‘My thanks to Eureka Chapter’

    

On the night before Eureka Chapter’s convocation, we went to Winter Garden Lodge 165 for its Fellow Craft Degree. A great night!

My thanks to Eureka Chapter 7 of Royal Arch Masons in Orlando, Florida for hosting me for a talk. I got bumped from the original March 7 convocation in favor of Juan Sepulveda—and, really, who could blame them?—but they got me there, wined and dined me, and hopefully enjoyed my presentation on what Jewish mystical writings known collectively as the Zohar say about certain Royal Arch symbols.

The meeting at Eureka was fun for me. I actually was drafted into an officer’s chair only to find the Opening and Closing rituals used are from the General Grand Chapter, so they are short and sweet compared to what I know from my chapter. A nice turn-out with about twenty Royal Arch Masons in attendance, including, I’m told, several who hadn’t been seen in some time.

Anyway, to summarize my talk, titled “Mystical Interpretations of Royal Arch Symbols,” as quickly as possible:

➤ In the absence of the Temple in Jerusalem, there is no High Priest, and consequently we each must be our own High Priest and govern ourselves accordingly.

➤ The Ark of the Covenant is described in the Book of Exodus as being covered in gold inside and out, which should remind us, as Royal Arch Masons, to be the same people inside and out. To be “good as gold” by letting our spiritual work give shape to our thoughts, words, and deeds so we are not projecting false images of ourselves and concealing weaknesses and failings.

➤ Of the Cherubims atop the Ark, they play a role as a conveyance of communications. The lesson I relayed to the companions was a reminder that when prayers fail to reach the Heavens on their own, these golden angels represent angels who carry prayers to the Upper World. In our labors, we must have the right intentions to produce the right actions that are worthy of the correct angels to connect us to the Upper World.

➤ And the Tabernacle itself? As the Holy of Holies, where the Ark was placed, was separate from the rest of the Tabernacle, we should understand the need to distinguish what is special in life from what is ordinary. Observe the sabbath of your faith as best you can. Observe your holidays likewise. Even the new moon each month is a reason for renewal. Don’t waste these opportunities to jumpstart your spiritual life.

There was more, like the High Priest’s garments and breastplate, among other things. And the Q&A was lively and even fun, thanks to a few companions who already knew where I was going with this material. Somehow we all forgot to take the obligatory group photo because of the engrossing discussion.

I am grateful to Franklin and Ivan for the invitation and for all the first class care I received during this, my first visit to Florida. Even the weather cooperated. As part of his babysitting duties, Franklin took me to a few local spots that got my attention.

The Morse Museum is home to a vast collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s glorious crafts. I shot dozens of photos, but I’ll share just a few:

The Tree of Life is a massive leaded glass window made from 1928 to 1931 for his country home, Laurelton Hall, near Oyster Bay. After Tiffany’s death in 1933, avid collectors Hugh and Jeannette McKean purchased as many pieces as possible, which now comprise the Morse Museum collection.

Detail of the Science panel of The Tree of Life.

Detail of the Creation panel of The Tree of Life.

Madonna and Child window.

We also visited Prometheus Esoterica, which is kind of like a smaller version of Morbid Anatomy in Brooklyn. It’s a retail business, but one that has oddities and faux occultism stuff. Lots of Baphomets! There also is a surprising number of Masonic pieces as décor and for sale:

Prometheus Esoterica displays a noticeable number of Masonic pieces, especially Shrine and Templar stuff.

Hanging in the washroom(!) is this A&ASR-SJ 32° certificate. Ill Aaron Shoemaker translates: ‘We, the Inspector Generals, testify through these Letters Patent that our well-deserving Brother, Joseph Landon Fincher born forty-nine years ago and residing in Pensacola, Florida, whose name is subscribed in the margin by his own hand, holds the rank of THIRTY-SECOND DEGREE SECRET MASTER (Master of the Royal Secret) of the same Rite. Therefore, we exhort and beseech all Freemasons residing anywhere beyond the borders of our jurisdiction to recognize our Brother in his dignity and to extend the same observance toward their fellow brethren within our jurisdiction.’

Another fez, but at right is one of the big copies of Manly P. Hall’s Secret Teachings.

Also, the night before the chapter convocation, we went to Winter Garden Lodge 165 for a Fellow Craft Degree. And expertly conferred it was. The Past Master who sat in the East was the father of one of the Apprentices being passed. At the end, the new Fellows were asked for their thoughts on what had just transpired. They handled the question with humor and impressive insight, considering they were put on the spot after a hefty ritual and pretty late at night. Also, it was the 94th birthday of the Brother Tyler!

     

‘2024 Magpie speaking tour’

    

Royal Arch apron on display at the GWMNM.

The Magpie Mason’s calendar of speaking engagements is filling up fast with two dates packed into the 366-day leap year that is 2024!

The Royal Arch companions at Eureka Chapter 7 in beautiful Orlando, Florida want to fly me down for their next convocation for some reason. Actually, their next meeting will be tonight, but after that the next meeting will be Thursday, March 14.

