Conjectura Cabbalistica. Or, A Conjectural Essay of Interpreting the minde of Moses, according to a Threefold Cabbala: Viz: Literal, Philosophical, Mystical, or, Divinely Moral. By Henry More. London: James Flesher, 1653.
THE VERY RARE FIRST EDITION OF THIS IMPORTANT WORK ON JEWISH MYSTICISM IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS, OWNED AND ANNOTATED BY JOHN BROWN, POTENTIALLY THE CREATOR OF THE SELF-INTERPRETING BIBLE.
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"Conjectura Cabbalistica (1653), with the aid of the Jewish kabbalah, discerns Platonism and Cartesianism in Genesis; indeed, More expressed his regret that he had ever wasted his time on philosophy seeing that all fundamental truths are contained in the Bible". [Enclyopaedia Brittanica].
Henry More, a prominent Cambridge Platonist, uses these three frameworks to explore the writings of Moses, attempting to bridge the gap between religious doctrine, philosophical inquiry, and mystical understanding. The work reflects More's broader interest in reconciling religion with rational philosophy and his fascination with the mystical aspects of Kabbalah, a tradition of Jewish mysticism.
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Provenance:
Ownership inscription of "John Brown", seemingly being the famous and important theologian who produced Brown's Self-Interpreting Bible, with some marginalia in the same hand, with the date of September 18th 1769 written in this hand at the end of the main text, which would correspond nicely with this John Brown. However, there are quite a numerous number of people with the name John Brown, and we couldn't locate any examples of his signature to compare, as such searches are populated by the famous American abolitionist, who we can clearly say the signature does not belong to, but given the content of the book itself, it's not unreasonable to think that the inscription is that of John Brown the theologian.
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Size: 115 x 172 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(1), t.p., A2-B2, pp.1-251, 15pp, (1)]
Finely rebacked full calf binding, preserving the contemporary boards which are lined in a very typical 17th century English binding with a very distinctive blindstamp at the extremities of these lines on the boards which one assumes should identify the binder, but we couldn't trace a record of who this tool belongs to in H.M. Nixon's bibliography on this. The book shows very attractively indeed on the shelf, spine in fine condition, with an attractive, though a little naively, tooled label. Binding secure with both boards securely attached, the binding without shelf lean. Collated as complete, but without the original blanks which have here been replaced with the rebacking. No attached bookplates, but with a few ownership inscriptions in the typical places, with some minimal marginalia dated c.1769. Ownership inscription of John Brown to head of title page, small. Text block toned throughout as typical, but generally very clean, free of foxing/staining, etc. Internally excellent.
A lovely copy of a very rare work.
[Wing M2647].
