Isaac Newton's occult studies

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Colorized engraving after Enoch Seeman's 1726 portrait of Newton
Life of
Isaac Newton
Early life
Middle years
Later life
Writing Principia
Religious views
Occult studies
v t e
Isaac Newton produced many works that would now be classified as occult studies.
These works explored chronology, alchemy, and Biblical interpretation (especial
ly of the Apocalypse). Newton's scientific work may have been of lesser personal
importance to him, as he placed emphasis on rediscovering the occult wisdom of
the ancients. In this sense, some[1] believe that any reference to a "Newtonian
Worldview" as being purely mechanical in nature is somewhat inaccurate.
After purchasing and studying Newton's alchemical works in 1942, economist John
Maynard Keynes, for example, opined that "Newton was not the first of the age of
reason, he was the last of the magicians". In the Early Modern Period of Newton
's lifetime, the educated embraced a world view different from that of later cen
turies. Distinctions between science, superstition, and pseudoscience were still
being formulated, and a devoutly Christian Biblical perspective permeated Weste
rn culture.
Contents [hide]
1 Alchemical research
2 Writings
2.1 The Philosopher's Stone
3 Biblical studies
3.1 Newton's studies of the Temple of Solomon
3.2 Newton's prophecy
3.3 2060
4 Newton's chronology
4.1 Newton's Atlantis
5 Newton and secret societies
5.1 Newton and The Rosicrucians
6 References
7 External links
Alchemical research[edit]
Much of what are known as Isaac Newton's occult studies can largely be attribute
d to his study of alchemy.[2] Newton was deeply interested in all forms of natur
al sciences and materials science, an interest which would ultimately lead to so
me of his better-known contributions to science. During Newton's lifetime the st
udy of chemistry was still in its infancy, so many of his experimental studies u
sed esoteric language and vague terminology more typically associated with alche
my and occultism.[3] It was not until several decades after Newton's death that
experiments of stoichiometry under the pioneering works of Antoine Lavoisier wer
e conducted, and analytical chemistry, with its associated nomenclature, came to
resemble modern chemistry as we know it today. However, Newton's contemporary a
nd fellow Royal Society member, Robert Boyle, had already discovered the basic c
oncepts of modern chemistry and began establishing modern norms of experimental
practice and communication in chemistry, information which Newton did not utiliz

e.
Much of Newton's writing on alchemy may have been lost in a fire in his laborato
ry, so the true extent of his work in this area may have been larger than is cur
rently known. Newton also suffered a nervous breakdown during his period of alch
emical work, which is thought by some to have resulted from the psychological tr
ansformation alchemy was originally designed to induce[citation needed], though
there is also speculation that it may have been some form of chemical poisoning
(possibly from mercury, lead, or some other substance).[4]
An 1874 engraving showing a probably apocryphal account of Newton's lab fire. In
the story, Newton's dog started the fire, burning 20 years of research. Newton
is thought to have said,
"O Diamond, Diamond, thou little knowest the mischief thou hast done."[5]
Newton's writings suggest that one of the main goals of his alchemy may have bee
n the discovery of The Philosopher's Stone (a material believed to turn base met
als into gold), and perhaps to a lesser extent, the discovery of the highly cove
ted Elixir of Life.[4] Newton reportedly believed that a Diana's Tree, an alchem
ical demonstration producing a dendritic "growth" of silver from solution, was e
vidence that metals "possessed a sort of life."[6]
Some practices of alchemy were banned in England during Newton's lifetime, due i
n part to unscrupulous practitioners who would often promise wealthy benefactors
unrealistic results in an attempt to swindle them. The English Crown, also fear
ing the potential devaluation of gold, should The Philosopher's Stone actually b
e discovered, made penalties for alchemy very severe. In some cases the punishme
nt for unsanctioned alchemy would include the public hanging of an offender on a
gilded scaffold while adorned with tinsel and other unspecified items.[4]
Writings[edit]
Due to the threat of punishment and the potential scrutiny he feared from his pe
ers within the scientific community, Newton may have deliberately left his work
on alchemical subjects unpublished. Newton was well known as being highly sensit
ive to criticism, such as the numerous instances when he was criticized by Rober
t Hooke, and his admitted reluctance to publish any substantial information rega
rding calculus before 1693. A perfectionist by nature, Newton also refrained fro
m publication of material that he felt was incomplete, as evident from a 38-year
gap from Newton's conception of calculus in 1666 and its final full publication
in 1704, which would ultimately lead to the infamous Leibniz Newton calculus cont
roversy. In 1936, a collection of Isaac Newton's unpublished works were auctione
d by Sotheby's on behalf of Gerard Wallop, 9th Earl of Portsmouth, who had inher
ited them from Newton's great-niece. Known as the "Portsmouth Papers", this mate
rial consisted of three hundred and twenty-nine lots of Newton's manuscripts, ov
er a third of which were filled with content that appeared to be alchemical in n
ature. At the time of Newton's death this material was considered "unfit to publ
ish" by Newton's estate, and consequently fell into obscurity until their somewh
at sensational reemergence in 1936.[7]
At the auction many of these documents were purchased by economist John Maynard
Keynes, who throughout his life collected many of Newton's alchemical writings.
Much of the Keynes collection later passed to eccentric document collector Abrah
am Yahuda, who was himself a vigorous collector of Isaac Newton's original manus
cripts.
Many of the documents collected by Keynes and Yahuda are now in the Jewish Natio
nal and University Library in Jerusalem. In recent years, several projects have
begun to gather, catalogue, and transcribe the fragmented collection of Newton's
work on alchemical subjects and make them freely available for on-line access.
Two of these are The Chymistry of Isaac Newton Project[8] supported by the U.S.