Eureka meets in Eola Lodge 207’s building, located at 3200 East Grant Street. (Happy 100th anniversary!) There I will reprise my talk on Kabbalah and Royal Arch Masonry. I changed the title so it don’t look like the same lecture I’ve been delivering for ten years, so now it is “Mystical Interpretations of Royal Arch Symbols.”

Leave it to me to visit Florida after winter. Wear something red, and I’ll see you there. 7:30 p.m.

In May, on a date to be determined, I’ll join the brethren at Audubon-Parkside Lodge 218 (another A-P Lodge!) in New Jersey. We had a date picked, but it seems the lodge is relocating, and therefore its schedule is changing, but we’ll work it out.

This talk will cover two broad topics: choosing best practices for lodge life (I’m avoiding “The O Word” because it makes some people crazy), and finding the right subscription memberships for further Light in Masonry.

I’m exhausted just talking about these.

     

‘African initiations and Kabbalistic interpretations’

    

In honor of Thomas Smith Webb Chapter of Research, the Library displayed various artifacts, including this set of Grand Chapter jewels from the nineteenth century.

I should have clocked it, but I’ll state unequivocally that The American Lodge of Research set a new speed record in Opening, Balloting, and Closing last night, having done it all between 6:15 and 6:50 p.m., or thereabouts. No trophy for ritual excellence, but it was a lot of fun.

That was all we had to do because the main event started at seven upstairs in the Livingston Library. Congratulations to all our new Corresponding Members, including RW George Filippidis, Bro. Alex Vastola from the Library, and Bro. Jussi from Finland! And to new Active Members, including Dan Kemble from Kentucky! Plus, we finally seated a team of Trustees, which you wouldn’t think would be so difficult, but it took a while. (One must be a legal resident of New York, and it seems many of the brethren live elsewhere.)

And we elected a Fellow, but I think I’m not supposed to say who yet, pending notification of next of kin.

We packed our gear back in storage, and headed to the fourteenth floor just in time for the joint ALR-TSW lectures. Representing Thomas Smith Webb Chapter of Research was Bro. Americo (of Aurora Grata-Day Star Lodge 647), who discussed “African and Afro-Diasporic Initiatory Structures and their Interaction with Masonry,” which opened our eyes to a number of things. Not only the ritual elements common to all kinds of initiatic rites, but some specific things known to Freemasons that appear in some African systems. Next up was Bro. Michael, Master of The ALR, who explained the Kabbalistic side of the three Craft degrees. When many speakers attempt to delve into this sort of topic, their enthusiasm outpaces their knowledge, but Michael nailed it. Unfortunately I had to exit before he finished, but I saw his audience was loving it.

(I’ve known Michael for years and I’ve never heard him talk so much, but let him speak on Kabbalistic content in the degrees and he’s Billy Graham!)

This event was available via Zoom, and I’m hoping it will be uploaded to the Library’s YouTube channel, and I’ll provide the link if it becomes available.

     

‘Freemasonry, art, and Kabbalah’

    

Detail of Aperçu de l’Origine du Culte Hébraïque by David Rosenberg, 1841.

Embassy of the Free Mind, the Amsterdam-based locus of things spiritual, cultural, scientific, et al., will host a lecture of particular interest in December. From the publicity:

Freemasonry and Kabbalah:

Cultural Exchange in Esoteric Art

by Peter Lanchidi

Thursday, December 7

1:30 p.m. Eastern

The lecture will explore the interface between Freemasonry and Kabbalah, an important yet largely unexplored area of research both within the narrower fields of the academic study of Freemasonry and Kabbalah and the wider area of Western esotericism. The subject will be presented through the Masonic-Kabbalistic lithographs of David Rosenberg, a Freemason and rabbi who was member of Lodge of Aristocrats in the Paris of the July Monarchy (1830-48).

The splendid pieces of art of the rabbi are richly populated with Masonic, Jewish and Kabbalistic symbols and text, and were popular among both French and English Masons. Rosenberg’s life journey through several countries, the long reception history of his works, and the complex nature of the topic necessitated a truly interdisciplinary approach and extensive archival research that used primary sources from close to 100 archives, collections, libraries and museums in 18 countries on four continents.

Through the artworks of the rabbi the audience will learn how Kabbalah was perceived and used within Freemasonry and they will see how the Jewish visual heritage of Eastern Europe and Kabbalah were amalgamated into Western Masonic science and art. On a broader perspective, the lecture will shed light on the workings of cultural exchange and cross-fertilization within the esoteric landscape of nineteenth-century Europe.

ELTE photo

Peter Lanchidi

Peter Lanchidi is a tenured senior lecturer in the Institute of Art History at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. As an Azrieli Fellow, he earned his Ph.D. in the Department of Jewish Thought at Ben-Gurion University. His doctoral dissertation on the Masonic-Kabbalistic art of David Rosenberg, a Freemason and rabbi, won the Thesis Prize of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism. With a background in art history and aesthetics (BA) from Budapest and in Jewish studies (MA) from Stockholm and Heidelberg, his research focuses on the interface between Freemasonry and Kabbalah in visual material in the nineteenth century and its historical and cultural contexts.

