The Book of Brightness (1651) - Page 2

4. 6 2 words / 100 l.? These handwritten numbers and abbreviations likely refer to an old library shelf mark or a bookseller's inventory code.

Asher Kalmanks Likely the name of a previous owner of this volume.

Nehunja ben haKana The traditional author of the Book of Brightness, or Sefer HaBahir, which is one of the earliest and most important works of Kabbalah.

Amsterdam 1651

11 + 61 These numbers typically indicate the collation of the book, representing 11 introductory pages and 61 pages of the main text.

750 This may be a price or a catalog number from an auction or bookstore.

A circular emblem is pasted onto the page. The emblem features a pelican in her piety, a symbol showing the bird feeding her young with her own blood. She is perched upon a cube decorated with a rose. The scene is set against a blue background with golden rays shining from above, all enclosed within an oval. Surrounding the oval is the inscription "Hermetic Philosophy" original Latin: "PHILOSOPHIA HERMETICA" in a circular arrangement. This symbol often represents self-sacrifice or the process of spiritual purification in alchemy.