As I was dumpster diving some old Lashtal threads/discussions on the subject "Abomination of Desolation" and "718", I encountered few posts that aroused my interest:
kidneyhawk:
In another thread, I alluded to AC's voyage of many years to finally hit upon the Mystery of 718. For AC, this was a startling and significant proof that the book was authored by a force or intelligence outside of his own mind. It verified the Stele etc. But this verification was meant to serve a purpose...once doubts were swept aside, the book could be worked with in a much more vital fashion to inaugurate the forces of the new aeon. This is the same force which comes tearing through with "force and fire," with "leaping laughter." Damning "reason" and rising above previous assessments of the universe.
herupakraath:
I have no issues with Crowley making one of the names of the stele equate to 718, however, a literal reading of verse III:19 indicates Abomination of Desolation should enumerate to 718. Also, I have tried to verify the Greek word Crowley used for stele actually means stele, but I can't seem to verify that it's a word at all, but admittedly, I'm not very knowledgeable of the subject.
priestofal:
Actually, the verse indicates that "they" shall call it the Abomination of Desolation. One is directed to "count well its name," with no statement that this so-called Abomination (666 as commonly understood, presumably) IS its name (which it may not be considering that those who call it the Abomination are to be killed and tortured (supposedly), etc. Furthermore, it is said that the solution "shall be to you as 718" (not to THEM, apparently). What is AS 718 as opposed to something just being 718?
Especially priestofal makes a good point, that the "solution to Crowley" is/was to be "718", but not to them apparently (certainly the Abomination of Desolation being a Hebraic concept historically in my opinion)
By using traditional Hebrew Gematria ( and keeping in mind the value of the last closed Mem[final] is to be counted as 600 ) we can count up the "Abomination of Desolation" adding up to 1436 in Hebrew Gematria.
For me, personally, it was of interest to notice that the number 1436 is 2 x 718.
Or in otherwords, the number "718" is exactly the half of the number 1436.
Considering there is also another "Jewish half" discussed in Liber AL, the number 718 being exactly the half of the numeration of Abomination of Desolation (another Hebraic concept) is also interesting.
Even though Crowley felt satisfied with his explanation of "Stele 666" (in Greek) adding up to 718 and an answer to this "Qabalistic Puzzle", and even goes on to write about his 718 discovery:
"But 718 is expressed openly; its nature is described sufficiently and unambiguously; and it meant nothing to anybody in the world, either then or for seventeen years after. And now the meaning falls so pat, so natural, so self-justified, so evidently the unique value of the 'x' of the equation, that it is impossible to quibble. The law of probablities excludes all theories but one. The simple Truth is what I have always asserted. There is a Being called Aiwaz, an intelligence discarnate, who wrote this Book of the Law, using my ears and hand. His mind is certainly superior to my own in knowledge and in power, for He has dominated me and taught me ever since."
Perhaps there is/was even some deeper Qabalistic layer in regards to the number 718 and "Abomination of Desolation" than just the "Stele 666"/ΣΤΗΛΗ 666" adding up to '718' in Greek isopsephy that might prove "superior qabalistic knowledge" of Aiwaz in regards to Crowley's own (conscious) gematria.
As I was dumpster diving some old Lashtal threads/discussions on the subject "Abomination of Desolation" and "718", I encountered few posts that aroused my interest:
herupakraath:
I have no issues with Crowley making one of the names of the stele equate to 718, however, a literal reading of verse III:19 indicates Abomination of Desolation should enumerate to 718. Also, I have tried to verify the Greek word Crowley used for stele actually means stele, but I can't seem to verify that it's a word at all, but admittedly, I'm not very knowledgeable of the subject.
While the other kids are arguing over the II:76 puzzle solution, which is above their grade levels for the moment, I thought I'd give your question some attention.
The Greek word in question does mean stele, something I learned since posting the above response. My position remains the same on the significance of Abomination of Desolation to the verse.
"But 718 is expressed openly; its nature is described sufficiently and unambiguously; and it meant nothing to anybody in the world, either then or for seventeen years after. And now the meaning falls so pat, so natural, so self-justified, so evidently the unique value of the 'x' of the equation, that it is impossible to quibble. The law of probablities excludes all theories but one. The simple Truth is what I have always asserted. There is a Being called Aiwaz, an intelligence discarnate, who wrote this Book of the Law, using my ears and hand. His mind is certainly superior to my own in knowledge and in power, for He has dominated me and taught me ever since."