There is more to read here, if you understand Dutch. Click here for tickets (US$13.21 for Zoom).

Click here to read a paper by Lanchidi.

     

‘Lodge-Kabbalah lecture on Saturday’

     
“Kabbalah is not a secret teaching. It is the teaching of a secret. ‘The secret teaching’ means that we are trying to hide something from you. ‘The teaching of the secret’ means that we are trying to teach something to you, to open up and reveal something hidden.”

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

Click to enlarge.

On Saturday, the Maryland Masonic Research Society will host a lecture, via Zoom, by Walter Benesch.

Open to all. Write the Treasurer here to gain admission.
     

‘Piers Vaughan at the Valley’

     
The flier says it all, but take note of the “open to Master Masons” part.

Click to enlarge.

     

‘A Royal Arch and Kabbalah lecture’

     
It’s been more than four years since I have presented any kind of educational talk on the subject of Royal Arch Masonry, but I’ll try it again next month in my Chapter.

I delivered this lecture last in Pennsylvania, and I think it went well. I still have not written it, but this essentially is a discussion of how key elements of Royal Arch ceremony and symbolism are defined by Masonic ritual, by the Hebrew Bible, and by that giant body of Kabbalist literature named The Zohar.

Dinner will be served at 7:15 (only seven bucks!), and reservations are required by e-mailing the Secretary at scottchapter4nj(at)gmail.com no later than Wednesday, May 6.

Attendance, naturally, is only for Royal Arch Masons. Hope to see you there.
     

‘At the C.G. Jung Foundation’

     
I just wanted to share this partial list of upcoming workshops and classes offered by the C.G. Jung Foundation in the coming weeks and months. The foundation is located at 28 East 39th Street in Manhattan. Click here to register.

Restoring Wholeness: The Symbolism

of the Kabbalah and the Repair of the Soul

Saturday, February 28

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Led by 
Richard Kradin, MD

In his late works, C.G. Jung exhibited a keen interest in alchemy, arguing that in many instances the alchemical work was in fact directed at the purification of the soul. Although Jung was acquainted with many of the symbols of the Kabbalah, he did not systematically examine its comparable role as a cure of the soul.

While esoteric symbolism of the Kabbalistic texts is difficult to penetrate, it is abundantly clear that the aim of the Kabbalists was to revivify the soul and to recreate personal connection with the divine by focusing on a re-visioning of the one’s daily efforts and meditations. It is also evident that this system shares much with Jung’s approach to the harmonization of the psyche as discussed in Jung’s last treatise Mysterium Coniunctionis.

In this workshop, we will review the history, symbolism, and practices of the Kabbalists with emphasis on how their approach pertains to the restoration the ego-Self axis. Dream imagery and active imagination will be adopted for the purpose of illustrating how Kabbalah and Jungian analysis are in fact parallel traditions.

Richard Kradin, MD is a Jungian psychoanalyst, and professor at Harvard Medical School who practices at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He is the author of Pathologies of the Mind/Body Interface, The Placebo Response, and The Herald Dream. He is the recipient of the Gravida Prize for his paper, “The Psychosomatic Symptom: A Siren’s Song,” published in the Journal of Analytical Psychology.

Finding Spiritual Gold

in the Second Half of Life

Saturday, March 14

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Led by
 Jane Selinske, Ed.D., LCSW, LP

C.G. Jung was one of the first to unite psychology and spirituality in his work and he is often referred to as the father of the “second half of life psychology.” Jung treated many patients during his career and stated “there had never been one in the second half of life whose problem in the last resort was not finding a religious outlook on life.” He felt the second half of life had spiritual treasures yet to be discovered. In his Collected Works Volume 8, Jung wrote “The Stages of Life,” in which he put forth the psychological transition that occurred in midlife. In the second half of life Jung emphasized the importance of consciousness and attainment of spiritual value, meaning and purpose.

In Finding Spiritual Gold in the Second Half of Life, participants will be assisted to understand what it means to find a new or deeper spiritual outlook on life. Dependence upon the ego in the first half of life needs to be replaced by a relationship to the Self and a living out of an awareness of one’s potential through the individuation process. According to Jung, “Individuation is the life in God, as mandala psychology clearly shows.” Ultimately, by tapping into the wisdom of Jung’s second half of life stage, attendees will join with the secret our ancestors knew: that as the body declines, the presence of soul rises into consciousness.

Jane Selinske, EdD, LCSW, LP, MT-BC, is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Montclair, New Jersey, a practitioner of Mandala Assessment, and a Board Certified Music Therapist. She is on the faculty of the C.G. Jung Institute of New York, the Institute for Expressive Analysis in New York and the C.G. Jung Foundation.

What is Creative Living?

5 consecutive Mondays

7 to 8:40 p.m.

Beginning February 23

Instructor: David Rottman, MA

What does Jung have to say about self-expression, rewarding relationships, fulfilling work, and living with a sense of meaning and purpose in life? These harmonious dimensions of human experience have an archetypal basis just as much as anything else. In this course, we will explore what depth psychology has to say about how we can augment the free energy of our consciousness, to create a more abundant and vital life.

