To: alt.magick,alt.magick.tyagi,alt.pagan.magick
From: "american qabalah" 
Subject: Re: (O) Gematria and Other Systems of Numerology
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 18:52:28 -0800

>Geo-metry means "earth measurement" in Greek. Geometry as we know it
>arose in Sumer (and later was refined in Egypt and Greece) from the need
>to measure the areas and perimeters of fields, hence, earth-measurment.
>Gematria has nothing to do with earth measurement. I do not know the
>root meaning of the word, however, and await information.

Well, the gentiles are divided.

"Gematria is a metathesis of the Greek word 'grammateia'."  -- from page
xviii of the introduction of Kabbalah Denudata, translated by S.L. MacGregor
Mathers

"Gematria...from the Greek 'geometria' (geometry), not as Ginsburg and after
him Mathers erroneously assert, from 'gramma' (a written character)..." --
Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Appendix VII (Practical Kabbalah)

I can't find an etymology in my Jewish sources.  Gershom, Cooper, and ben
Shimon Halevi are holding out on me.   I just ordered a shitload of books on
Qabalah, though - maybe they will help us.

It makes more sense to me that it would come from 'gramma' (a written
character), but then, I'm full of ...it.

Yours,
Timothy

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