An encyclopedic outline of masonic, hermetic, cabbalistic and rosicrucian symbolical philosophy. Being an interpretation of the secret teachings concealed within the rituals, allegories and mysteries of all ages (1928) - Page 11

...German translations, which took nearly three years, were generously performed by Mr. Alfred Beri, who refused any payment for his work. The Latin, Italian, French, and Spanish translations were completed by Prof. Homer P. Earle. The Hebrew text was edited by Rabbi Jacob M. Alkow. Various other individuals performed shorter translations and checked the work.

The editorial work was supervised by Dr. C. B. Rowlingson, whose skill often brought literary order out of chaos. Special recognition is also due to Mr. Robert B. Tummonds of the H. S. Crocker Company, Inc., who handled the technical difficulty of fitting the text into its assigned space. For much of the literary quality of the work, I am also indebted to Mr. M. M. Saxton, to whom I first dictated the entire manuscript and who also prepared the index. The excellent work of the illustrator, Mr. J. Augustus Knapp, resulted in a series of color plates that significantly add to the beauty and completeness of the book.

The printing was managed by Mr. Frederick E. Keast of H. S. Crocker Company, Inc., whose personal interest in the project was shown through his tireless efforts to improve its quality. Through the kind cooperation of Dr. John Henry Nash, the leading print designer in North America, the book is presented in a unique and appropriate form, using the finest elements of the printer's craft. An increase in the number of illustrations and a higher quality of workmanship than originally planned were made possible by Mr. C. E. Benson of the Los Angeles Engraving Company, who dedicated himself fully to the production of this volume.

The pre-publication sales of this book were unprecedented. The subscription list for the first edition of 550 copies closed a year before the manuscript even went to the printer. The second, or King Solomon, edition of 550 copies was sold out before the finished book was even delivered. For such an ambitious project, this is a unique achievement. The credit for this extraordinary sales program belongs to Mrs. Maud F. Galigher, whose goal was not to sell the book commercially but to place it with those truly interested in the subject. Valuable help was also given by many friends who attended my lectures and helped distribute the book without payment.

In conclusion, the author wishes to gratefully thank each of the hundreds of subscribers whose advance payments made this publication possible. Taking on the enormous expense involved was far beyond my own means, and those who invested in the book had no guarantee of its production other than their faith in my integrity.

I sincerely hope that every reader will benefit from reading this book as much as I have benefited from writing it. The years of labor and thought I spent on it have meant a great deal to me. The research revealed many great truths to me; the writing revealed the laws of order and patience; the printing revealed new wonders of arts and crafts; and the entire project has revealed a multitude of friends I might never have known otherwise. And so, in the words of John Bunyan:

I wrote

It down, until at last it grew to be,

In length and width, the size that you now see.

