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The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses
Corrections and footnotes to this digital edition copyright © 2005-2006 by Joseph H. Peterson. Updated Nov 12, 2022.
NOTE: An expanded printed edition of this text is now available:
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"He who refuses a copy of this book, or who suppresses it or steals it, will be seized with eternal trembling, like Cain, and the angels of God will depart from him."
Besides the biblical five books of Moses (Pentateuch), there are other writings ascribed to Moses (pseudepigraphically no doubt). The so-called Sixth and Seventh books of Moses in particular consists of a collection of texts which purport to explain the magic whereby Moses won the biblical magic contest with the Egyptian priest-magicians, parted the Red Sea, and other miraculous feats.
Many manuscripts and printed pamphlet versions had circulated in Germany, when Johann Scheible, undertook to collect the major variants. Scheible, an antiquarian from Stuttgart, published the first edition in German in 1849 as volume 6 of his Bibliothek der Zauber-Geheimniss- und Offenbarungs-Bücher, etc. Subsequent revised and expanded editions were supplemented with excerpts from writings on Jewish folklore and esoterica.
An English translation first appeared in New York in 1880, and has been reprinted more than a few times without — as far as I can tell — ever being re-edited. The editors of the many English editions seem to have lacked Scheible’s industriousness, but have instead been content with propagating any and all errors intact. All the English editions thus far have consequently been deficient in many ways, with poorly executed drawings and Hebrew lettering, drawings printed upside down, mistakes in transcription and translation, passages censured and other substantial omissions. All in all, English speaking readers have had an especially difficult challenge trying to make sense of this book.
In making this corrected edition I have drawn on the original sources, starting with Scheible’s own revised and expanded eighth edition. Additionally I have consulted the original sources drawn on by Scheible and his sources, namely the Hebrew Bible, Agrippa’ De Occulta Philosophia (1533), Sepher Raziel, de Abano's Heptameron, Arbatel Of Magick (1575), the Babylonian Talmud, and other cited authors.
This book has become quite influential in American folk-magic, and has been extensively used by the Pennsylvania Dutch hexmeisters, Hoodoo practitioners, and African-American root workers. I hope that this corrected edition will be of interest to those who have suffered with the problems of prior editions, and I welcome all suggestions.
Parts of the text:
The introduction is titled 'The magic of the Israelites'. It was added by Scheible for the second edition. While not credited in the English edition, it was written by Joseph Ennemoser, and taken from a chapter of his book Geschichte der Magie (Leipzig, 1844). Besides hiding the origin of this section, the editor of the English edition inexplicably moved it to the middle of the book.
The introduction is followed by a pair of texts titled The Sixth Book of Moses and the Seventh Book of Moses. They contain a series of pseudo-Hebrew sigils and corresponding conjurations. The conjurations seem to be based on Verus Jesuitarum Libellus or a closely related text. It has strong Christian elements, though partially masked from the pseudo-Jesuit text. That the pseudo-Moses text is derived from the pseudo-Jesuit one can be demonstrated by the fact that the former contains mistakes not found in the latter. For example, where Libellus reads "et per vim Dei Patris + et per vim Dei Filii + et per vim Spiritus Sancti" (and by the might of God the Father + and by the might of God the Son + and by the might of the Holy spirit), Moses reads "et Paraim, Dei patris et Peraim Dei filii, et Peraim Dei spiritus Teti" Note the conjurations mention Agrippa by name despite the anachronism.
This is followed by several versions of a text also called the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses. These are very short texts, and a side-by-side comparison of them can be done. Unfortunately, it is obvious that they all suffer from degrees of degeneration, and it is not clear to me which is the most reliable. As an example, here are three versions of the 'Breastplate of Moses':
Figure 24. Figure 73. Figure 81.
The section titled 'Citation of the Seven Great Princes' also appears in J. Scheible, Das Kloster (Stuttgart and Leipzig, 1846. 12 vols. Vol. 3., pp. 1128 ff) where the drawings are in black and red ink. It is one of a series of Faustian texts. Also included in the text is Semiphoras und Schemhamphoras Salomonis Regis. Butler noted that this appeared in J. C. Horst, Zauberbibliothek (Mainz, 1821-6, 6 vols. vol 3. and 4) and indeed Horst is mentioned in the preface to the English edition. Semiphoras und Schemhamphoras was also published by J. Scheible, in his Das Kloster, (Stuttgart and Leipzig, 1846. 12 vols. Vol. 3.) It made "full use of Agrippa's Third Book of Occult Philosophy, notably on the subject of the Sephiroth." (Butler. op. cit, p. 158). It is also heavily indebted to Sepher ha-Razim through its Latin versions, Liber Sepher Razielis idest Liber Secretorum seu Liber Salomonis. For examples see Biblioteca Vaticana, MS Regin. Lat. 1300, also London, British Library MSS. Sloane 3847 and 3853 and Additional 15299. For English translations see Sloane 3846 and 3826. This grimoire was well known by the end of the fifteenth century. Trithemius mentions it as one of his sources for his Steganographia. It was also apparently used by Agrippa in his book On Occult Philosophy on which see the new edition by V. Perrone Compagni.