The law of probabilities is an interesting concept for Crowley to evoke in his commentary. The chances of ΣΤΗΛΗ enumerating as 52 at random are approximately 1/550, which is well within the range of randomness, but given the circumstances, one must conclude the author of verse III:19 knew ΣΤΗΛΗ enumerates as the value 52 before the verse was written, which means Crowley authored the text and made up the story about discovering the enumeration, or someone other than Crowley authored the verse. Keep in mind that ΣΤΗΛΗ could enumerate as any value, and that value be added to 666 in order to arrive at the total value, which in itself shows that a superior knowledge of Qabalah was not necessary, just a fundamental understanding of Greek gematria.
The most interesting aspect of Crowley's explanation for the value 718 is the name Stele 666; I thought it was just a name Crowley made up, that is until I saw a photo of the stele translation written by the assistant curator at the Cairo Museum, which is titled Stele 666. Based on Crowley's journal, he was in need of the translation of the stele as late as the 23rd of March; the question is, how long did it take to request and receive it? Crowley seemed to be unsure when he received it, concluding that it must have been before the reception of the Book of the Law, which mentions and quotes a line or two of the paraphrases Crowley produced from the stele translation. It could have been a week or more before Crowley received the translation, which would have given him a scant few days to conceive a deception involving verse III:19.
If Crowley had perpetrated a deception, he would have also had an explanation for the phrase Abomination of Desolation, which never surfaced, and could not, since explaining it requires the English magical alphabet mentioned in verse II:55.
Verse I:25 of Liber Legis instructs the reader to divide, add, multiply, and understand, which certainly qualifies as a means of counting something well. If all three mathematical procedures are applied to the letters of Stele of Ankh-af-na-khonsu, there are over 3 billion possible equations; out of those, only one will make the name enumerate as 718 using the Tri-key. The same circumstances apply to Abomination of Desolation, only with a possibility of 10 billion different equations, and only one that will perform as required:
S ÷ T × E ÷ L ÷ E + O ÷ F × A × N + K ÷ H × A × F ÷ N ÷ A + K × H ÷ O × N ÷ S × U = 718
As I was dumpster diving some old Lashtal threads/discussions on the subject "Abomination of Desolation" and "718", I encountered few posts that aroused my interest:
With regard to the Hebrew for 'Abomination of Desolation':
ShQVTz ShMM can be enumerated as 496 + 380 = 876, or if we are taking into account the values of the final forms of Tzaddi and Mem it enumerates as 1306 + 940 = 2246.
Behemoth has used 496 + 940 to obtain his result of 1436 = 2 x 718, which I call being inconsistent.
876 was a number of significance for both Kenneth Grant and myself; for one thing it is the value of TzPhVN, (counting Nun final), Tzaphon, 'the hidden quarter, the north', the direction from which 'Evil' traditionally comes. I can offer no correspondences for 2246.
It is curious that the name of the stele, which is given in AL.III.10 is written without capitals, "the stele of revealing", while "Abomination of Desolation" is written with capitals, AL.III.19.
As regards AL.II.20: "Why? Because of the fall of Because, that he is not there again." I take this to refer to the reason why "they shall call" the Stele the "Abomination of Desolation".
As regards AL.II.20: "Why? Because of the fall of Because, that he is not there again." I take this to refer to the reason why "they shall call" the Stele the "Abomination of Desolation".
I personally do not see how that verse alone could explain a chiefly Hebraic concept and biblical term and religious concept as "Abomination of Desolation" and I personally do not think we can separate such term or concept from Jewish religious beliefs.
What exactly is the Abomination in regards to Jewish religious beliefs and its relationship with the imagery displayed on the Stele of Ankh-ef-en-Khonsu or Stele 666?
One is reminded one of such abominations described in Ezekiel 8:15-16:
15
“Have you seen this, O son of man? turn you yet again, and you shall see greater abominations than these."
16
And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.”
While you offer AL III .20 passage as explaining such abomination, I personally find the following passages of AL III 21 and 22 much more relevant to our Abomination of Desolation:
21. Set up my image in the East: thou shalt buy thee an image which I will show thee, especial, not unlike the one thou knowest. And it shall be suddenly easy for thee to do this.
22. The other images group around me to support me: let all be worshipped, for they shall cluster to exalt me. I am the visible object of worship; the others are secret; for the Beast & his Bride are they: and for the winners of the Ordeal x. What is this? Thou shalt know.
