About the Mystery of the Letters facts for kids
About the Mystery of the Letters (which in Greek is Peri tou mystēriou tōn grammatōn) is an old book that talks about the names and shapes of Greek and Hebrew letters. We don't know who wrote it, but they were probably a Christian. It was likely written around the 500s AD in a place called Byzantine Palaestina Prima.
How We Know About This Book
This interesting book is known from a few old copies. We have three copies written in Greek from the 1300s to the 1500s. There's also one copy that's written in two languages: Coptic and Arabic, from the late 1300s.
The Coptic version of the book was first printed for modern readers in 1900 or 1901. The Greek version was first talked about in 1931, but it wasn't actually printed until 2007.
Who Wrote It and Where
The book was first written in the Greek language in Palaestina Prima. The Coptic copies of the book say that a person named Apa Seba (also known as Saba) wrote it. This name might refer to Saint Sabas of Palestine, who lived from 439 to 532 AD.
However, clues inside the book itself suggest it was written a bit later, in the second half of the 500s. So, it might have been written by someone who followed Saint Sabas, perhaps a monk from the Mar Saba Monastery. This monastery was actually started by Saint Sabas himself.
The book also shows some strong opinions against certain philosophical ideas. This might be connected to big arguments about religious ideas that happened in the mid-500s, where the Mar Saba Monastery played a big part.
What the Book Is About
The unknown writer of the book says they started studying the secret meanings of letters because of a line from the Apocalypse (a book in the Bible) that says, "I am the Alpha and Omega." The author then says they had a special vision about these letters on Mount Sinai.
The author suggests a new way to look at the Greek alphabet. They change it to have only 22 letters, just like the Hebrew alphabet. They even leave out two Greek letters, Xi (Ξ) and Psi (Ψ), and use Hebrew letter names.
Then, the author explains that these letters are like symbols for 22 things God created, as described in the Bible's Creation story. They also say these letters represent 22 ways Christ saved people. The author explains this idea by describing the different letters and what their shapes mean.
After that, the book tells a story about how the alphabet came to be. This story mixes parts of Greek myths with stories from the Hebrew Bible, plus ideas from other old Jewish and pagan texts. According to this story, the Hebrew alphabet was first given to humans by God during the time of Enoch. But it was lost when people's languages got mixed up at the Tower of Babel.
Then, God revealed the Greek alphabet on a stone tablet. After a big flood (like the Great Flood), this tablet was brought to Phoenicia and Greece by a person named Cadmos.
A large part of the book focuses on the letter Waw (from Hebrew) and its Greek match, Digamma. In the book, Digamma is called Episemon and is used as the number "6." The author says this sign is a special symbol for Christ.
Later in the book, this idea connects to how all three special Greek number signs are symbols of the Holy Trinity. These signs are "Episemon" (for 6), Koppa (for 90), and Sampi (for 900). The author says they represent Christ, the Holy Ghost, and God the Father.
The last parts of the book talk about bigger ideas, like the history of humans. Key events in human history are linked to the order of vowels and consonants in the alphabet. There's also a discussion about Christology, which deals with questions related to the Council of Chalcedon. Finally, the author shares thoughts about the name of Adam.
See Also
- Volume 19 of Le Museon containing the first of the original Hebbelynck articles.