This is followed by a translation of the Hebrew mystical text Sepher Schimmush Tehillim, or the magical uses of the Psalms. This was translated by Gottfried Selig (1722-1795), publisher of the German (Leipzig) periodical Jude, about Jewish customs and practices. This popular text is a medieval compilation, and was frequently printed in pamphlet form. The methods of using the Psalms include sacred names derived from the various Psalms using various Kabbalistic techniques, including transposition of letters, such as the method known as "AT BSh" transposition, where Aleph stands for Tau, Beth for Shin, etc. (The English editor omitted most of the explanations on transposition):
The Psalms section is followed by a Supplement. In the German edition this has twelve sections, of which the English editor only included the first four (pp. 173-175).
The final section is 'Astrological influences upon man, and magical cures of the old Hebrews.' This has also been omitted in some of the English editions.
This edition
The German edition which I have used as the primary source for this text is:
TITLE: Das sechste und siebente Buch Mosis, das ist:
Mosis magische Geisterkunst, das Geheimniss aller
Geheimnisse. Sammt den verdeutschten Offenbarungen
und Vorschriften wunderbarster Art der alten weisen
Hebräer, aus den Mosaischen Büchern, der Kabbala und
den Talmud zum leiblichen Wohl der Menschen. Wort-
und bildgetreu nach alten Handschriften mit 42 Tafeln.
Alternate Title: Coleô Cabala. Selections. German.
Edition: 8., sehr verm. Aufl.
Imprint: New York, Wm. Radde, 1865.
Description: 408 p. illus. 16 cm.
Subjects: Magic, Jewish.
Other Titles: American imprints. 1865.
Talmud. Selections. German.
Bible. O.T. Heptateuch. Selections. German.
Call Number: 296.59 G32 1865
LOCATION: St. John's University (Alcuin)
The English translation generally follows the 1880 English edition, but with extensive corrections. I have retranslated passages from the German where the original translation was confusing, awkward, or inaccurate. Many passages which were censured from previous editions have been restored. The Hebrew has also been corrected in some cases. I have tried to standardize the spelling to facilitate searches, for example, I use "Kabbalah" in place of Kabala, Kabbala, and Cabala. I am still editing this e-text. The online edition is the only current one. All footnotes are mine (JHP). Note some of the sigils are in color in the original, which has been lost in the earlier English editions. For this edition I have restored all the illustrations based on the 1865 New York edition and Das Kloster volumes 3 and 5.
Acknowledgment
I appreciate the help of Norma Dickau, Public Services Librarian at the Alcuin Library for her untiring help in making it possible for me to photograph their copy.
Contents
Preface
Introduction. The magic of the Israelites
T1 a. Sixth Book of Moses, Magia Alba et Nigra Universalis seu necromantia
b. Seventh Book of Moses, translated by Rabbi Chaleb
T2 [I] a. Formulas of the magical Kabbalah of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, with an extract from the Clavicula Salomonis
b. Note for the friends of the Magical Kabbalah.
c. Excerpt from the magical Kabbalah of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses
d. Excerpt from the Clavicula Salomonis
T3 [II] a. Treatise of the Sixth Book of Moses from Biblia Arcana Magica Alexandri
b. Treatise Sion of the Seventh Book of Moses
T4 [III] a. Excerpt from the magical Kabbalah of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses by STzN
b. Seventh Book of Moses
T5 [IV] Revelation of the Sixth Book of Moses
T6 [V] Biblia Arcana Magica Alexandri (Magi) according to (Revealed) Tradition of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses... (1338)
T7 [VI] a. Tradition of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses (Biblia Arcana Magica Alexandria)
b. Tradition of the Sixth Book of Moses
c. Tradition of the Seventh Book of Moses
APPENDICES.