National Science Foundation, and The Newton Project[9] supported by the U.K. Art
s and Humanities Research Board. In addition, The Jewish National and University
Library has published a number of high-quality scanned images of various Newton
documents.[10]
The Philosopher's Stone[edit]
Of the material sold during the 1936 Sotheby's auction, several documents indica
te an interest by Newton in the procurement or development of the Philosopher's
Stone. Most notably are documents entitled Artephius his secret Book, followed b
y The Epistle of Iohn Pontanus, wherein he beareth witness of ye book of Artephi
us; these are themselves a collection of excerpts from another work entitled Nic
holas Flammel, His Exposition of the Hieroglyphicall Figures which he caused to
be painted upon an Arch in St Innocents Church-yard in Paris. Together with The
secret Booke of Artephius, And the Epistle of Iohn Pontanus: Containing both the
Theoricke and the Practicke of the Philosophers Stone. This work may also have
been referenced by Newton in its Latin version found within Lazarus Zetzner's Th
eatrum Chemicum, a volume often associated with the Turba Philosophorum and othe
r early European alchemical manuscripts. Nicolas Flamel, one subject of the afor
ementioned work, was a notable, though mysterious figure, often associated with
the discovery of the Philosopher's Stone, hieroglyphical figures, early forms of
tarot, and occultism. Artephius, and his "secret book", were also subjects of i
nterest to 17th century alchemists.
Also in the 1936 auction of Newton's collection was The Epitome of the treasure
of health written by Edwardus Generosus Anglicus innominatus who lived Anno Domi
ni 1562. This is a twenty-eight page treatise on the Philosopher's Stone, the An
imal or Angelicall Stone, the Prospective stone or magical stone of Moses, and t
he vegetable or the growing stone. The treatise concludes with an alchemical poe
m.
Biblical studies[edit]
In a manuscript he wrote in 1704 in which he describes his attempts to extract s
cientific information from the Bible, Newton estimated that the world would end
no earlier than 2060. In predicting this he said, "This I mention not to assert
when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the rash conjectures of
fanciful men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, and by doing so
bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail."[
11]
Newton's studies of the Temple of Solomon[edit]
Newton studied and wrote extensively upon the Temple of Solomon, dedicating an e
ntire chapter of The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms to his observations regardin
g the temple. Newton's primary source for information was the description of the
structure given within 1 Kings of the Hebrew Bible, which he translated himself
from Hebrew.[12]
Isaac Newton's diagram of part of the Temple of Solomon, taken from Plate 1 of T
he Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms. Published London, 1728.
In addition to scripture, Newton also relied upon various ancient and contempora
ry sources while studying the temple. He believed that many ancient sources were
endowed with sacred wisdom[4] and that the proportions of many of their temples
were in themselves sacred. This belief would lead Newton to examine many archit
ectural works of Hellenistic Greece, as well as Roman sources such as Vitruvius,
in a search for their occult knowledge. This concept, often termed prisca sapie
ntia (sacred wisdom and also the ancient wisdom that was revealed to Adam and Mo
ses directly by God), was a common belief of many scholars during Newton's lifet
ime.[13]
A more contemporary source for Newton's studies of the temple was Juan Bautista