Crowley's comment on the verse 22 reads as following:
There are to be no regular temples of Nuith and Hadit, for They are incommensurables and absolutes. Our religion therefore, for the People, is the Cult of the Sun, who is our particular star of the Body of Nuit, from whom, in the strictest scientific sense, come this earth, a chilled spark of Him, and all our Light and Life. His vice-regent and representative in the animal kingdom is His cognate symbol the Phallus, representing Love and Liberty. Ra-Hoor-Khuit, like all true Gods, is therefore a Solar-Phallic deity.
Almost all of the surrounding pagan religions of the Hebrews, with their many and varied gods and goddesses, worshiped the sun as their main deity or at least one of the more celebrated deities and their religious cults were centered around worship of the Sun in some form or another.
This is personally how I see the reason why Thelemic imagery, with Hadit, Solar Disk etc. represented in the Stele 666 might be considered and "Abomination" in terms of Hebrew religious significance.
The Jews were also to erect the temple (where such Abomination could take place) in a manner that would discourage the imitation of their heathen neighbors in sun worship.
The ark of the covenant, the very focal point of the Jews' worship, was placed at the western end of the tabernacle. Thus the children of Israel would face the west, their backs to the rising sun, when they worshipped the true God of the Hebrews.
Yet in the passage above of Ezekiel, the 25 men were actually turning their backs on the temple of God and worshipping the Sun in the East.
This was a significant act of apostasy and certainly an abomination.
Posted by: @satansadvocaa
With regard to the Hebrew for 'Abomination of Desolation': ShQVTz ShMM can be enumerated as 496 + 380 = 876, or if we are taking into account the values of the final forms of Tzaddi and Mem it enumerates as 1306 + 940 = 2246. Behemoth has used 496 + 940 to obtain his result of 1436 = 2 x 718, which I call being inconsistent.
I don't quite understand what kind of incosistent method I did use according to you.
By using the very standard methods of calculation, displayed in the table above, I still end up having שִׁקּ֣וּץ שֹׁמֵ֑ם to add up to the number 1436, the number 718 being the half of it.
With regard to the Hebrew for 'Abomination of Desolation': ShQVTz ShMM can be enumerated as 496 + 380 = 876, or if we are taking into account the values of the final forms of Tzaddi and Mem it enumerates as 1306 + 940 = 2246. Behemoth has used 496 + 940 to obtain his result of 1436 = 2 x 718, which I call being inconsistent.
I don't quite understand what kind of incosistent method I did use according to you.
By using the very standard methods of calculation, displayed in the table above, I still end up having שִׁקּ֣וּץ שֹׁמֵ֑ם to add up to the number 1436, the number 718 being the half of it.
Ah yes, pardon my sight. I certainly agree that my method was inconsistent, now that I see the Tzaddi-final. You were not in the wrong here.
876 was a number of significance for both Kenneth Grant and myself; for one thing it is the value of TzPhVN, (counting Nun final), Tzaphon, 'the hidden quarter, the north', the direction from which 'Evil' traditionally comes. I can offer no correspondences for 2246.
Certainly a relevant cardinal direction, considering the subject at hand, that according to prophecies of Daniel, it is a King of the North who will cause the "abomination of desolation"
Just to thank you for all the nice threads you’ve made (and prove myself more than a roustabout), I translated the phrase, “the abomination of desolation” into middle egyptian and then transliterated the resultant middle egyptian phrase into english -- and then deciphered this using the trigrammaton qabalah. This is something I do from time-to-time.
To translate abomination I could have chosen between “the detested one, bwt, beyuet” which enumerates to 98, or “the evil one, nbd, nebed” which enumerates to 93. I chose nebed.
For desolation I chose the word “hdj, hejee” which can translate into the noun “destruction” and was used by the Egyptians to described lands which had been laid to waste, or made desolate. I don’t consider there to have been any good alternative.
I made desolation possessive of abomination using the indirect genitival adjective “n” which formally would only be used if desolation were a masculine and singular noun, but by the time the stele of revealing was written this rule would have been relaxed, except probably in certain religious texts, I believe.
You could also use the alternate transliteration of ‘hedgi’ to make the total sum 180.
As I’m sure you know, 718 divided by 4 equals 179.5
If you, like the ancient qabalists, employ the sacred method of ‘give or take’ then I’m sure this means something. If you do not, then I hope you have at least had a laugh at my expense, as I did when I saw the ½ distance I was from success.
To translate abomination I could have chosen between “the detested one, bwt, beyuet” which enumerates to 98, or “the evil one, nbd, nebed” which enumerates to 93. I chose nebed.