A1 a. Magical (Spirit-Commando) with the Black Raven
b. Citations of the Seven Great Princes
A2 Tabellae Rabellinae Spiriti-Commando
A3 Semiphoras and Schemhamphoras
A4 Sefer Schimmush Tehillim, or the magical uses of the Psalms
A5 Supplement
A6 Astrological influences upon man, and magical cures of the old Hebrews.
Abbreviations:
BT Babylonian Talmud. Edited by Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein of Jews’ College, London. (1952) Internet version at http://www.come-and-hear.com/talmud/index.html.
EE 1880 English edition.
Ger. German
H (Hebrew Bible) תורה נביאים כתובים (Jerusalem: Koren Publishers, 1969)
Heb. Hebrew
K4 J. Scheible, Das Kloster vol. IV (Stuttgart, 1847)
K5 J. Scheible, Das Kloster vol. V (Stuttgart, 1847)
Lat. Latin
OP Agrippa, Heinrich De occulta philosophia (1533)
S Scheible, Das sechste und siebente Buch Mosis (New York, 1865)
THE
SIXTH AND SEVENTH
BOOKS OF MOSES;
OR,
MOSES' MAGICAL SPIRIT-ART,
KNOWN AS THE
WONDERFUL ARTS
OF THE OLD WISE HEBREWS, TAKEN FROM THE MOSAIC BOOKS
OF THE KABBALAH AND THE TALMUD, FOR THE
GOOD OF MANKIND.
Translated from the German, Word for Word, according to Old Manuscripts.1
WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS.
1. S: "Wort- und bildgetreu nach alten Handschriften mit 42 Tafeln. Achtente, sehr vermehrte Auflage." EE: "... Old Writings."
Preface.
The first edition of this volume has been commended and criticized by the public. It was admitted to be a valuable compendium of the curiosities of literature generally, and especially of that pertaining to magic, but that it was at the same time calculated to foster superstition, and thereby promote evil — a repetition of the charge made against the honorable Horst, the publisher of a magical library.2
2. J. C. Horst, Zauberbibliothek (Mainz, 1821-6). 6 vols.
In our enlightened age, the unprejudiced will observe in the publication of such a work, only what the author claims, namely, a contribution in reference to the aforesaid literature and culture of no trifling merit; but in regard to the believer also, the issue of a cheap edition will be more serviceable than the formerly expensive productions on sorcery, which were only circulated in abstract forms and sold at extortionate rates. What other practical value the above named edition may possess is not the question! Let us not, therefore, underrate this branch of popular literature; the authors wrote in accordance with a system which was, or at least, seemed clear to them, and illustrious persons, in all ages and climes have not considered the labor requisite to fathom the mysteries of magic as labor expended in vain, and although they condemned the form, they could not deny the possibility or even fact that gifted men, of inherent worth, could accomplish such wonderful things.
In regard to the present edition it can only be said, that what has previously been presented as the so-called Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, which have for several centuries attracted the popular faith, in reality was in accordance with a single old manuscript (the most legible among many), and given word for word, divested only of orthographical and other errors which the best interest of literature demand — with unerring fidelity. The publisher protests against this practice, but has instead augmented it with different readings on the topic, likewise supported by old manuscripts of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses so that the whole group is now brought together for the sake of completeness, which were previously only available by lucky coincidence to the die-hard enthusiast.3
3. EE completely obscures the meaning of this paragraph: "In regard to the present edition it can only be said, that the so-called Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, which have for several centuries attracted the popular faith, is reality in accordance with an old manuscript (the most legible among many), and given word for word, divested only of orthographical and other errors which the best interest of literature demand — with unerring fidelity. The publisher guarantees that not one syllable has been added."
To the first edition of this book, as an introduction, I have added an important essay on Mosaic magic taken from Ennemoser's Geschichte der Magie ("History of the Magic"), (Leipzig, 1844).4
4. EE omits this paragraph.
Introduction.
THE MAGIC OF THE ISRAELITES.1
1. S titles this section FIRST PART (Ger. "Erste Abtheilung"); Part 2 starts at Sepher Schimmusch Tehillim. In EE this section is placed following the section titled Seventh Book of Moses, translated by Rabbi Chaleb, but I have restored it to the order found in S.
The complete and reliable history of the human and divine — the divine revelations, and the influence of godly or pious men are found in the scriptural monuments of the old Hebrews in the Holy Scriptures.
