From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordThe earth’s foundation described through a pillar and divine support.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 6; facsimile PDF page 334.
Historical definition
Archaltes, in Paracelsus, is the foundation of the earth, or a pillar which seems to be upheld not by its fellows but, as it were, by the wonderful providence of God.
Meaning
The definition combines a structural image with a theological explanation. The foundation or pillar is remarkable because its support does not seem to come from neighbouring supports. Providence supplies the stated explanation. Removing that final clause would alter the account from one of divine sustaining power to an incomplete physical description.
The term does not here identify a particular rock, mountain or piece of apparatus. A passage using it may develop the image further, but the dictionary supplies the conceptual role rather than a measurable location. Its usefulness lies in recognizing an account of how the earth is sustained within this historical picture of nature.
Places to read
- ArchaltesRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- ArcheiusA generative agency distinguished from universal matter and from the agency of individual formation.
- Mysterium magnumA universal first matter, rather than one particular prepared subject.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 6; facsimile PDF page 334 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Archaltes ; compare Archeius, Mysterium magnum