I personally have zero knowledge when it comes to Egyptian hieroglyphs and their translations, but your going originally for the “the detested one, bwt, beyuet” might have been more fitting etymologically.
In rabbinic Hebrew and in biblical usage, the word "abomination" is synonymous with a "detestable act" or "detestable thing", apart from signifying idol worship/idolatrous worship.
Apart from Crowley associating the physical stele and its cataloque number "666" with the number "718", there is also a comment/footnote in Liber Liberi vel Lapidis Lazuli Chapter III, verse 60.
Here Crowley equates the ATU XX (The Aeon) (attributed to the letter Shin) to the number 718.
Of course, both the Stele of Revealing and ATU XX "The Aeon" display almost identical Thelemic imagery in regards to "main characters" of Thelema/Stele, with only a minor difference, so such ATU XX=718 equation does make sense.
The difference being that in the ATU XX "The Aeon", the character of Ankh-af-na-khonsu is nowhere to be seen, but Hoor-pa-kraat has been inserted in regards to the original deciption of familiar figures displayed on the Stele 666.
The name Ankh-f-n-Khonsu means "He lives for Khonsu", or "His life is in Khonsu" etc. and Khonsu was an Egyptian moon god. He was often depicted as a falcon-headed deity with a moon disk on his head. Sometimes he was shown in his child-form with a sidelock of hair, indicating childhood. This latter symbol possibly might link him with Harpocrates displayed in Atu XX.
This figure represents a child deity standing and holding a scepter. The moon disk, sidelock, and close-fitting mummiform garment identifies him as Khonsu the Child, the son of the deities Amun and Mut, who together formed the great Theban triad. The sidelock worn just below the moon disk marks him as a child god. Child gods grew to great prominence in the first millennium BC, and many statuettes of such gods were produced beginning in the Third Intermediate Period through the Ptolemaic
Displayed above, for example, a similar deciption of Khonsu that reminds one somewhat of the Hoor-pa-kraat displayed in the Atu XX.
But then again, perhaps "The Priest" was simply omitted from the ATU XX imagery and Harpocrates inserted to signify the received nature of the 'revelation' that lead to the writing of the Book of the Law.
On the other hand, as Crowley did equate both the Stele of Ankh-af-na-khonsu and ATU XX to equate with the number 718, it is relevant to note that the traditional symolical deciption of the ATU XX dealt with theme of the Resurrection of the Dead.
These resurrected figures where then to be replaced in Crowley's version of the Tarot/Atus with the figures displayed on the Stele 666 (with one difference) and the name was changed from Judgement to "The Aeon":
In the ATU XX "The Aeon", the dead man Ankh-af-na-khonsu is nowhere to be seen, but Harpocrates is displayed quite prominently (although transparent).
One is reminded of certain magical charms, talismans from the era of Greco-Egyptian syncretism, usually associated with the initials IAO/Ἰάω, but also sometimes with Jewish elements in them.
Harpocrates sitting nude with knees drawn up, to right, on a bandaged mummy (Osiris), as if on a papyrus boat. The head of the mummy is crowned with the hemhem-crown; two falcons sit on his head and feet, wearing the double crown and facing each other. The left hand of Harpocrates is raised to his mouth, his right holds a cornucopia. He is crowned with the solar disk. Inscription in the free field: ιαω → Ἰάω.
Another example, The Paphos Amulet:
portraying Harpocrates, bearing witness to the resurrection of the mummy of Osiris. The inscription has been translated as: “Iahweh is the bearer of the secret name, the lion of Re secure in his shrine.”
My understanding, in regards to Stele of Revealing and its hieroglyphs, is that the "dead man/deceased Ankh-af-na-Khonsu" and "Osiris Ankh-ef-en-Khonsu" are somewhat synonymous translations in regards to the meaning of hieroglyps on the funeral stele.
I still maintain, as explained in my previous post, that at least in regards to "orthodox/monotheistic" Hebraic worship, the symbolic and religious figures and context of resurrection displayed on Stele of Ankh-af-na-khonsu constitute what could be considered certainly an "Abomination" in terms of Jewish religion.
The Jews/Hebrews must have assimilated, from time to time, to their own religious myths elements and gods from surrounding popular “mystery cult” such as Osiris, Dionysus, Adonis, and Horus and from the surrounding sun cults of the region and the apparent astronomical worship through pagan cultural exchange with the gentiles.
