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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 Second Operation and the Death of Christ · Manuscript 98v · Scan 230

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The Second Operation and the Death of Christ · Manuscript 98v · Scan 230

French

Ms. 98v

cette ancienne guerre et procès et que les éléments commencent à s'allier et s'unir, par une paix de bonne intelligence.

Cette dispute des éléments est encore assez ingénieusement représentée par l'υπομαχια, ou par le combat à cheval qu'on voit dans la présente figure. Il y avait la figure d'un homme monté sur un cheval blanc, qui bandait fortement son arc, on lui a donné la couronne, et il est sorti vainqueur pour vaincre. On a accordé au second monté sur un cheval rouge de prendre la paix de dessus la terre, et afin qu'ils se tuent, et il avait en main un sabre. Troisièmement, on voit la figure d'un homme tenant une balance en sa main, qui était monté sur un cheval noir; son nom est la mort et l'enfer le suivait; on lui a donné puissance de tuer du sabre, par la faim, par la mort et par les bêtes de la terre etc., dans les quatre parties du monde.

Comme ils ont goûté ce qui est caché dans l'abîme étendu des temps, ils l'ont parfaitement compris avant la naissance du Christ, par les moyens que peuvent

Ms. 98v

The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume I: The Second Operation and the Death of Christ

Ms. 98v

this ancient war and dispute, and the elements begin to ally and unite in a peace of mutual understanding.

This dispute of the elements is also rather ingeniously represented by the hypomachia, or mounted combat, seen in the present figure. There was a figure of a man mounted upon a white horse, strongly drawing his bow. He was given a crown and went forth victorious to conquer. The second, mounted upon a red horse, was permitted to take peace from the earth so that they would kill one another, and held a sword in his hand. Third, one sees a figure of a man holding a balance in his hand and mounted upon a black horse. His name is Death, and Hell followed him. He was given power to kill by sword, famine, death and earth's beasts, and so forth, throughout the world's four quarters.

Since they tasted what is hidden within the extended abyss of time, they understood it perfectly before Christ's birth through means that can be followed by

Ms. 98v

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.