The Bible is justly styled the Holy Scripture, because it contains the knowledge of the saints, while at the same time, it unites and harmonizes word and deed, doctrine and action. It points out the true relation of man to the Omnipotent — it affords the most direct reference to the great truths of the spiritual and intellectual; it treats of the origin of the universe and its laws, through which all things have to be brought to light — of the anterior and posterior history of mankind — of his future destiny and how to attain it; of the living and visible agents which God employs in the great work of redemption, and, finally, of the most exalted of all beings — of the world's Savior, who was an universal expression in his own person, and who exhibited all divine power and action in one person, while all his forerunners were endowed only with single powers and perfections; who revealed to fallen man the highest and purest ends of his life and the means of his purification and restoration.
We find among oriental nations every grade of magic — the steps necessary to solve the mysteries of somnambulism and second-sight, and the infinitely multiplied operations by which unusual occurrences are produced; in like manner we also find these things among the Israelites, but differing totally in character. In the former instance, it was the individual and his presence; in the latter, it was not the individual upon which magic depended, but upon mankind in general, and upon the great future. There, the light of man was made to shine by skilful actions, produced by the lowest arts; here, shone a pure, unclouded, quiet life, vitalized by the warm breath of the Almighty, a light shining into the future, and upon this light depended all life and action. To the Israelite seer not only the fate of single individuals stand revealed, but the fate of nations, yea, of mankind, which in the end must be reconciled to God by the unfolding of magical art, as often happened under the old dispensation, by instinctive somnambulistic influences. If we examine the history of the old covenant we shall find that this remarkable people stood solitary and alone like a pillar of fire amid heathen darkness.
Although we find, among other nations, worthy men, who seek after the divine light, surrounded by darkness and uncertainty, here are men of God, bearing the impress of true faith, who give undoubted evidence of higher powers, by visible acts and signs which everywhere separate life from death, and truth from error, and while the ancient remnants of other nations show only theory without application, here we find a connected chain of acts and events — in fact, a divine and lifelike drama. Of all these things the various books of the Holy Scriptures speak with confidence, so that the history of no other people, interwoven with fables, can be compared with them. According to this, the Bible contains the light which illuminates every dark phase in life; it is the groundwork of all human actions, the guiding star of the earthly to the eternal &mdash of the intellectual to the divine, the aim and end of all knowledge. It is the first of three great lights, guiding and governing our faith, and bears no relation, to the other two great lights of the angle which shall make these actions lawful, the circle which sensualizes the fixed limits of the condition of mankind. The Bible is also more instructive and richer in reference to our subject than all other books taken together. We will, therefore, cite a few principal points, as well of the phenomena as of the mode of action and theory relating to magnetism, and then call attention especially to the healing of the sick according to scriptural teachings. We will give an account of the dreams, a great many of which are recorded in the Bible.
The dreams recorded in the Bible are many and remarkable. The voice with which God spoke to the prophets and the men consecrated to Him, were generally heard in dreams.
The visions of the ancients, according to the testimony of Moses, were nearly always dreams. Numbers xii. 6: "And he said: Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream." Job 33:15: "In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction." I Kings iii. 5: "In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, etc., give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?" Gen. 20:3: "But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife; and God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me." Gen. 31:23: "And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad." The dreams of Joseph concerning his brethren are also remarkable. Gen. 37:5: "And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more: and he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream, which I have dreamed: For behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright: and behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?" And he had still another dream, and be told it to his brethren and said: Behold, I have dreamed a dream more: and behold, the sun and the moon and the stars made obeisance to me. And his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee on the earth?"
Sacred history proves that after Joseph was sold by his brethren to the Egyptian traders that he actually became their king in the court of Pharaoh. The power of Joseph to interpret dreams is further shown by the interpretation of the dreams of the butler and baker while in prison, Gen. 1:40; so, also, of the dreams of king Pharaoh, of the seven fat and lean kine which came out of the water, and of the seven rank and good ears of corn and the seven thin and blasted ears, Gen. 41:1. In the New Testament many dreams are mentioned through which God designed to speak to his followers. In this manner Joseph, the husband of Mary, was told by an angel (Matt. 1:20), that she should conceive of the Holy Ghost and bear a son, who would become the Savior of the world; and then again, that he should take the child and flee into Egypt to escape the murderous intent of Herod; and after the death of Herod, that he should again return to Nazareth (Matt. 2:13-19). In like manner, the three wise men of the East were warned in a dream, that they should not return to Herod, but depart to their own country another way. The Apostles frequently had visions in the night; for example, Paul was commanded to go to Macedonia (Acts 10:9). And in the same book of the New Testament (Acts 18:9), we read: "Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision. Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace." Many similar passages might be quoted, e.g., 23:11; 27:23, etc., etc.
Let us begin with the history of the creation, as recorded by Moses. "In the beginning God created heaven and earth."
