The Symbolic Wisdom of the Egyptians

...ledge of the sacred hieroglyphic writingGerman: Bilderschrift; literally "picture-script." This refers to the symbolic writing system of ancient Egypt., which was known to only a few, and specifically the most distinguished priests. Had it, however, contained nothing more than the little, or in general only something similar to what we find in the following pages: then this would certainly be regarded as of very little consequence and almost only as the useless speculation of idle minds—such as those very same distinguished priests might well have been. For the first-mentioned arts are indeed only the practical and most essential ones for human society; but it is known that these, too, were in the hands of the priests, and shrouded in their sacred script, and the scope of all this knowledge was certainly not small for those times. Therefore it is also said: Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians (Acts 7:22) original: "Ap. Gesch. 7. 22." refers to the Book of Acts in the New Testament.. To this wisdom, Philo Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived during the Roman Empire. in his Life of Moses—beyond the aforementioned knowledge—especially reckons that hidden philosophy which was contained in the so-called hieroglyphs or figures of all kinds of animals that were worshiped as deities.

How ancient, then, was the wisdom that had Moses as a pupil. Plato attributes the invention of Egyptian hieroglyphs to Theut or Taaut Ancient names for Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom, writing, and magic., and it is known that the Greeks were initially cultivated by the Egyptians...