Villalpando, who just a few decades earlier had published an influential manuscr
ipt entitled Ezechielem Explanationes, in which Villalpando comments on the visi
ons of the biblical prophet Ezekiel, including within this work his own interpre
tations and elaborate reconstructions of Solomon's Temple. In its time, Villalpa
ndo's work on the temple produced a great deal of interest throughout Europe and
had a significant impact upon later architects and scholars.[14][15]
As a Bible scholar, Newton was initially interested in the sacred geometry of So
lomon's Temple, such as golden sections, conic sections, spirals, orthographic p
rojection, and other harmonious constructions, but he also believed that the dim
ensions and proportions represented more. He noted that the temple's measurement
s given in the Bible are mathematical problems, related to solutions for \pi and
the volume of a hemisphere, V = (2/3)\pi r^3, and in a larger sense that they w
ere references to the size of the Earth and man's place and proportion to it.[ci
tation needed]
Newton believed that the temple was designed by King Solomon with privileged eye
s and divine guidance. To Newton, the geometry of the temple represented more th
an a mathematical blueprint, it also provided a time-frame chronology of Hebrew
history.[16] It was for this reason that he included a chapter devoted to the te
mple within The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms, a section which initially may se
em unrelated to the historical nature of the book as a whole.
Newton felt that just as the writings of ancient philosophers, scholars, and Bib
lical figures contained within them unknown sacred wisdom, the same was true of
their architecture. He believed that these men had hidden their knowledge in a c
omplex code of symbolic and mathematical language that, when deciphered, would r
eveal an unknown knowledge of how nature works.[13]
In 1675 Newton annotated a copy of Manna - a disquisition of the nature of alche
my, an anonymous treatise which had been given to him by his fellow scholar Ezek
iel Foxcroft. In his annotation Newton reflected upon his reasons for examining
Solomon's Temple by writing:
This philosophy, both speculative and active, is not only to be found in the vol
ume of nature, but also in the sacred scriptures, as in Genesis, Job, Psalms, Is
aiah and others. In the knowledge of this philosophy, God made Solomon the great
est philosopher in the world.[16]
During Newton's lifetime, there was great interest in the Temple of Solomon in E
urope, due to the success of Villalpando's publications, and augmented by a vogu
e for detailed engravings and physical models presented in various galleries for
public viewing. In 1628, Judah Leon Templo produced a model of the temple and s
urrounding Jerusalem, which was popular in its day. Around 1692, Gerhard Schott
produced a highly detailed model of the temple for use in an opera in Hamburg co
mposed by Christian Heinrich Postel. This immense 13-foot-high (4.0 m) and 80-fo
ot-around (24 m) model was later sold in 1725 and was exhibited in London as ear
ly as 1723, and then later temporarily installed at the London Royal Exchange fr
om 1729 1730, where it could be viewed for half-a-crown. Sir Isaac Newton's most c
omprehensive work on the temple, found within The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms
, was published posthumously in 1728, only adding to the public interest in the
temple.[17]
Newton's prophecy[edit]
Newton considered himself to be one of a select group of individuals who were sp
ecially chosen by God for the task of understanding Biblical scripture.[18] He w
as a strong believer in prophetic interpretation of the Bible, and like many of
his contemporaries in Protestant England, he developed a strong affinity and dee
p admiration for the teachings and works of Joseph Mede. Though he never wrote a
cohesive body of work on prophecy, Newton's belief led him to write several tre

atises on the subject, including an unpublished guide for prophetic interpretati

on entitled Rules for interpreting the words & language in Scripture. In this ma
nuscript he details the necessary requirements for what he considered to be the
proper interpretation of the Bible.
In addition, Newton would spend much of his life seeking and revealing what coul
d be considered a Bible Code. He placed a great deal of emphasis upon the interp
retation of the Book of Revelation, writing generously upon this book and author
ing several manuscripts detailing his interpretations. Unlike a prophet in the t
rue sense of the word, Newton relied upon existing Scripture to prophesy for him
, believing his interpretations would set the record straight in the face of wha
t he considered to be "so little understood".[19] In 1754, 27 years after his de
ath, Isaac Newton's treatise, An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions o
f Scripture would be published, and though it does not argue any prophetic meani
ng, it does exemplify what Newton considered to be just one popular misunderstan
ding of Scripture.
Although Newton's approach to these studies could not be considered a scientific
approach, he did write as if his findings were the result of evidence-based res
earch.
2060[edit]
In late February and early March 2003, a large amount of media attention circula
ted around the globe regarding largely unknown and unpublished documents, eviden
tly written by Isaac Newton, indicating that he believed the world would end no
earlier than 2060. The story garnered vast amounts of public interest and found
its way onto the front page of several widely distributed newspapers, including
the UK's Daily Telegraph, Canada's National Post, Israel's Maariv and Yediot Aha
ronot, and was also featured in an article in the scientific journal Canadian Jo
urnal of History.[20] Television and Internet stories in the following weeks hei
ghtened the exposure and ultimately would include the production of several docu
mentary films focused upon the topic of the 2060 prediction and some of Newton's
lesser known beliefs and practices.
The two documents detailing this prediction are currently
sh National and University Library in Jerusalem.[20] Both
itten toward the end of Newton's life, circa 1705, a time
ablished by the use of the full title of Sir Isaac Newton
documents.