Herein lies the great first cause. God is an uncreated being — heaven and earth are the first things created; the antithesis: that which was made of God. In reference to a second antithesis, Moses speaks of light and darkness: "And darkness was upon the face of the earth, and God said, Let there be light, and there was light." Here, too, the question is about light as a creation, which, however, had for its opposite darkness; therefore did the old Egyptians regard darkness as the beginning of all things. Even according to the writings of Moses, this was the Egyptian doctrine, for he says, "Darkness was upon the face of the deep." But as the Egyptian doctrine in its first inception may be regarded as good authority, their error originated in this, that they accepted the darkness before the light; as also a like error of the Persians, inasmuch that they accepted the light before the darkness as being created, the one before the other. The light stands beside darkness as its natural opposite, created and present, as Moses plainly says: "And God divided the light from the darkness, and God called the light day, and the darkness he called night." The Bible also points oat another antithesis in the first germs and figures of the earth, namely, water and spirit — the water as matter, as the germ of the figurative, and the spirit, the Elohim, as the fruitful, active principle. "And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." One-sided views led the earlier philosophers into numerous error. In this manner Thales brought everything out of the water and overlooked the spiritual active whole, in all of which he was imitated by subsequent champions of Materialism. The other one-sided view is, to hold everything as spiritual and regard matter only as an inert abstraction (caput mortuum), which was the case from the earliest period of time among Spiritualists and the advocates of Spiritualism. Moses, therefore, shows his superiority over all the disciples of Egyptian temple-wisdom, as well as of the more modern sects, inasmuch that he was enlightened by divine wisdom, and represented this subject, not in a partial manner, but in its true bearing and significance; he ascribed to matter its true worth and placed the spiritual beside it. Moreover, Moses has given the narrative of the creation in beautiful and captivating language, as for example, in regard to the waters — the difference between the wet and the dry, and how the dry land came forth from the water; how the grass and herbs, which bore seeds, and fruitful trees grew upon the earth; how the mighty deep was filled with living and moving animals, and the birds that fly in the firmament of heaven; how the earth finally brought forth living animals, each after its own kind, and last of all, how God made man "in his own image," to whom he gave "dominion over the fishes of the sea, over the fowls of the air, over the cattle, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
The Mosaic Eden was the habitation of the originally purely created beings, within whose boundaries grew the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The figure of the serpent shows the nature of the fall of man. We spoke, in another part of this work, of the original purity and wisdom of godly men. Here is the place to record additional Bible principles. To this end we avail ourselves of a mystical, interesting manuscript from which we extract what follows: (MAGIKON; or, the Secret System of an Association of Unknown Philosophers, etc., v. 27-31. Frankfort and Leipzig, 1784. A rare book, whose teachings, in many respects, agree with the Indian Brahmin doctrine).
In view of his divine origin, as an unconditional emanation from God, Adam was not only the noblest being, which, as an expression of divine power, had the preference of all others, for he never owed his existence to a mother; he was a heavenly Adam, brought into being by God himself and was not born into the world in the ordinary manner. He also enjoyed, in consequence of his nature, every prerogative of a pure spirit, surrounded by an invulnerable veil. But this was not the sensual body of the present time, which is only an evidence of his degradation — a coarse mantle — by which he sought to protect himself against the raging elements. His garments were holy, simple, indestructible, and of an indissoluble character. To this condition of perfect glory, in which he enjoyed the purest happiness, he was destined in order to reveal the power of the Almighty, and to rule the visible and invisible. Being in possession of all the prerogatives and insignia of a king, he could also use every means to fulfill his high destiny. As the champion of unity, he was secure from the attacks of all inward and outward enemies, because the veil by which he was covered (the germs of which are still within us), rendered him invulnerable. One advantage that the original pure man possessed was, that no natural poison, nor all the powers of the elements could harm him. Christ promised invulnerability to his apostles and all his followers, through the regeneration of man. In this condition man also bears a fiery, double-edged, all-penetrating sword, a living word, which combines in itself all power, and through which "everything is possible to him.
Of this sword Moses says, Genesis 3:24: "So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east end of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the tree of life." In Revelations 1:16, we; read: "And out of his mouth went a two-edged sword," etc. By this sword we are to understand the living word, which was originally inherent in man, and which can only be restored to him by his return to a pure state, and by being cleansed from the blot of sensualism. It is the word of which we read in Hebrews 4:12: "For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit."