But despite of all these similarities shared with these pagan gods, they appear to have still lacked the most significant mythological motif which Osiris, Dionysus, Adonis, and Horus all had in common: That motif being a death and bodily resurrection.
As regards AL.II.20: "Why? Because of the fall of Because, that he is not there again." I take this to refer to the reason why "they shall call" the Stele the "Abomination of Desolation".
I personally do not see how that verse alone could explain a chiefly Hebraic concept and biblical term and religious concept as "Abomination of Desolation" and I personally do not think we can separate such term or concept from Jewish religious beliefs.
Hi Behemoth, A lot of activity here since I last logged on.
I do not take AL.II.20 alone as explaining the Hebraic concept of an abomination of desolation, but it is the essence of the explanation in terms of the message of Liber AL, as to why the Stele should be so regarded by those who hold to Old Aeon values. To give some historical background:
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be removed and the abomination of desolation set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Daniel 12.11
This refers to a focal event in 168 BCE, during a prolonged persecution of the Jews conducted by the Greek, Seleucid King of Syria, Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He plundered Jerusalem and established a Syrian garrison there, which enforced the suppression of Jewish forms of worship with extreme violence. The Temple was defiled with shrines to foreign gods and the sacrifice of swine and other unclean animals. The ultimate act was the erection of an altar to Zeus Olympios – the Semitic Baal Shamayim – upon the great altar of burnt offering to Yahweh. For the Jews this was the shiqqutz shomem, an expression in which the word for ‘a detestable thing’ replaces that of the hated honorific ‘Lord’ and ‘desolation’ replaces that for ‘Heaven’. The act desolated the Temple because it had the effect of banishing the presence of Yahweh, of severing the spiritual connection.
Chapters 11 and 12 of the Book of Daniel purport to be prophecies of these events, in which Antiochus IV Epiphanes is referred to guardedly, and significantly, as MLK HTzPhVN, ‘the king of the north’.
The symbolism of the Stele is relevant to this, I would agree. The Jews of that time would have had no difficulty in recognising the Winged Disk of Hadit as emblematic of Baal Shamayim.
Posted by: @djedi
You could also use the alternate transliteration of ‘hedgi’ to make the total sum 180.
As I’m sure you know, 718 divided by 4 equals 179.5
If you, like the ancient qabalists, employ the sacred method of ‘give or take’ then I’m sure this means something. If you do not, then I hope you have at least had a laugh at my expense, as I did when I saw the ½ distance I was from success.
Interesting stuff djedi. No, I did not know that 718 divided by 4 equals 179.5; I do now, I've just checked!
I'm happy to 'give or take' on this one and not quibble about colel. I will check out 179,180 and 184 for that matter.
"I heard a Great Voice from above crying: Thou liest! For the Volatile hath indeed fixed itself; but it hath arisen above thy sight. The World is desert: but the Abodes of the House of my Father are peopled; and His Throne is crusted over with white Brilliant Stars, a lustre of bright gems.
In the North is a Man upon a Great Horse, having a Scourge and Balances in his hand (or a long spear glitters at his back or in his hand). He is clothed in black velvet and his face is stern and terrible.
He spake saying: I have judged! It is the end: the gate of the beginning. Look in the Beneath and thou shalt see a new world!"
- The Vision and the Voice, THE CRY OF THE TWENTY AND NINTH AIRE OR ÆTHYR, WHICH IS CALLED RII
The Temple was defiled with shrines to foreign gods and the sacrifice of swine and other unclean animals. The ultimate act was the erection of an altar to Zeus Olympios – the Semitic Baal Shamayim – upon the great altar of burnt offering to Yahweh. For the Jews this was the shiqqutz shomem, an expression in which the word for ‘a detestable thing’ replaces that of the hated honorific ‘Lord’ and ‘desolation’ replaces that for ‘Heaven’. The act desolated the Temple because it had the effect of banishing the presence of Yahweh, of severing the spiritual connection.
The symbolism of the Stele is relevant to this, I would agree. The Jews of that time would have had no difficulty in recognising the Winged Disk of Hadit as emblematic of Baal Shamayim.
Yes, I agree that the title of Baal Shamayim quite well explains the Rabbinical/Hebraic naming of that damn thing erected/standing in the holy place, but what was it exactly?
I think it is a generally agreed consensus, at least according to the rabbinical tradition, that it was some sort of statue of Baal Shamem/Zeus Olympios. Still the main driving theme with all of these abominations certainly are their solar characteristics. Even as Baal Shamem was equated with Zeus Olympios, Baal Shamem was also equated with Zeus Helios and it certainly is not uncommon to see some sort of synthetizations of these various solar deities in the ancient world.