Los Angeles, California MANLY P. HALL.
May 28, 1928

CONTENT	PAGE
DEDICATION	III
PREFACE	V
COLOR PLATES	IX
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT	XI
INTRODUCTION	XIII
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND SECRET SOCIETIES THAT HAVE INFLUENCED MODERN MASONIC SYMBOLISM Ancient education systems—Celsus on the Christians—Knowledge required for living correctly—The Druidic Mysteries of Britain and Gaul—The Rites of Mithras—Mithraic and Christian Mysteries compared.	XXI
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND SECRET SOCIETIES, PART II The Gnostic Mysteries—Simon Magus and Basilides—Abraxas, the Gnostic concept of God—The Mysteries of Serapis—Labyrinth symbolism—The Odinic, or Gothic, Mysteries.	XXV
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND SECRET SOCIETIES, PART III The Eleusinian Mysteries—The Lesser Rites—The Greater Rites—The Orphic Mysteries—The Bacchic Mysteries—The Dionysiac Mysteries.	XXIX
ATLANTIS AND THE GODS OF ANTIQUITY Plato's Atlantis in the light of modern science—The Myth of the Dying God—The Rite of Tammuz and Ishtar—The Mysteries of Atys and Adonis—The Rites of Sabazius—The Cabiric Mysteries of Samothrace.	XXXIII
THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF THOTH HERMES TRISMEGISTUS Theories regarding the identity of Hermes—The damaged Hermetic fragments—The Book of Thoth—Poimandres, the Vision of Hermes—The Mystery of the Universal Mind—The Seven Governors of the World.	XXXVII
THE INITIATION OF THE PYRAMID The opening of the Great Pyramid by Caliph al-Mamun—The passages and chambers of the Great Pyramid—The riddle of the Sphinx—The Pyramid Mysteries—The secret of the Pyramid chest—The home of the Hidden God.	XLI
ISIS, THE VIRGIN OF THE WORLD The birthdays of the gods—The murder of Osiris—The Hermetic Isis—Symbols specific to Isis—The Troubadours—The mummification of the dead.	XLV
THE SUN, A UNIVERSAL DEITY The Solar Trinity—Christianity and the Sun—The birthday of the Sun—The three Suns—The heavenly inhabitants of the Sun—The midnight Sun.	XLIX
THE ZODIAC AND ITS SIGNS Early astronomical instruments—The equinoxes and solstices—The astrological ages of the world—The circular zodiac of Denderah original: "Tentyra"—An interpretation of the zodiac signs—The horoscope of the world.	LIII
THE BEMBINE TABLE OF ISIS Plato's initiation in the Great Pyramid—The history of the Bembine Table—Platonic theory of ideas—The interaction of the three philosophical zodiacs—The Chaldean philosophy of triads—The Orphic Egg.	LVII
WONDERS OF ANTIQUITY The eternal lamps—The oracle of Delphi—The Dodonean oracle—The oracle of Trophonius—The initiated architects—The Seven Wonders of the world.	LXI
THE LIFE AND PHILOSOPHY OF PYTHAGORAS Pythagoras and the School of Crotona—Pythagorean fundamentals—The regular solids—The symbolic proverbs of Pythagoras—Pythagorean astronomy—Kepler's theory of the universe.	LXV
PYTHAGOREAN MATHEMATICS The theory of numbers—The numerical values of letters—Method for finding the numerical power of words—An introduction to the Pythagorean theory of numbers—The sieve of Eratosthenes—The meanings of the ten numbers.	LXIX
THE HUMAN BODY IN SYMBOLISM The philosophical model—The three universal centers—The temples of initiation—The hand in symbolism—The greater and lesser man—The Anthropos Greek: "Humanity", or Oversoul.	LXXIII
THE HIRAMIC LEGEND The building of Solomon's Temple—The murder of Chiram Abiff—The martyrdom of Jacques de Molay—The spirit fire and the pineal gland—The travels of the astronomical CHiram—Cleopatra's Needle and Masons' marks.	LXXVII
THE PYTHAGOREAN THEORY OF MUSIC AND COLOR Pythagoras and the musical scale—Healing music—The music of the spheres—The use of color in symbolism—The spectrum and the musical scale—Zodiacal and planetary colors.	LXXXI
FISHES, INSECTS, ANIMALS, REPTILES, AND BIRDS Jonah and the whale—The fish as a symbol of Christ—The Egyptian scarab—Jupiter's fly—The serpent of wisdom—The sacred crocodile.	LXXXV
FISHES, INSECTS, ANIMALS, REPTILES, AND BIRDS, PART II The dove as a feminine symbol—The self-renewing phoenix—The Great Seal of the United States of America—Bast, the cat goddess of the Ptolemies—Apis, the sacred bull—The unicorn original: "monoceros".	LXXXIX
FLOWERS, PLANTS, FRUITS, AND TREES The flower as a fertility symbol—The lotus blossom—The Scandinavian World Tree, Yggdrasil—The sprig of acacia—The juice of the grape—The magical powers of the mandrake.	XCIII
STONES, METALS, AND GEMS Prehistoric monuments—The tablets of the Law—The Holy Grail—The ages of the world—Talismanic jewels—Zodiacal and planetary stones and gems.	XCVII
CEREMONIAL MAGIC AND SORCERY The black magic of Egypt—Doctor Johannes Faustus—The Mephistopheles of the spellbooks original: "Grimoires"—The invocation of spirits—Pacts with demons—The symbolism of the pentagram.	CI