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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 Labors of Hercules · Manuscript 49r · Scan 125

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French Page · Branch 117 of 351

The Labors of Hercules · Manuscript 49r · Scan 125

French

Ms. 49r

mais le commerce monstrueux de Pasiphaé avec le taureau dont naquit le minotaure fait voir l'union de l'esprit végétatif de la matière avec son corps parce qu'ils participent l'un de l'autre, de l'esprit par l'âme de Pasiphaé et du corps par le taureau.

Hercule remporte la victoire sur Achéloüs, le plus célèbre de tous les fleuves. Nous allons examiner ce que veut dire par là notre physicien, car Achéloüs a une si grande vertu et une telle propriété qu'il prend différentes formes; quand une est détruite, il se change en une autre, ce qui fait qu'Hercule a de nouveaux travaux et de nouveaux dangers à essuyer. Les différents cours de ce fleuve qui font dire qu'il prend différentes formes nous montrent les différentes opérations de la matière, ses différentes formes, et les différentes couleurs qu'elle prend, et qui dans tout l'œuvre se succèdent les unes aux autres; ainsi ne nous arrêtons pas davantage à en faire l'explication.

La race d'Atlas et de ses frères renferme tout le secret du vaisseau, du fourneau et du feu. Atlas fut fils de Japeth, qui était fils du Ciel et de la terre, et qui épousa

Ms. 49r

The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume I: The Labors of Hercules

Ms. 49r

but Pasiphae's monstrous intercourse with the bull, from which the Minotaur was born, reveals the union of matter's vegetative spirit with its body. For they participate in one another: in spirit through Pasiphae's soul, and in body through the bull.

Hercules wins the victory over Achelous, the most renowned of all rivers. Let us examine what our natural philosopher means by this. Achelous possesses such great power and such a property that he takes different forms; when one is destroyed, he changes into another, confronting Hercules with fresh labors and dangers. The river's different courses, which cause it to be said that he takes different forms, show us matter's different operations, its different forms, and the different colors it assumes, succeeding one another throughout the work. Let us therefore dwell no longer upon explaining it.

The lineage of Atlas and his brothers contains the entire secret of the vessel, furnace and fire. Atlas was the son of Japeth, who was the son of Heaven and Earth and married

Ms. 49r

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.