I think for the relevance of this current topic (and I hope I am not making a stretch here) the God Serapis or Zeus Serapis is also relevant to mention here. Especially when Serapis being equated with the Sun God Helios-Zeus. Serapis/Sarapis name owing itself to Egyptian Osiris-Apis and even regarded as "Osiris in Full" rather than just his Ka.
In some of the "Magick Without Tears" versions hosted on the internet where Crowley discusses the "abomination of desolation" verse (MWT Chapter XXXIX: Prophecy), there also has been inserted some "editorial notes" by certain Frater T.S (on these sites, usually the HTML coding is done by Frater T.S. for Nu Isis Working Group. This site being one example: https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/crowley/mwt/mwt_39.htm)
Crowley writing in MWT with a note from Frater T.S:
That stele they shall call the Abomination of Desolation; count well its name, & it shall be to you as 718." (AL III, 19) (The Stélé is that whose discovery culminated in the writing of The Book of the Law.)
Here the first part is still quite unintelligible to me: I have tried analysis of the original phrase in "Scripture," [3] and nearly everything else: entirely in vain: One can see dimly how people, recognizing that Stélé as the Talisman responsible for reducing half the cities of Europe to rubble, might very well make reference to those original prophecies
Note by Frater T.S: [3]: See First Maccabees, I. 54, and the back-dated "prophecies" of pseudo-Daniel (XI. 31, XII. 11); the reference was to the erection of a statue to Zeus-Serapis in the Temple of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes following his conquest of Judea – T.S.
Frater T.S. here equates the abominable statue being that of Zeus-Serapis, I do not know how historically accurate this view is, but considering that both Baal Shamem was equated with Zeus Helios and Serapis also being associated with Zeus Helios, it would be probably quite safe to assume we are almost as if talking about the very same deity at this point.
But if Book of Daniel's "Abomination of Desolation" deals with things of the past, so to say (and the time pertaining to the Second Temple period) what is the Abomination of Desolation in terms/regards to Christian religion and the Gospels where the term also appears?
The timeline of the Gospels/Revelation/New Testament is hundreds of years later when the Abomination of Desolation (of Baal Shamem) took place. It is also usually associated the End Times by Christian commentators and Revelation symbology. And Crowley's ushering of the Aeon of Horus & Book of the Law and considering Crowley's monickers as "The Beast" and symbology from the Revelation for example.
For example, in Matthew 24:15: “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place", many Christian eschatological interpretations have taken this abomination refer to some later event in contrast to the Abomination of the Second Temple.
So what will this Christian, more modern, eschatological "Abominiation of Desolation" is? Considering we already dealt with the Hebraic part of it? The Third Temple is not quite ready yet either, if we are to regard this as some historical event to to take place similar to the Abomination of Zeus Olympious/Baal Shamem.
Some Christian intepretators consider this Abominiation of Gospels to refer to the Antichrist/The Beast, which is only mentioned as a character in the Bible for two brief passages occurring in the First and Second Epistles of John (1 John 2:18, 22, and 4:3; and 2 John 7). However, the "man of Lawlessness" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12) and the "Beast" (Revelation 13) are also commonly thought to represent the Antichrist and are almost talked of as synonymous figures. Then again, Crowley himself identified more with "The Beast" figure, rather than making a big fuzz about the Antichrist part:
Thessalonians 2:3: Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness (the son of destruction) is revealed. He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
Crowley still cherished the title "Beast 666" and his whole religious symbolism is, in my opinion, is somewhat build on these religious identities.
Likewise this Christian abomination is usually associated with the man who "exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sitteth as God in the temple of God, showing himself to be God" and likewise "The Beast" is associated with the Worship of the Beast & The Dragon (Satan) and this worship of (The Beast/Man/Antichrist) is the very abomination in terms of Christianity, at least according to many commentators/interpretators.
Neither I am implying here, that Crowley's Thelema, or his vision for it, was to establish Crowley as some sort of demigod figure to be worshipped (but he did claim some authority in his office as The Beast).
But where does The Beast derive his authority in the Revelations?
