CHAPTER III.

CONCERNING THE ANCIENT ONE, OR MACROPROSOPUS, AND CONCERNING HIS PARTS, AND ESPECIALLY CONCERNING

HIS SKULL.

34. AND after a certain time was that veil entirely disunited in formless separation, and recomposed according to its conformation.

35. And this is the tradition: The Absolute desired within Himself to create the essence of light (the law— that is, the letters of the alphabet, from whose transpositions the law was formed), hidden for two thousand years, and produced Her. And She answered thus unto Him: "He who wisheth to dispose and to constitute other things, let Him first be disposed according unto a proper conformation."

36. This is the tradition described in the "Concealed Book of the King," * that the Ancient of the Ancient Ones, the Concealed of the Concealed Ones, hath been constituted and prepared as in various members (for future knowledge).

37. Like as if it were said, "He is found (that is, He may in some way to a certain extent be known), and He is not found;" for He cannot be clearly comprehended; but He hath as it were been formed; neither yet is He to be known of any, since He is the Ancient of the Ancient Ones.

38. But in his conformation is He known; as also He is the Eternal of the Eternal Ones, the Ancient of the Ancient Ones, the Concealed of the Concealed Ones; and in His symbols is He knowable and unknowable.

39. White are His garments, and His appearance is the likeness of a Face vast and terrible.

* The “Siphra Dtzenioutha,” cap. i. § 16.

40. Upon the throne of flaming light is He seated, so that He may direct its (flashes).

41. Into forty thousand superior worlds the brightness of the skull of His head is extended, and from the light of this brightness the just shall receive four hundred worlds in the world to come.

42. This is that which is written, Gen. xxiii. 16: "Four hundred skekels of silver, current money with the merchant."

43. Within His skull exist daily thirteen thousand myriads of worlds, which draw their existence from Him, and by Him are upheld.

CHAPTER IV.

CONCERNING THE DEW, OR MOISTURE OF THE BRAIN, OF THE ANCIENT ONE, OR MACROPROSopus.

44. AND from that skull distilleth a dew upon Him which is external, and filleth His head daily.

45. And from that dew which floweth down from His head, that (namely) which is external, the dead are raised up in the world to come.

46. Concerning which it is written, Cant. v. 2: "My head is filled with dew." It is not written: "It is full with dew;" but NMLA, Nimla, "it is filled."

47. And it is written, Isa. xxvi. 19: "The dew of the lights is Thy dew." Of the lights-that is, from the brightness of the Ancient One.

48. And by that dew are nourished the holy supernal

ones.

49. And this is that manna which is prepared for the just in the world to come.

50. And that dew distilleth upon the ground of the holy

apple trees. This is that which is written, Exod. xvi. 14: "And when the dew was gone up, behold upon the face of the desert a small round thing."

51. And the appearance of this dew is white, like unto the colour of the crystal stone, whose appearance hath all colours in itself. This is that which is written, Num. xi. 7: "And its varieties as the varieties of crystal."

CHAPTER V.

FURTHER CONCERNING THE SKULL OF MACROPROSOPUS.

52. THE whiteness of this skull shineth in thirteen carved out sides: in four sides from one portion; in four sides from the part of His countenance; and in four sides from another part of the periphery; and in one above the skull, as if this last might be called the supernal side.*

53. And thence is the Vastness of His Countenance extended into three hundred and seventy myriads of worlds; and hence ARK APIM,† Arikh Aphim, Vastness of Countenance is His name.

54. And He Himself, the Most Ancient of the Most Ancient Ones, is called ARIK DANPIN, Arikh Da-Anpin, the Vast Countenance, or Macroprosopus; and He Who is more external is called ZOIR ANPIN, Zauir Anpin, or

* The hidden sense of this somewhat obscure passage is, that the brightness arises from the skull, which it conceals, which latter is therefore the emblem of the Concealed One. The thirteen parts are three tetragrammatic forms, which give twelve letters, and symbolize thus the Trinity of the Tetragram; and the one supernal part is the unity. The meaning therefore is, the Trinity in Unity, proceeding from the Concealed Unity, which also proceedeth from the Negatively Existent. Thirteen, moreover, occultly points out unity, for ACHD, Achad, Unity, adds up for thirteen. + Or, AVRKA DANPIN, Aurikha Da-Anpin, the Vast Countenance.

Him Who hath the Lesser Countenance (Microprosopus), in opposition to the Ancient Eternal Holy One, the Holy of the Holy Ones.

55. And when Microprosopus looketh back upon Him, all the inferiors are restored in order, and His Countenance is extended, and is made more vast at that time, but not for all time (then only is it), vast like unto the (countenance) of the More Ancient one.

56. And from that skull issueth a certain white shining emanation, towards the skull of Microprosopus, for the purpose of fashioning His head; and thence towards the other inferior skulls, which are innumerable.

57. And all the skulls reflect this shining whiteness towards the Ancient of Days,* when they are numbered out of their mingled confusion. And by reason of this there existeth herein an opening towards the skull below, when they proceed to numeration.

CHAPTER VI.

CONCERNING THE MEMBRANE OF THE BRAIN OF
MACROPROsopus.

58. In the hollow of the skull is the aërial membrane of the supreme hidden Wisdom, which is nowhere disclosed; and it is not found, and it is not opened.

59. And that membrane enshroudeth the brain of the hidden Wisdom, and therefore is that Wisdom covered, because it is not opened through that membrane.

60. And that brain, which is itself the hidden Wisdom, is silent and remaineth tranquil in its place, like good wine upon its lees.

61. And this is that which they say:-Hidden is the * Macroprosopus.

science of the Ancient One, and His brain is calm and concealed.

62. And that membrane hath an outlet towards Microprosopus, and on that account is His brain extended, and goeth forth by thirty and two paths.*

63. This is that same thing which is written: "And a river went forth out of Eden" (Gen ii. 7). But for what Because the membrane is (then) opened, neither doth it (completely) enshroud the brain.

64. Nevertheless the membrane is opened from below. And this is that which we have said: Among the signatures of the letters (is) THV, Tau, TH; nevertheless He impresseth it as the sign of the Ancient of Days, from Whom dependeth the perfection of knowledge, because He is perfect on every side, and hidden, and tranquil, and silent, like as good wine upon its lees.

CHAPTER VII.

CONCERNING THE HAIR OF MACROPROSOpus.

From the skull of His

65. THIS is the tradition. head hang down a thousand thousand myriads; seven thousand and five hundred ourling hairs, white and pure, like as wool when it is pure; which have not been mingled confusedly together less inordinate disorder should be shown in His conformation; but all are in order, so that no one lock may go beyond another lock, nor one hair before. another.

66. And in single curls are four hundred and ten locks *Which are the thirty-two paths of the Sepher Yetzirah, or Book of Formation; symbolised by the ten numbers; and twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.