alexandria, egypt: the cradle of western mysticism (part 4 of 5)

This marks part 4 of a 5-part series where I will read aloud chapters from Manly P. Hall's “The Wisdom of the Knowing Ones: Gnosticism, the Key to Esoteric Christianity.” In this episode, we'll be reading chapter three, “Alexandria, The Cradle of Western Mysticism.”

What you'll learn:

· Why is Alexandria so important? (The history of the city of Alexandria and the impact it had on the development of esoteric mystery schools of the world’s major religions)

· When was Alexandria burned and why was it burned?

· The history and importance of the library of Alexandria

· Alexandrian Neoplatonism and how it valued “internal experience” over “external education”

· What led up to the destruction of the library of Alexandria and the ancient knowledge that was stored there?

· Alexandria’s impact on Sufism, Kabbalah, Judaism, Islam and Christianity

· The importance of the figure Ptolemy Soter (Savior), the successor of Alexander the Great to the city of Alexandria

· The story of Hypatia, ancient Alexandria’s great female astrologer and mathematician (and more on ancient Greek astronomy and Cosmology)

· The connection between the Egyptian deity Thoth and the Greek god Hermes and how this connection produced the semi-mythological deity of Universal Wisdom “Thoth Hermes Trismegistus”

· The connection between ancient hermetic philosophy and the alchemical traditions and practices of the Middle Ages

· The conflict between the Romans and Christians (exploring the influence and impact of Constantine and the Council of Nicea in 325 AD)

· The Essene community (a sect called the “Therapeutae” and the impact Philo’s writings had on the awareness of this sect

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Manly Palmer Hall was a Canadian author, lecturer, astrologer, mystic, and Freemason. Over his 70-year career he gave thousands of lectures and published over 150 volumes of written work. Early in his life, he became drawn to mysticism, esoteric philosophies, and their underlying principles.

SELECTED READING: “The Wisdom of the Knowing Ones: Gnosticism, the Key to Esoteric Christianity.” (Pages 1-22)

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