Most extraordinary is the powerful, all-conquering Honover (word of power),2 of Zoroaster, which fully corresponds with the foregoing, by which Ormuzd overcame Ahriman and all evil. To continue with our quotation:
In this condition of kingly honor and power, man, as the most lifelike image of his father, (whose vice-regent he was on earth), could have enjoyed the purest happiness had he properly guarded his Eden, but he committed a breach of trust. Instead of ruling over the things of sense and striving for a higher spiritual state, to which he was ordained, he imbibed the unhappy idea of exchanging the great cardinal points of light with truth, that is, he confounded light with truth, and in this confusion he lost both and robbed himself. Because he lost sight of the boundary of the kingdom over which he was placed as a watchman, and confined himself to only a portion of it, namely, the sensual, the glitter of which blinded him so greatly as to make him forget all else; because he flattered himself that he could find the light in another place than the first great fountain, he fastened his voluptuous eye on a false existence, became enamored of sensualism and became sensual himself. Through this adultery he sank into darkness and confusion, the result of which was, that he was transplanted from the light of day into the night of innumerable small twinkling stars, and now he experienced a sensual nakedness of which he was ashamed. The abuse of the knowledge of the connection between the spiritual and the bodily, according to which man endeavors to make the spiritual sensual and the sensual spiritual, is true adultery, of whom, he who is moved by the female s*x is simply a consequence and an imitator. Through sin man lost not only his original habitation, and became an exile into the religious state of the fathers and mothers, having to go in the way of the flesh, but he also lost the fiery sword, and with it everything else that had made him all-seeing and unconquerable. His holy garments now became as the skin of animals, and this mortal, perishable covering afforded him no protection against the elements. With the wasted half of his body, the spiritual also added to the confusion, and discordant sounds were heard in the dark places of his spiritual domain.
2. This is the most sacred prayer in the Zoroastrian religion. It is also referred to as the Ahuna vairya or Ahunwar prayer, i.e. Yatha ahu vairyo.... The reference to God (Ormazd, i.e. Ahura Mazda) expelling the Evil Spirit (Ariman, i.e. Anghra Mainyu) is in the Avesta, Yasna 19.15. It is elaborated in the less ancient Pahlavi text Bundahishn in chapter 1.21. -JHP
Although man had sunk deep in sin, the hope of a full restoration was given to him on condition of a perfect reconciliation. Without such reconciliation, however, he sinks deeper and deeper, and his return becomes still more precarious. In order to be reconciled he must become self-abased, and resist the false allurements which only serve to steep him in the mire of the elements, and he must seek, by prayer, to obtain the more exalted blessings of benevolent influences, without which he cannot draw a pure breath. In this reconciliation he must gradually overcome everything, and put away everything from him that will cloud his inner nature and separate him from the great source of his being; because he can never enjoy peace within himself and with nature around him until he has thus overcome everything opposed to his own nature, and gained the victory over all his enemies. But this can only be done when he returns the same road upon which he had wandered away. He must wean himself by degrees from the sensual by a heroic life, and like a weary, footsore wanderer, who has many steep mountains to scale continue to mount upward, until he reaches the goal, which is lost in the clouds. Overcoming one obstacle after another, he must dispel the dark vapors that intervene between himself and the true sun, so that in the end the pure rays of light may reach him without interruption.
The following is a genuine scriptural doctrine according to the Indian creed, differing, however, in character:
The Almighty has provided means to aid man in the work of reconciliation. God has appointed higher agents to lead him back to Him from the error of his ways. But he can only be fully restored through the Savior of the world, who finished and perfected all that these agents had accomplished only in part at different times. Through Him all power became animated: and exalted; through Him he approaches the first and only true light, a knowledge of all things, and especially, a knowledge of himself. If the man is willing to accept this offered help, he will surely arrive at the desired goal, and he will be so firmly established in faith, that no future doubts can ever cause him to waver. If he elevates his will, so as to bring it in unison with the divine will, he may spiritualize his being already in this world, so that the higher spiritual kingdom may become visible to his eyes, and feel God nearer to him than he ever thought it possible; that all things may become possible to him, because he adds all power to his own, and in this union and harmony, with a fullness of a higher vitality, the divine agents, Moses, Elias, yea, even Christ himself, may become visible to him, when, living amid thought, he requires books no longer. In short, man can attain to such a degree of perfection, even in this life, that death will have nothing more to do than to disrobe him of his coarse covering in order to reveal his spiritual temple, because he then lives and moves within the eternal. Only when he arrives at the end of this vale of darkness, will he receive, at each stage of his journey, more extended life, greater inward power, purer air, and a wider range of vision. His spiritual being will taste nobler fruits, and at the end of his race nothing can separate him from the exalted harmonies of those spheres, of which mortal sense can draw but a faint picture. Without distinction of s*x, he will begin to live the life of angels, and will possess all their powers, of which he had but a faint sign here; he will then again enjoy the incense of the eternal temple, the source of all power, from which he was exiled, and Christ will be his great High Priest (Heb. 7:17, 24, 25). Man will not only enjoy his own gifts, but he will have a part in the gifts of the elect, who constitute the council of the wise; that holy sovereign will be more exalted there than he could be here; there will be no rising or setting or the light of the stars; no changes of day and night, and no multiplicity of languages; every being will in that moment be enabled to read the name of that holy book, out of which flows life for every creature (Heb. 12:22, 23).
