1580 JOSEPH GIKATILLA

Gates of Righteousness

An Explanation of the Ten SefirotThe ten divine attributes or emanations in Kabbalah through which the Infinite reveals itself and creates the universe.

A circular bookplate or sticker is attached to the center of the page. The border contains the Latin text "Hermetic Philosophy" original: "PHILOSOPHIA HERMETICA" in golden capital letters. Inside the circle, a white pelican is shown in its "piety," a traditional symbol where the bird wounds its own breast to feed its three chicks with its blood. The nest sits on a blue square altar decorated with a thin white cross and four golden floral rosettes. Above the pelican, a golden sun-like arc emits rays of light or drops of blood. This imagery often represents self-sacrifice or spiritual purification in alchemical traditions.

Gikatilla. [Hebrew: Gates of Righteousness]

Riva di Trento, Jacob Marcaria, 1561