Archetypes of the Feminine

in Ancient Images and Mythologies

5 consecutive Tuesdays

6:30 to 8:10 p.m.

Beginning February 24

Instructor: Ilona Melker, LCSW

“Nature must not win the game,
but she cannot lose.”

- Jung

We will begin our exploration of archetypes of the Feminine with images from the Neolithic period, followed by a look at the Phyrgian Cybele, who emerges as Demeter in ancient Greece, and Magna Mater in Rome. Then we will turn our attention to Mesopotamia and the myths concerning the Goddess Inanna. Finally, we will consider her struggles and confrontation with the emerging hero archetype as it is told in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

The class will rely on readings from: 
In Search of God the Mother: The Cult of Anatolian Cybele by Lynn E. Roller; 
Inanna Lady of the Largest Heart, Poems translated by Betty De Shong Meador; and the Epic of Gilgamesh.
     

‘Ancient Tools for Our Modern World’

     
The Rosicrucians of New York City have a workshop planned for this weekend. “The Kabala, the Tarot, and the Tree of Life: Ancient Tools for Our Modern World” will take place Saturday the 27th (St. John the Evangelist Day) and Sunday the 28th at 10 a.m. at the Rosicrucian Cultural Center, located at 2303 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard in Manhattan. From the publicity:

This workshop will include a review of ancient lessons of Kabala, the Tree of Life and the Tarot as well as the Modern Lesson of the process of Cell Division (Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase and Telophase).

The principles gleaned from these studies will help turn around our lives for the better; using resources that are dormant in each of us. The discussion will lead us on the path of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. It will help discover the DNA of happiness, success in business, family relationships, true love, financial independence, peace of mind, access to riches not destroyed by time and making our daily living an unparalleled success and a life of profound satisfaction.

The workshop will discuss the origin and development of the Cell and DNA, the Kabala, the Tree of life, Tarot, the Holy Scriptures, and the principles that guide our affairs.

The facilitator of this workshop, Fratre Ben Ogunkua, MD, Ph.D. was a Past Master of the Traditional Martinist Order. He helped with the re-establishment of TMO in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. and served as Provincial Master of TMO for the Mid-Atlantic Region for more than a decade. Fratre Ben is a physician and a researcher in the Biomedical Sciences. He is an accomplished artist who is versed in the techniques of the Flemish Masters and Classical European Artists in Oil Medium. Brother Ben has given many lectures in “The Kabala, the Tree of Life and the Tarot” in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.

Many of the lectures have been opened to the public and some of the lectures are restricted to advanced students of the Mysteries who are affiliated members. Fratre Ben has also given many talks on the “Cell” the unit of life and the how the cell and functions can be understood using the ancient Tools of the Mysteries.

The workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A convocation for AMORC members will follow the workshop at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
     

‘Summer blockbusters coming to a theater near you’

     
Actually these movies probably will not be showing at a theater near you, nor will they likely be blockbusters. These are independent films, and they simply do not get wide distribution, but if they interest you, maybe they will be found through any of the home-viewing options out there. I do know these movies will be screened at the Quad on 13th Street in Greenwich Village in coming weeks.


Kabbalah Me
First Run Features, 80 minutes, documentary.
Directed by Steven Bram.

From the publicity:

Kabbalah Me is a personal journey into the esoteric spiritual phenomenon known as Kabbalah. Throughout history, Kabbalah was studied by only the most holy Talmud scholars. The misinformation, innuendo and prohibition surrounding Kabbalah kept its wisdom from most Jews; many were even unaware of its existence.

In Kabbalah Me, director Steven Bram embarks on a spiritual investigation that leads him to reunite with the Hasidic branch of his family and connect to the community of Judaic scholarship. Eventually his curiosity takes him on a pilgrimage to Israel, where he immerses himself in history and traditions of the Holy Land.

Along the way, leading authorities discuss the complex, mystical world of Kabbalah – its varying interpretations and the myriad paths of its rituals and lessons. Bram’s new commitment to spirituality and religious observance draws skepticism from family and friends but ultimately leads to profound changes across all aspects of his life.

Director Steven Bram will be present at select opening weekend shows.

The Rule
Bongiomo Productions, 90 minutes, documentary.
Directed by Marylou Bongiomo and Jerome Bongiomo.

From the publicity:

The Rule details how and why the Benedictine monks of New Jersey’s Newark Abbey and its school, St. Benedict’s Prep, are able to achieve amazing success with America’s most vulnerable population: inner-city African-American and Latino teenaged males. While Newark, with a very high poverty rate of 32 percent, has an abysmal high school graduation rate of only 22 percent, St. Benedict’s has a near 100 percent college acceptance rate. The Rule presents their “recipe for success” as a model for whole cities nationwide.


View trailer here.





Rabindranath Tagore: The Poet of Eternity
Sixty minutes, documentary.
Directed by Partha Bhattacharya.