And here, too, the views of Zoroaster are in accord with the foregoing, for he also speaks of a heavenly meeting, and the participation of every follower of Ormuzd in the sacrifices and prayers of all, etc.
In placing this prominent treatise so plainly before the reader I felt no hesitation, because it was so clear and true, and because it seemed so proper for this work here, and to show why only pure and truly Christian men can perform great wonders and see visions of which the worldly-minded have not even a conception. I will now relate a few instances of magnetic appearances and occurrences, many of which are recorded in the Bible.
The first and most striking one we find in connection with Adam. Moses writes (Gen. 2:21) as follows: "And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept." And now, the question arises, What kind of a sleep was this? The answer is, it was a deep sleep. It was either the sleep of death (καρον), or a state of lethargy (καταωορα), or a trance (εκστασις raptus divinus), or, was it merely an ordinary sleep? The first appears improbable, and had this been the case, we know, that in the release of the body from its earthly bonds, and shortly before death, the clearest instances of second sight have occurred; but the question is not of a mortal illness, but of a deep sleep. If it was a trance, then that inward second-sight may be regarded the more probable. The seventy-two translators of the Bible actually regard this sleep as a trance, and Tertullian says, in direct reference to it, "The power of the prophecies of the Holy Ghost fell upon him." (Accidit super illum spiritus sancti vis operatrix prophetiæ.)3
3. De Anima (On the Soul) 11:4.
Another remarkable vision is that which Noah had of the ark long before the deluge occurred. Again, the call of Abraham, in which he was commanded to leave his fatherland and move toward Haran in Canaan. Abraham had many visions, or was the conversation of the Lord with him, recorded in the Bible really only than a figurative expression of intuition? Through these visions or conversations, as you will, he was taught that he would be greatly blessed, and that he should be the father of a great nation, etc. As he came into the sacred grove of Moreh, the Lord again appeared unto Abraham and said: "This land will I give unto thy seed."4
4. Gen. 12:7. EE: Moria.
The innocent life of the shepherds, and their frequent abode in sacred groves, very naturally brought such intuition to the very highest point of perfection, and this was especially the case, when their minds were occupied with God and godly things. And this is particularly shown in the history of the shepherd-life of the pious Israelites, not only by the ancient fathers, but subsequently, in the time of the kings and judges. Isaac and Jacob had visions similar to those of Abraham. We notice especially the vision of Jacob while journeying into Mesopotamia, in which he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven. It is written (Gen. 28:10 ff.): "And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set: and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord, etc. The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed, etc. And in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And Jacob awake out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. This is none ether but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." How truly was Jacob's dreamed fulfilled! The promised land became the possession of the Jews; through his seed, namely, through Christ the Savior, who is the heavenly ladder upon which the angels of God ascended and descended, all the nations of the earth have been or will be blessed.
We find another remarkable instance of the magnetic influence in changing the nature and complexion of living objects, in the history of Jacob. It is as follows: Jacob agreed with Laban that he would still guard his sheep, provided, that Laban would give him as a reward for his service, all spotted lambs and goats that should in the future be added to his flecks. Laban consented to this proposal, and Jacob became immensely rich. It is worth the trouble to insert the passage relating to this transaction, as an application of the mysterious doctrine of magnetism.
When Jacob would no longer watch over the sheep and desired to go away with his wives and children, Laban said unto him, Genesis 30:27-43: "I pray thee, if I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee and how thy cattle was with me. For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude: and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now, when shall I provide for mine own house also? And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock: I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. And he removed that day the he-goats that were ring-streaked and speckled, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hands of his sons. And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks. And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut-tree: and pilled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ring-streaked, speckled, and spotted. And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ring-streaked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle. And it came to pass whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in; so the feeble were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's. And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses."