Revelation 13
And the dragon gave the beast his power and throne and great authority. They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”
Satan's/Dragon's throne is a curious expression mentioned in Revelation in relation to authoritical, legislative aspect and where Beast derives his authority. Satan's throne is also mentioned in the Revelation when the message is sent to the Seven Churches:
To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergamon#Serapis_Temple According to Christian tradition, in the year 92 Saint Antipas, the first bishop of Pergamum ordained by John the Apostle, was a victim of an early clash between Serapis worshippers and Christians. An angry mob is said to have burned Saint Antipas alive in front of the Temple inside a brazen bull-like incense burner, which represented the bull god Apis.
Some of the icon pictures of his martyrdom also show the (brazen) Apis/Serapis Bull prominently featured.
Now in regards to the "Abomination of Desolation" and the "Throne of the Beast" we also see Crowley's description of the Abomination (Of Desolation) in Liber 418:
Blessing unto the name of the Beast, for he hath let loose a mighty flood of fire from his manhood, and from his womanhood hath he let loose a mighty flood of water. Every thought of his mind is as a tempest that uprooteth the great trees of the earth, and shaketh the mountains thereof. And the throne of his spirit is a mighty throne of madness and desolation [9], so that they that look upon it shall cry: Behold the abomination! [10]
Of a single ruby shall that throne be built, and it shall be set upon a high mountain [11]
These verses refer to:
[9] See Liber VII, Cap. III, v. 20. He has manifested the insanity of the Ruach; that is his "throne"; i.e. the basis of his philosophical position. [10] See Liber VII, Cap. III, v. 21.
[11] Liver VII, Cap. III, v. 22-23
And these are the Liber VII verses from Chapter III:
20. Let it be soon, O God, my God! I ache for Thee, I wander very lonely among the mad folk, in the grey land of desolation. 21. Thou shalt set up the abominable lonely Thing of wickedness. Oh joy! to lay that corner-stone! 22. It shall stand erect upon the high mountain; only my God shall commune with it. 23. I will build it of a single ruby; it shall be seen from afar off.
This abominamble lonely thing of wickedness, Crowley also calls the corner-stone. In some of his writings, he identifies this cornerstone as Baphomet (as contrast the apostle Peter also reffering Jesus as the Cornerstone of the Temple/Church).
Crowley writing:
This corner-stone itself is identified with Baphomet: I had taken the name Baphomet as my motto in the O.T.O. For six years and more I had tried to discover the proper way to spell this name. I knew that it must have eight letters, and also that the numerical and literal correspondences must be such as to express the meaning of the name in such a way as to confirm what scholarship had found out about it, and also to clear up those problems which archaeologists had so far failed to solve ... One theory of the name is that it represents the words βαφὴ μήτεος, the baptism of wisdom; another, that it is a corruption of a title meaning "Father Mithras".
Around the time of Crowley's Mysteria Mystica Maxima days, he also wrote:
But why is there no life in any of our Slain God rituals ? It is for us to restore them by the Word and the Grip. For us, who have the inner knowledge, inherited or won, it remains to restore the true rites of Attis, Adonis, Osiris, of Set, Serapis, Mithras, and Abel.
Coming back to the number 718, The Trone and the "Abomination of Desolation", which Crowley by Greek isopsephy counted adding up to 718 by 52 (Stele) + 666 (Cataloque number).
There was a thread while back here on lashtal, or perhaps 2 threads through the years it seems, where also the two "other" 666 cataloque items/stelas are featured (according to the thread, the ill-ordered house Boulak might have had 3 items numbered 666 at some period!).
Here is a picture of this 666 Apis Bull. I am not going to speculate did Crowley encounter it in his visit to Boulak (at least to any "official" accounts surrounding the circumstances regarding the Equinox of the Gods), but there certainly was some interesting speculation going on in that thread.
Now 52 is also a number, for example, wherein Book of Lies Crowley writes about "52 is BN, בנ the number of the Son, Osiris-Apis, the Redeemer, with whom the Master (Fra. P.) identifies himself." and it is also a value in Crowley's Sepher Sephiroth for "A mare; brute animal, beast, cattle BHMH/בהמה"
John Griffith suggested in that thread:
"It may be this very Apis Bull to whch he alludes in the 1929 Confessions account (Chapter 49 page 393) of Rose pointing out the stele numbered 666, when he asks "was her bull's-eye a fluke?"
Even though coincidences do play a big part, I just find it quite fitting one, considering the above mentioned 52 + 666 = 718, Crowley also associating the number 52 to "Osiris-Apis" in the Book of Lies for example. Certainly an another Abomination of Desolation adding up to 718, so to speak, for the Solar Bull(BN=52) is also quite indeed a בהמה/beast 666.
