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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 Incarnation and the Birth of the Stone · Manuscript 89v · Scan 210

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The Incarnation and the Birth of the Stone · Manuscript 89v · Scan 210

French

Ms. 89v

cabale des Égyptiens s’y appliquait, les [mucabals ?] des Hébreux la professaient, et ils n’ont puisé dans aucune autre source tout ce que nous avons de connaissance des divins mystères comme de ceux de la [notre, biffé] physique : nous pouvons aussi puiser ces mêmes mystères de la même source, de sorte qu’un chacun pourra les proposer plus hardiment que ceux qui auront passé tout le temps de leur vie à expliquer les difficultés d’Aristote. On trompe et on est trompé quand on nie ce qu’on voit de ses yeux ou ce qui tombe, je ne dis pas sous les sens, mais ce qu’on a entre les mains ; on ne peut attribuer à la foi catholique un trône plus auguste ni un plus ferme appui qui ne peut jamais être renversé par la malice des Démons ni culbuté par l’artifice des hommes.

Qui est-ce qui, pourvu qu’il ne soit païen ou infidèle, qui peut se dispenser de lire les secrets tracés sur le front visible et sensible de la nature puisque nos premiers pères ont consacré tant de veilles pour les faire passer jusqu’à nous. Vous ne rougissez point

Ms. 89v

The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume I: The Incarnation and the Birth of the Stone

Ms. 89v

cabala of the Egyptians was devoted to it; the Hebrews’ [mucabals?] professed it. From no other source did they draw all the knowledge we have of divine mysteries and of those of natural philosophy. We too can draw these same mysteries from the same source, so that anyone may set them forth more boldly than people who have spent their whole lives explaining Aristotle’s difficulties. We deceive and are deceived when we deny what we see with our own eyes, or what falls—I do not say under our senses—but what we hold in our hands. No more august throne or firmer support can be assigned to the Catholic faith, one that can never be overthrown by demons’ malice or overturned by human artifice.

Who, provided he is neither pagan nor unbelieving, can excuse himself from reading the secrets traced upon nature’s visible, perceptible brow, since our first fathers devoted so many vigils to transmitting them to us? You do not blush

Ms. 89v

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.