From the publicity:

The film develops Rabindranath Tagore’s (1861-1941) genius and his contribution in arts, music, literature, philosophy, and education. It exemplifies the poet’s impact on world leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and prolific thinkers such as Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell.

The film highlights the recognition of poet Tagore by the UN and UNESCO in 2010 as a world teacher, guru for all mankind in a celebration in Paris, paying tribute to him as an educator and a humanist. Rabindranath established Vishwa Bharati, an international university at Shantiniketan, West Bengal where European and Asian professors taught, and students came from far and wide to study.

The film examines Rabindranath, a prolific writer, poet, and author who composed more than 4,000 poems and songs; dance dramas, novels, short stories, essays, and travel diaries, plus nearly 3,000 paintings. It shows worldwide sesquicentennial anniversary celebrations of his birth.

The film famously notes that Rabindranath never reconciled to the fact that World War I started after he was awarded the Nobel Prize. The messenger of peace and universal man lectured in more than 30 countries, preaching harmony and peace for the next 25 years. And yet, when World War II loomed large, the poet was beside himself with grief. He begged earnestly to poet Noguchi in Japan and to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt in vain for peace. The poet breathed his last in August, 1941.


View trailer here.
     

‘Flashback Friday: Holy Texts at NYPL’

     
You’ve heard of Throwback Thursday? Well, this is Flashback Friday, the inaugural post of a hopefully weekly feature that will discuss topics from the past that I didn’t get around to writing about in a timely manner.

Three years ago, the New York Public Library hosted a magnificent exhibition titled Three Faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, consisting of 200 religious texts. There were Torahs, Tanakhs, and Talmuds; Gospels and Epistles; Korans, Kabbalah, and keys to the unknown. Halahkah and Hadith; Midrash and medieval art; prayer books and legal interpretations; translations and commentaries. Calligraphy and illumination; woodcuts and bejeweling; scrolls of animal skins, and books of paper bound in silver, bound in gold. Possibly every expression of Abrahamic religious thought, from advice to Zohar, was on display, presented not in contrast, but in community. This is why I bring it here, albeit belatedly.

I didn’t even get to see everything, because it took so long to make my way around the Wachenheim Gallery of the Schwarzman Building—trying to take in the sites and sneak all this photography, which the library doesn’t permit—that closing time struck before I completed the circuit. (Although I did score a great parking spot right on 42nd Street, a personal best.)

Sorry for the blurred photographs; nearly everything was protected under glass, and—thanks to the photography ban—I had to be pretty quick. (Sorry NYPL, but there’s really no valid reason to prohibit non-flash photography.)

The captions below each photo contain solid information provided by the curator and, in certain cases, some of my own editorializing. Remember, if you want a closer look, click on the image for a larger portrayal.

Book containing the Gospels, in Armenian and in a silver binding with enameling, dates to 1623. The central panel on the front cover here shows the infant Jesus being presented to the High Priest in the Temple forty days after His birth. The dozen roundels surrounding the scene depict, in pairs, Hebrew prophets, with rays of revelation falling upon them. Enameling in blues and green.

Muslim prayer book from the 19th century Ottoman Empire. Such books often featured images with religious themes. This one caught my eye. The scales here, according to the explanatory card next to the book, serve to remind the faithful of the weighing of souls that will take place at the end of time. I'm no authority on the Koran, but the image also may remind one of Surah 55: "He has set up the Balance in order that ye may not transgress balance, so establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance." A concept familiar to all. Also, consider the Cardinal Virtue Justice.

Torah scroll, 18th-19th century Ottoman Empire. Pentateuch written by hand on specially prepared animal skins by a professional scribe. Moses penned the first Torah scrolls, thirteen in all; a dozen distributed to the Twelve Tribes of Israel, with the remaining scroll placed inside the Ark of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments. Shown here, appropriately, is Exodus 14:28-21:7, including the Decalogue.

Koran, on paper, 11th-12th century. This Koran's paper and penmanship reveal it originated in the region of today's eastern Iran/Afghanistan not long after paper began to replace vellum in Koran publishing. Its use of red dots is to indicate vowels, an archaic feature.

The Babylonian Talmud, printed by Daniel Bomberg, Venice, 1528. Although not Jewish, Daniel Bomberg was the most prominent printer of Hebrew books in the 16th century, and the crowning achievement of his career was his Babylonian Talmud, the first edition of which was published in 1519. The lengthy handwritten note at the bottom of this page was added in 1618 by a grateful scholar in Yemen, expressing his thanks for having this text available.

"That which is hateful to you,
do not do to your fellow;
this is the entire Torah.
The rest is but commentary.

Go and learn it."

Babylonian Talmud,

Tractate Shabbat 31a

Page of the Talmud dating to medieval Europe. Due to the mass killing of Jews and the burning of their holy texts by Christians in medieval Europe, only one complete copy of the Talmud dating to that period and continent is known to exist today. Some vellum leaves escaped the pyres by being reused for other purposes, as is the case with the page shown here, written by a scribe named Judah.