John Griffith also mentions:
"In the Old Comment III 74 in Equinox I Number VII (1912) he writes "Khephra is the “Sun” at midnight in the North. Now in the North is Taurus, the Bull, Apis the Redeemer, the “Son.”
"He also writes in On the Conditions Prevailing at the Time of the Writing section 4 The Events Leading up to the Writing of the Book April 7ᵗʱ entry that possibly bull's blood was burned for incense, that he "remembers nothing at all one way or other. Bull's blood was burnt sometime in this sojourne in Cairo, I forget why or when."
But the Bull's blood as an incense is not probably much of relevance to the events, even though Crowley does describe the transcluent image of Aiwass as having impression to Crowley as a formed out of cloud of incense-smoke: "a strong impression that the speaker [Aiwass] was actually in the corner where he seemed to be, in a body of "fine matter," transparent as a veil of gauze, or a cloud of incense-smoke."
Also the Apis Bull/Mithraic/Solar Bull having a strong importance to Crowley as ushering in the New Aeon, Crowley writing:
It is necessary for us to consider carefully the problems connected with the bloody sacrifice, for this question is indeed traditionally important in Magick. Nigh all ancient Magick revolves around this matter. In particular all the Osirian religions --- the rites of the Dying God --- refer to this. The slaying of Osiris and Adonis; the mutilation of Attis; the cults of Mexico and Peru; the story of Hercules or Melcarth; the legends of Dionysus and of Mithra, are all connected with this one idea.
One last word on this subject. There is a Magical operation of maximum importance: the Initiation of a New Aeon. When it becomes necessary to utter a Word, the whole Planet must be bathed in blood. Before man is ready to accept the Law of Thelema, the Great War must be fought. This Bloody Sacrifice is the critical point of the World-Ceremony of the Proclamation of Horus, the Crowned and conquering Child, as Lord of the Aeon.
But apart from the Apis-Bull, did the ill-ordered house still contain a third Stele 666? Apparently so:
"666. Siliceous Limestone.
Stela found by E. Brugsch Bey at Tmal el-Amdid. It contains a decree of Ptolemy II in honour of the Ram of Mendes and of a deified daughter of the king. Some fragments , which were wanting on both side , were recovered a few years ago. — Ptolemaic period."
To help you in your search, my guess is that this stela is what is known as "The Great Stela of Mendes", "mendesstele" in German, and it currently bears the number 22181. It is large and famous among Egyptologists, and it has been published several times over the past century and a half, but I could not find a picture of it with any number on it, so I'll leave that to you.
Maspero’s “Guide to the Cairo Museum” describes that 666 item as: It contains a decree of Ptolemy II in honour of the ram of Mendes and of a deified daughter of the king.
If this truly is the same Stela as the "The Great Stela of Mendes", the description in Maspero's "Guide to the Cairo Museum" must be an error, because the Great Stela of Mendes descibres the deification of Arsinoe II, the Wife/Queen of Ptolemy, not the deification of his daughter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsinoe_II#Deification.
Otherwise the description seems to fit the Great Stela of Mendes/Mendes Stele. If not, it is possible that the Stela in question might be a smaller reproduction of the Great Stele of Mendes, at least similar item was also found in the same place at Timal el-Admid as documented in Annual Egyptological Bibliography 1976 by Jac J. Janssen. Decipting the same scene in a smaller scale as shown here:
I just personally find it interesting, in terms of this current topic, that there were 2 other items numbered 666 in the ill-ordered house that certainly had some relevance to Abominations. And especially if the other (or 3rd) Stela truly is the same as the one that decipts the scene of Ram of Mendes enthroned.
I'm not going to speculate did Crowley ever encounter this Ram of Mendes during his travels in Egypt, but I am finally going to end this long post with a quote from Book of Lies, Chapter 33 "Baphomet":
So spake IACOBUS BURGUNDUS MOLENSIS [17] the Grand Master of the Temple; and of the GOD that is Ass-headed did he dare not speak.
[17] His initials I.B.M. are the initials of the Three Pillars of the Temple, and add to 52, 13x4, BN, the Son.
As I’m sure you know, 718 divided by 4 equals 179.5
If you, like the ancient qabalists, employ the sacred method of ‘give or take’ then I’m sure this means something. If you do not, then I hope you have at least had a laugh at my expense, as I did when I saw the ½ distance I was from success.
Dwtw
You were actually right on the money in one sense: in Trigrammaton Gematria 179 = Ankh-f-n-khonsu.
