Preface

by the Author?

Whether the wisdom of the Egyptians In the late 18th century, European scholars and mystics were obsessed with "Aegyptiaca," believing that Ancient Egypt held the keys to lost, primordial secrets of the universe. in general, in comparison with our own, contained as it were only the preliminary knowledge Preliminary knowledge (Vorerkenntnisse): The foundational or introductory stages of human understanding before a field of study is fully developed. of human understanding, or whether more lay hidden within it than we could hardly even dream of—we do not wish to discuss this at length here. After four thousand years, we will naturally know more now than was known back then. But how many arts Arts (Künste): This term refers not just to fine arts, but to "secret arts," crafts, and specialized technical knowledge that have since been forgotten., even of younger nations, have been lost, from which—