Ahmad al-Nayrizi's calligraphy. There was a famous calligrapher in the 18th century named Ahmad al-Nayrizi whose work was highly prized, but also embellished by owners of later generations. This manuscript had added to it a hadith, a statement attributed to Muhammad, about the revelation of the Koran. A marginal note says this book was endowed to an institution in 1891.

The Zohar. This is the central work of Jewish mysticism, and actually is a body of 20 works of literature grouped under this single title. (My own copy of the Zohar spans 23 volumes, including an index, and resembles a set of encyclopedias. Even the index has an index within it.) Traditionally attributed to Simeon bar Yohai, a cherished sage of the 2nd century, the Zohar is more rationally thought to have been authored by Moses de Leon (1240-1305), a kabbalist in Spain. The Zohar can be called a mystical midrash, an elaboration on the Hebrew Bible meant to impart lessons into God, the universe, and the role of humanity. This specimen dates to 1559.

And this is a vernacular Zohar. It's hard to believe today, when Kabbalah texts are printed in English and sold on-line, but during the Middle Ages there was potent disagreement over the wisdom of publishing esoteric works like the Zohar. In time, two competing versions would be available: the traditional, as shown in the previous photo, and the vernacular, shown here. Despite the existence of the printing press, the custom of transcribing by hand continued. This book was penned in the 19th century in Ladino, a Judeo-Spanish idiom.

An Orchard of Pomegranates: the Sefirot. In Kabbalah, there are ten divine powers called Sefirot. Scholars have wondered whether they are expressions of the essence of God, or are vessels used to achieve God's earthly purposes. This book is from 1591 Krakow. Moses Cordovero (1522-70) was the scholar credited with reconciling the various beliefs concerning Sefirot.

Kabbalah for the layman — Kabbalah is a Jewish encyclopedia compiling ritual, ethics, and mysticism into a seamless whole. This book, from 1649 Amsterdam, is an example of a “popular” version of Kabbalah, deliberately intended to wrest control of the mystical text from rabbis and scholars. An abridged version published in 1693 put Kabbalah practically into the public domain as it was reprinted fifty times in the coming two centuries. Shown here, on the right page, is a poem in the form of an acrostic using the letters of the author’s name, a literary device used frequently by medieval Jewish poets.

Mafatih al-Ghayb (Keys to the Unknown) — Transcribed by Muhammad al-Mawhib in Syria or Egypt, 1364. This volume contains commentary on the seventh through ninth suras of the Koran, cited in short segments, often a verse at a time.

Koran with Persian translation from Iran, 1754. During a period of intense interest in the Koran, many manuscripts were refurbished, having added to them illumination, Persian translations, and marginal notations. This copy shows the religious merits of reciting particular passages of the Koran. Advice is offered about the time and manner such recitations are most appropriate, per the authority of the Imams, such as Ja’far al-Sadiq, who was believed to have had esoteric powers.

"The Iman Ja'far al-Sadiq has said: Whoever recites the Surat al-Rahman in their daily prayers, ... God will honor them ... and say to them: 'Enter Paradise and take your place wherever you like.'"

The Discoverer of the Truth About the Revelation, Vol. 3 (Syria or Egypt, 13th century) — This volume contains comments on suras 13 through 24 of the Koran, and is opened to the commentary on the 19th, titled Sura of Mary, and focuses on the life of the mother of Jesus and her submission to the will of God. Subsequent verses describe the birth of John the Baptist.

The Glossa Interlinearia — Bible, in Latin, from Strasbourg, c. 1480. The Christian standard commentary on the Bible enjoyed a long success throughout the Middle Ages but this, the 'Interlinear Commentary' first written by Anselm of Laon was a further development, and this edition in particular offers color illustrations. Shown on the right page is God as Creator dividing the land from the waters, as related in Genesis.

Christian Hebraism — There is a vast wealth of Christian mystical tradition that ought to occupy the self-described knights and such of chivalric Christian orders, but instead they sometimes seem to prefer tapping into Jewish tradition, thanks, I suppose, to what was called Christian Hebraism. This movement was an offshoot of Renaissance humanism, and was popular among the esotericists of Europe in earlier centuries. It involved the adaptation, often inaccurate, of Jewish texts and scholarship to achieve a better understanding of Christianity and its antecedents. On the plus side, this has led to modern disciplines like comparative religion and Jewish studies. Shown here is a Dutch picture book of the Mishnah, dating to 1698-1703. Willem Surenhuis (1664-1729) worked closely with contemporary Jews who helped him with translation and actually contributed the engravings used to make this book.

Questions and Answers: This is Halakhah, a comprehensive code of rules and regulations based on the 613 commandments in the Torah. Halakhah incorporates the Talmud, and has been the purview of rabbis exclusively because of its massive scope and highly specific commentaries. The questions answered in this volume were submitted from all over the Jewish world to Solomon ibn Adret (1235-1310) in Barcelona. It was published in Rome(!), 1469-72.

