Iamblichus: On the Mysteries · 213 of 218 · tr. Thomas Taylor

Chapter VIII

of my translation of Plato, where many of these names are beautifully unfolded from the MS.

Scholia of Proclus on the Cratylus.

127 .

See the additional notes at the end of vol.

v.

of my translation of Plato, and also the notes to my translation of Aristotle de Interpretatione, in which the reader will find a treasury of recondite information concerning names, from Proclus and Ammonius.

128 .

Most historians give the palm of antiquity to the Egyptians.

And Lucian, in lib.

De Syria Dea, says, “that the Egyptians are said to be the first among men that had a conception of the Gods, and a knowledge of sacred concerns.——They were also the first that had a knowledge of sacred names.” Αιγυπτιοι πρωτοι ανθρωπων λεγονται θεων τε εννοιην λαβειν και ιρα εισασθαι——πρωτοι δε και ονοματα ιρα εγνωσαν.

Conformably to this, also, an oracle of Apollo, quoted by Eusebius, says that the Egyptians were the first that disclosed by infinite actions the path that leads to the Gods.

This oracle is as follows: Αιπεινη γαρ οδος, μακαρων, τρηχειατε πολλον, Χαλκοδετοις τα πρωτα διοιγομενη πυλεωσιν.

Ατραπιτοι δε εασσιν αθεσφατοι εγγεγαυιαι Ας πρωτοι μεροπων επ’ απειρονα πρηξιν εφηναν, Οι το καλον πινοντες υδωρ Νειλωτιδος αιης· Πολλας και Φοινικες οδους μακαρων εδαησαν, Ασσυριοι, Λυδοιτε, και Εβραιων (lege Χαλδαιων ) γενος ανδρων .

i.e.

“The path by which to deity we climb, Is arduous, rough, ineffable, sublime; And the strong massy gates, through which we pass In our first course, are bound with chains of brass.

Those men the first who of Egyptian birth Drank the fair water of Nilotic earth, Disclosed by actions infinite this road, And many paths to God Phœnicians show’d.

This road th’ Assyrians pointed out to view, And this the Lydians and Chaldeans knew.” For Εβραιων in this oracle I read Χαλδαιων , because I have no doubt that either Aristobulus the Jew, well known for interpolating the writings of the Heathens, or the wicked Eusebius as he is called by the Emperor Julian, have fraudulently substituted the former word for the latter.

129 .

Prayers of this kind are such as those of which Proclus speaks in Tim.

p.

Themes

◆Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

The oracle describes the path to deity as 'ineffable' and 'sublime', emphasizing the divine's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge.

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◆Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

The passage explicitly states that Egyptians were the first to have a 'knowledge of sacred concerns' and 'sacred names', linking direct experiential knowledge with divine access.

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◆Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The text references Egyptian 'sacred names' and the 'path that leads to the Gods' disclosed by infinite actions, indicating esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them.

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◆Letters Of Creationcosmology

The twenty-two Hebrew letters as the building blocks through which God creates and sustains all existence.

The text mentions sacred names as a key element of Egyptian religious knowledge, implying letters or linguistic structures hold ontological significance.

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◆Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

The oracle quotes Apollo directly addressing the path to deity, portraying the divine as an active, responsive reality rather than an abstract principle.

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◆Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

The passage discusses 'Prayers of this kind' and cites an oracle from Apollo, indicating direct address to the divine as a core practice.

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◆Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

The oracle describes the path to deity as a climb that leads back to the Gods through arduous and ineffable means.

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◆Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

The text mentions drinking the 'fair water of Nilotic earth' as a prerequisite for disclosing the path to God, implying a state of ritual or spiritual cleanliness is required.

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◆Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

The passage centrally argues that Egyptians were the first to have knowledge of 'sacred names' and that these names are crucial for accessing divine paths.

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◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The oracle describes a path that leads to the Gods through arduous actions and gates, implying a staged journey upward toward the divine source.

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Related passages · 5 parallels

◆egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 10 (part 12)

“See Lanzone, op. cit. , tav. 147. 2 Recueil de Travaux , iv., t. p. 45 (l. 394). 3. Ibid., op. cit. , tav. 353. 4 Also read Min and Khem.] {p. cxxii} him with the god Pan, and called the chief city where his worship was celebr…”

Both passages discuss ancient religious traditions and the significance of deities and their attributes. Passage A focuses on Egyptian gods and their roles, while Passage B references the ancient Egyptians' knowledge of sacred names and their path to the gods, showing a conceptual parallel in the exploration of divine beings and sacred practices.

◆egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 43 (part 22)

“If the name of Osiris flourisheth in This, the name of Pepi shall flourish, and this pyramid shall flourish, and this his work shall endure to all eternity. If the name of Osiris Khent-Amenta flourisheth, the name of Pepi shall flourish, a…”

Both passages highlight the significance of names and sacred texts in ancient Egyptian religious practices. Passage A discusses the importance of sacred names and the antiquity of Egyptian religious knowledge, while Passage B emphasizes the enduring power of names and the meticulous preparation of sacred texts.

◆western_esoteric|The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall)|The Hiramic Legendd

“Among the manuscripts of Dr. Sigismund Bastrom, the initiated Rosicrucian, appears the following extract from von Welling concerning the true philosophic nature of the Masonic CHiram: "The original word חירם, CHiram, is a radical word cons…”

Both passages discuss the symbolic and mystical significance of names and their connections to ancient traditions. Passage A focuses on the name CHiram and its esoteric meanings in Masonic and other mystical traditions, while Passage B discusses the significance of sacred names in ancient Egyptian and other traditions. Both explore the deeper, mystical meanings behind names and their roles in spiritual and philosophical systems.

◆western_esoteric|The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall)|The Qabbalah, the Secret Doctrine of Israelc

“This rare cut shows the name of God in seventy-two languages inscribed upon the petals of a symbolic sunflower. Above the circle are the seventy-two powers of God according to the Hebrew Qabbalah. Below two trees, that on the left bearing…”

Both passages discuss ancient mystical traditions and their esoteric teachings, emphasizing the hidden meanings and the universal nature of their doctrines. They both highlight the interconnectedness of various philosophical and religious systems, albeit within different cultural contexts.

◆western_esoteric|The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall)|Qabbalistic Keys to the Creation of Manb

“Nicephorus Callistus declared the Gospel according to St. John to have been discovered in a cavern under the Temple at Jerusalem, the volume having been secreted "long anterior to the Christian æra." The existence of interpolated material…”

Both passages discuss ancient mystical traditions and the esoteric methods used to interpret sacred texts. They share a focus on the hidden meanings within words and the importance of preserving the original spirit of sacred writings, though they come from different cultural and religious contexts.