets, composed of the subtle part of air or fire, which are active elements, and forming a unity with the airy and luminous body. These bodies cannot be altered, suffer, or become corrupted, and will remain incorruptible in this state until the day of the Last Judgment. The spirits of the quintessence—our spirit and our body—follow them closely, being gathered and collected from the most fixed and grossest essence of air and fire, together with the subtlest essence of water and earth. They form a unity with these essences, although seen mingled and scattered among these parts, from which it is very difficult to extract them. They nevertheless possess only the qualities of Heaven, which is as it were their first fashioner

Ms. 67v

About This Reading Edition

The first manuscript in the Manly Palmer Hall collection at the Getty Research Institute: the Book of Hieroglyphic Figures, presented in French and English with 463 explanatory notes, 13 manuscript plates, 25 source details, an introduction, chapter outline, glossary, bibliography, and register of readings.

Historical Text and Translation

Book of Hieroglyphic Figures (Livre des figures hiéroglyphiques), attributed in the witness to Abraham the Jew. Getty Research Institute, Manly Palmer Hall collection of alchemical manuscripts, accession 950053, Box 1, Hogart manuscript 3; French witness catalogued circa 1800. Manly Palmer Hall is the collector, not the author.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The circa 1800 source manuscript is public domain. The supplied 2026 French reading transcription, English translation, introduction, notes, outline, glossary, register, and editorial arrangement are published with the site owner’s authorization. Source photographs are credited to the Getty Research Institute and Internet Archive in the supplied edition.