And speaking of Mishnah, here is a version with the Commentary of Maimonides from Naples, 1492. This is the first printed edition of the complete Mishnah, the compilation of Oral Law codified in six orders by Judah the Prince, c. 200. Maimonides began writing his Commentary on the Mishnah as a young man, penning for each order an extensive preface and expositions on eschatology, the afterlife, ethics, and Jewish dogma. The illustrations show on these pages depict his understanding of how public and private properties are distinguished, and were the standard concepts for later books of Jewish law.

Luther's New Testament — Translated into German by Martin Luther, Wittenberg, 1522. This is the first edition of Luther's translation, which he based on Erasmus' edition of the Bible in Greek. His translation of the complete Bible appeared in 1534. Shown here is the Gospel of Matthew. The woodblock historiated initial was colored by hand; it depicts St. Matthew and his Evangelist symbol, an angel. The opposite page is a kind of table of contents. Luther, with this translation, accomplished for the German language something akin to what the KJV did for English a century later.

The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New — What can you say? The King James Bible and the First Folio of Shakespeare's collected works are the foundations of modern English. The KJV was first published in London in 1611. It is the fruit of the labors of some fifty scholarly Anglicans, sometimes called 'God's secretaries,' who attempted to create a single authoritative English translation of the Scriptures. Here it is opened to Psalm 23.

New Testament in Middle English — Published in England at the end of the 14th century by John Wyclif, this is a vernacular translation, and after it gained some popularity it was suppressed by church and royal authorities opposed to vernacular Bibles. Wyclif (1330-84) was an Oxford scholar, diplomat, and reformer.

Judaism in the New World — This is a prayer book for the Sabbath, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur, published in New York by John Holt in 1766, based on a translation by Isaac Pinto. While London in 1766 was home to the largest English-speaking Jewish community, this first English translation of the Hebrew prayer book was printed in British Colonial New York City. Translator Isaac Pinto writes: 'It has been necessary to translate our Prayers, in the Language of the Country wherein it hath pleased the divine Providence to appoint our Lot. In Europe, the Spanish and Portuguese Jews have a Translation in Spanish, which as they generally understand, may be sufficient, but that not being the Case in the British Dominions in America, has induced me to attempt a Translation in English.'

A Bible for Native Americans — Published in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1663, this Bible was intended for the conversion to Puritan Christianity of the native people near the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Algonquin Indians. It also served the purpose of showing the authorities back home in England how their funds were being used.

The Koran in Federal America — You may have noticed I have chosen to spell Koran thusly. It's just a preference for simplicity. In Federal America (c. 1790-1830) the standard English spelling was Alcoran. This book was published in Massachusetts in 1806, and is based on the London version of 1649. Shown here is Sura 22, concerning the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Illustrated Guide — To explain Jewish ceremonies of the Temple period to Christians, woodcuts were made, such as these depicting the Altar of Burnt Offerings and the High Priest in full ceremonial vestments. These pages are within the first Calvinist vernacular Bible printed in Poland, 1563. This particular copy was owned by Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843), son of George III of England.

The Apocalypse of Saint John, from either Germany or the Netherlands, c.1465. Published for the illiterate, this book combines color pictures with text to allow a literate reader familiar with Revelation to share the story with those who could not read. The technology, frankly remarkable for the mid 15th century, is called blockbook. It derived from textile printing, and was used even after the invention of movable type. Words and pictures are transferred by manual pressure on the blank reverse of each page, the face of the page having been placed on an inked woodblock or woodblocks.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse — One of 15 woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer, Nuremberg, 1522. The individual import of each horseman—War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death—is debated even today, but this is the image of them that permanently impressed itself upon the public imagination.

The Gutenberg Bible. Again, what can you say? The appearance of the Christian Bible in print marked the great achievement of the second millennium of the Common Era. The mechanical reproduction of St. Jerome's translation into the Latin Vulgate, the standard text in the language universally accessible to the literate of the period, heralded a new age and the wide dissemination of this version, from which so many others would flow.

Tetro Evangelie (Moscow, 1606) is a printed edition of the four Gospels in Church Slavic. Lavishly illuminated by hand in gold and colors, it reflects the "Orientalism" of 17th century Muscuvite design. This illustration, enlarged below, depicts St. John, inspired by divine revelation, dictating his Gospel to Saint Prochoros.

A wonderfully preserved copy of the Bay Psalm Book, Massachusetts, 1640. Named for the Massachusetts Bay Colony, it is the first book printed in English in America. To say its style is plain would be an understatement; in keeping with the monochromatic lives of its Puritan creators, the book uses types brought from England, but does so without any discernible order. However, it is the first to employ Hebrew type in America, denoting a scholarly motivation among the Puritans.

The Good News in Africa 

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Published by American missionaries in west-central Africa in 1879, this St. John's Gospel is printed in the Dikele language of the Bakele people. A Reverend Preston, in a letter dated January 1865, revealed how he had translated John's Gospel into Dikele years previously, but it is not known if this is a product of his work.

Title page of a small Jewish prayer book named Small Offering. The title alludes both to the book's own diminutive size and to its popularity as a parting gift to travelers. The text went through several print runs during the mid 19th century in America, as tens of thousands of Jews fled central Europe. This copy is dated 1860.

