THEATER OF HIEROGLYPHICS

...of the matter; by sculpting an image in the sacred places, he made the discourse of that thing visible. For each image is a kind of knowledge and wisdom, a subject and a whole, and not a process of reasoning or deliberation. But later, from this image, an unfolded likeness is produced in another medium, speaking in a discursive way and finding the causes why things are so rightly and beautifully arranged; and you marvel at this creation. original: "πράγματος· ἄγαλμα ἐκτυπώσας..." This passage from the Neoplatonist Plotinus argues that hieroglyphs represent direct, divine intuition rather than step-by-step logic.

It truly seems to me that the Sages of Egypt—whether through a certain perfected wisdom or a natural instinct of the mind—when they decided to signify the mysteries of wisdom to us, did not use the forms of letters which signify the discourses of speech and certain propositions, nor did they imitate the sounds and pronunciations of rules. Instead, by describing the individual images of individual things and painting them, they signified the discourse of the thing itself secretly in their sacred rites. This was because each image or exemplar is a certain knowledge and wisdom, a whole spectacle collected together, and not a mere thought or plan. But afterwards, from that exemplary image (or total wisdom), a likeness is formed in another medium, now unfolded and speaking in a discursive manner, finding the reasons why things were so established; while the very arrangement of things, because it is so well-ordered, moves one to admiration.

IV.

Simeon Ben Jochai in the book Zohar:

The following is a translation of the Hebrew/Aramaic text provided in the manuscript, which discusses the four worlds of Kabbalah in relation to Egypt.

The priests of Egypt explained their wisdom through signs, the likenesses of which are the likenesses of animals, and herbs, and all kinds of instruments. These were the signs of the 4 Worlds, of which the 1st is the World of Emanation Atziluth; the highest realm of divine light, the 2nd is the World of Angels Beriyah/Yetzirah, the 3rd is the World of the Spheres Asiyah; the celestial bodies, and the 4th is the World of the 4 Elements original: "ד' טבעות" (four natures/elements). And all these 4 Worlds the Egyptians explained in parables of animals, and spoke of them in riddles, indicating how one is within the other, and how all testify that "the High One over the high is the guardian" A reference to Ecclesiastes 5:8, and He is the Lord and Master, and the fashioner of all Worlds, and of all things that are in them.

V.

Mar Isaac, Chapter 6 of Philosophy:

The following is a translation of the Syriac text provided, attributed to "Mar Isaac" (likely Isaac of Nineveh or a similar Eastern Christian authority).

The method of Magic Science is perfected by the supreme powers together with the earthly powers, having a familiarity and agreement of the higher things with the lower things which are beneath the Moon; and this was the wisdom of the Philosophers of Egypt, carved into massive stones.