M.O.H.S. No. 7.
The Amphitheatre Engravings of Heinrich Khunrath
Translated by Patricia Tahil. Edited by Adam McLean
[This book is now out of print]
Back to Magnum Opus Sourceworks . Back to home page.
The nine engravings from Heinrich Khunrath's Amphitheatre of Eternal Wisdom of 1609 had a profound influence on the evolution of the Rosicrucian alchemical symbolist tradition in the early 17th century. Though they predate the outward Rosicrucian period, many of the themes and symbols in these engravings appear in later works.
The text of the Amphitheatrum itself consists of quotations from the Bible, selected and arranged under certain headings illustrating various alchemical philosophical themes; however, the nine engravings inserted at the beginning of the work, in a quite independent way communicate a philosophical picture of the work of alchemy.
For this publication we have brought together the first ever translation of the extensive text material on the plates themselves undertaken by Pat Tahil, a commentary by Adam McLean on the symbolism of the plates together with an historical introduction, a 17th century commentary by Johan Arndt on the 'Great Amphitheatre of Khunrath', together with an essay by the late 19th century French occultists, Stanislas de Guaita and Papus, on the Rose Cross and other diagrams of Khunrath's Amphitheatrum, and finally a commentary and historical introduction by J. B. Craven. Taken together this should provide a most valuable sourcebook on Khunrath and will provide an essential edition of his work.
Limited edition of 250 copies. 95pp + 9 large folding plates. A5 Hardbound.