Found in translation: The word targum means translation in Aramaic, and usually is used to refer to the Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible, known as Targum Onkelos. This small Pentateuch was designed specifically to allow for the fulfillment of the Talmudic dictum that each individual read the weekly Torah portion twice in the original Hebrew, and once in Aramaic.

The first Bible printed in Spanish, 1553. The Ferrara Bible was based on the Ladino version of the Tanakh used by Sephardic Jews at a time when Jews were not permitted to live as Jews in Spain. Their choices were conversion to Christianity or expulsion from the land. Many opted to keep their faith to themselves while living outwardly as Christians; one version of the Ferrara was printed for Christian readers.

A Hebrew-Yiddish glossary from 1604, titled A Good Lesson. It is arranged in order of the sequence of Biblical texts. Shown here on the left are terms from the opening of Proverbs; on the right is a polemical work by David Kimhi (c.1160-1235) refuting Christian interpretations of the Hebrew Bible.

The Bible in Japanese, published in 1955. Bibles in Japan and the rest of Asia were nothing new by the mid 20th century, although in Japan, toleration of Christianity varied between persecution and some acceptance between the 16th and 19th centuries. After the Second World War, with a national constitution penned by the American-occupation government, Christianity gained actual popularity.

Epithets of God — From 18th century Iran, this selection of texts was compiled for the use of religious students more comfortable with Persian than with Arabic. The traditional epithets of God, recited as a devotional exercise, are given in both languages, and also are rendered numerically.

More from al-Nayrizi 

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The calligrapher of this book of prayers also was Ahmad al-Nayrizi. The book, from mid 18th century Iran, contains prayers for every day of the week, and is open here to Friday and Saturday.

Anthology of Suras and Prayers from Iran, 1732. The work of Ahmad al-Nayrizi again. Features prayers in Arabic partially translated into Persian. This duality offers the user prayers appropriate to a wide variety of personal circumstances.

Epithets of the Prophet, Medina, Arabia, 1847. Manuscripts devoted to praises of the Prophet were created for personal use in many parts of the Ottoman Empire. This copy of Dala'il al-Khayrat is a handsome example of such. It is open to a list of names by which the Prophet may be addressed, which often is recited as a litany.

Manual of Divination, from North Africa, 17th century. This contains two medieval Hebrew treatises on the geomantic arts. Geomancy is the practice of divination by means of interpreting a series of dots or points. In standard geomantic practice, 16 different configurations are arrived at by the construction of four horizontal rows, with each element consisting of one or two dots, based on the outcome of a particular chance procedure. The patterns are analyzed, often in conjunction with astrological charts, to allow the practitioner to ascertain the answer to a yes or no question, or to decide between alternatives. (The Biblical prohibition against divination is circumvented by the addition of a layer of mathematical calculation in determining the outcomes.)

Ashkenazic Mahzor — The spread of Judaism around the world results in different prayer rites for different Jewish communities. Ethiopia, China, India, Brooklyn. Though they share the same essential contours, the rites reflect local customs and traditions. Developed in France and Germany, the Ashkenazic rite spread across central and eastern Europe. The architectural gateway shown here frames the text "Who opens the Gates of Mercy," an especially resonant theme during the period between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

And an Italian Mahzor, from the late 15th century. Jews lived in Italy since at least the 2nd century BCE. Due to its geographic centrality, Italy served as a point of intellectual contact between Jewish communities as far east as Babylon and as far west as the Iberian Peninsula. Italian Jewry had the Roman rite, which combined several distinct modes of prayer, including the Ashkenazic rite, the Sephardic rite, and that of Greek-speaking Jews. The tree depicted here represents the bitter herbs of the Passover Seder liturgy, and is the only known use of a tree to depict the maror.

Altar Gospels, with gilt binding, from the reign of Catherine the Great. The binding is the work of French-influenced Muscovite craftsmen in 1795. It intentionally draws attention to the Word of God and signals the importance of the Gospels. This text would be placed on the church altar during divine liturgy, and would have been held aloft for the congregation to see prior to that day's Gospel reading, ergo its alternate name: Elevation Gospels. The magnificent binding is heavily gilded silver, with five enameled miniatures in surrounds of green semiprecious stones. Christ, at center, is depicted as a Russian bishop, and the four Evangelists occupy the corners. Not seen here are the clasps, which represent Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Phoenix and Sun: Beneath a crest evoking the phoenix and sun imagery associated with the Amsterdam Sephardic community is the signature of the artist: "Rephael Montalto created this in 1686." The emblem is supported by two mythical female creatures comprising a hybrid of human and plant forms similar to those depicted along the borders of the scroll. They also hold a fleur-de-lis, closely associated in the public consciousness with France, in recognition of Rephael's grandfather, Elijah Montalto, who served as physician and advisor to Marie de Medici, Queen of France.

I shot more than 150 photographs, but you get the idea. This was a once-in-a-lifetime (at best) opportunity to enjoy centuries worth of treasures. I hope you enjoyed this too brief pictorial.