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MYTHOLOGY
can be no doubt but that the text was not intended to be read in the literal sense of the words. Not only has a derivative significance been employed to alter the current purport of words, but free use has also been made of allegory and other forms of subtle symbolism to depict human thought in a garb so alluring and enchanting as to elude the gaze of the prying intellect at every turn. In Judaism and Christianity a method of what may be termed numerical equation of words was also resorted to to conceal the real sense of the writers. The Kabbalah is the Esoteric side of Judaism,
"It is now felt", writes S. L. MacGregor Mathers in the Introduction to his 'Kabbalah Uoveiled', “it is now felt that the Bible which has been probably more misconstrued than any other book ever written contains Dumberless obscure and mysterious passages which are utterly un-intelligible without some key wherewith to unlock their meaning. That key is given in the Qabalah." The Kabbalah is divided into three parts ; Gematria, Notariqon and Temuru. Of these Gematria is based on the numerical values of words and phrases, I hose of an identical value being taken as synonymous. The other two are complex methods of forming seatences by taking the letters of a word to stand for a complete word each, and the like, with which we have no concern bere. Great stress was laid in Jewish Esotericisin on the science of numbers as this method of equation of terms may be called. There are no separate numeral characters in Hebrew, each letter
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