This proves clearly that the sheep and the goats could be made to bring forth their young changed in color and appearance corresponding with the pilled rods which were placed before them by Jacob as they drank from the water. In these days, the theory that the features of the offspring of a human mother can be affected by an object upon which the mother gazes, is pronounced absurd; and yet this theory, in the very nature of things, is as fully established as the fact that the mental qualities of many children differ totally from those of their parents. The fact that the sheep and the goats, upon seeing the objects which Jacob so skillfully placed before them, brought forth their young differing in appearance from themselves, has a very deep significance. Either Jacob knew what the result of this stratagem would be from experience, or it was revealed to him in a dream, for we read, Genesis 31:10: "And it came to pass at the time the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled." With the water which they drank, and in which at the same time they saw their own reflection, they transmitted the image of the speckled rods to their young.
We have not the space here to enter into a more extended argument to prove the truth of this phenomenon, but the fact that the female progenitor, both human and animal, is capable at the period of gestation to transmit to her offspring the image and likeness of surrounding objects, has a surer foundation than is commonly believed to be possible. The great army of Materialists, who represent the spirit of the scriptures and of life as an ordinary earthly matter, so as to make it appear that nothing is hidden in the sanctuary that they cannot comprehend by their intellect, will never be converted, and those who rely upon the benign influences of a higher light in the temple, which will exist beyond the life of this world, will never need conversion.
Moses himself, the great man of God, had many remarkable visions. These visions consisted in part of dreams and partly in ecstasies, and for this reason was he educated in all the mysteries of the Egyptians and in all their magical arts, in which he excelled all others. On account of his extraordinary piety and wisdom he has made the savior of his people from the thralldom of Pharaoh. His visions were of a diversified character. His ability to lead and govern the people was the direct result of a deep intuition. If we regard this ability as mere inward sight, then we must admit that it was a purely magical gift; if as the result of direct command of the voice of God (for according to the scriptures God often spoke personally with Moses), we find in it a confirmation of the truth, that a pious mind, open to divine influences, can also perform divine acts.
The first important vision of Moses occurred at Mount Horeb, while he was yet engaged in watching over the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law (Exod. 3:2): "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a burning bush: and Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the burning bush, and said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."
Moses, the prophetic seer, acquainted with the weakness of his brethren, full of religious zeal, and gifted with a glowing phantasia, came to the lodge of his father-in-law in Midian, where he had time and opportunity, as a shepherd, to store his mind with religious contemplations, so that in a state of ecstatic second-sight, he could review the ways and means by which he might become the leader and shepherd of his people. The centrum of his mind was open to the higher influences of God, who appeared unto him as a light in the burning bush which was not consumed, and with whom, with veiled countenance, he conversed familiarly. We find in Moses the emotions of an inward psychological struggle with hopes and fears, with extreme weakness and supernatural strength of will; of submission, reverence and obedience; of confidence, and finally of an enthusiasm, that, regarding all earthly obstacles as naught, he overcame all things. While he was thus equipped with godlike powers, he subdued the elements of nature and compelled them to testify to the greatness and glory of God by the marvelous wonders which he performed. In such ecstasies Moses could tarry long on the mountains and separate himself from the people on the journey in the wilderness, and would yet be venerated as a man of wonders. The visions of Moses embrace the present and the future. He not only delivered the commands of God from the mountain, but he also foresaw the offerings that were brought to the golden calf; he foresaw that he could prepare the children of Israel for the pure worship of God, and guard them against error and idolatry only by isolating them in the wilderness from the heathen nations around them. In addition to the above indications we need only call attention to the special visions of Moses, his gifts, his ability to transfer the power of divination to others, and class them among magnetic occurrences; we may omit the different kinds of sacrifices, the consecration and blessing with water, oil and blood, and laying on of hands, etc, as well as the stringent prohibitions against taking any part in sorcery, false divination, conjuring and inquiring of the dead.
Among a few instances, resembling magnetism, we mention particularly the rod with which Moses performed his wonders before Pharaoh, and the stretching out of his hands by which he divided the waters of the sea (Exod. 14:16): "But lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it; and as Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, the waters were divided. And when the Egyptians pursued them, Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea, so there remained not so much as one of them." The stretching out of the hand of Moses and the wonders he performed with his rod are of great significance. With his rod he smote the rock in Rephidim, and the water gushed forth to quench the thirst of the murmuring people (Exod. 17:5): "And the Lord said unto Moses, go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river take in thy hand and go; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall water come out of it, that the people may drink." And when Amalek came and fought against Israel, Moses said unto Joshua (Exod. 17:9-11): "Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed."
The gift of prophecy seems also to
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