housed within the Jewi

were believed to be wr
frame most notably est
within portions of the

These documents do not appear to have been written with the intention of publica
tion and Newton expressed a strong personal dislike for individuals who provided
specific dates for the Apocalypse purely for sensational value. Furthermore, he
at no time provides a specific date for the end of the world in either of these
documents.[20]
To understand the reasoning behind the 2060 prediction, an understanding of Newt
on's theological beliefs should be taken into account, particularly his apparent
antitrinitarian beliefs and his Protestant views on the Papacy. Both of these l
ay essential to his calculations, which ultimately would provide the 2060 time f
rame. See Isaac Newton's religious views for more details.
The first document, part of the Yahuda collection,[21] is a small letter slip, o
n the back of which is written haphazardly in Newton's hand:
Prop. 1. The 2300 prophetick days did not commence before the rise of the little
horn of the He Goat.
2 Those day [sic] did not commence a[f]ter the destruction of Jerusalem & ye Tem
ple by the Romans A.[D.] 70.

3 The time times & half a time did not commence before the year 800 in wch the P
opes supremacy commenced
4 They did not commence after the re[ig]ne of Gregory the 7th. 1084
5 The 1290 days did not commence b[e]fore the year 842.
6 They did not commence after the reigne of Pope Greg. 7th. 1084
7 The diffence [sic] between the 1290 & 1335 days are a parts of the seven weeks
.
Therefore the 2300 years do not end before ye year 2132 nor after 2370. The time
times & half time do n[o]t end before 2060 nor after [2344] The 1290 days do no
t begin [this should read: end] before 2090 nor after 1374 [sic; Newton probably
means 2374][20]
The second reference to the 2060 prediction can be found in a folio,[22] in whic
h Newton writes:
So then the time times & half a time are 42 months or 1260 days or three years &
an half, recconing twelve months to a yeare & 30 days to a month as was done in
the Calendar of the primitive year. And the days of short lived Beasts being pu
t for the years of lived [sic for "long lived"] kingdoms, the period of 1260 day
s, if dated from the complete conquest of the three kings A.C. 800, will end A.C
. 2060. It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner. This I ment
ion not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the ra
sh conjectures of fancifull men who are frequently predicting the time of the en
d, & by doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their pr
edictions fail. Christ comes as a thief in the night, & it is not for us to know
the times & seasons wch God hath put into his own breast.[20]
Clearly Newton's mathematical prediction of the end of the world is one derived
from his interpretation of not only scripture, but also one based upon his theol
ogical viewpoint regarding specific chronological dates and events as he saw the
m.
Newton may not have been referring to the post 2060 event as a destructive act r
esulting in the annihilation of the globe and its inhabitants, but rather one in
which he believed the world, as he saw it, was to be replaced with a new one ba
sed upon a transition to an era of divinely inspired peace. In Christian and Isl
amic theology this concept is often referred to as The Second Coming of Jesus Ch
rist and the establishment of The Kingdom of God on Earth. In a separate manuscr
ipt,[23] Isaac Newton paraphrases Revelation 21 and 22 and relates the post 2060
events by writing:
A new heaven & new earth. New Jerusalem comes down from heaven prepared as a Bri
de adorned for her husband. The marriage supper. God dwells with men wipes away
all tears from their eyes, gives them of ye fountain of living water & creates a
ll thin things new saying, It is done. The glory & felicity of the New Jerusalem
is represented by a building of Gold & Gemms enlightened by the glory of God &
ye Lamb & watered by ye river of Paradise on ye banks of which grows the tree of
life. Into this city the kings of the earth do bring their glory & that of the
nations & the saints reign for ever & ever.[20]
Newton's chronology[edit]
Isaac Newton wrote extensively upon the historical topic of Chronology. In 1728
"The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms", an approximately 87,000 word composition t
hat details the rise and history of various ancient kingdoms was published. The

publication date of this work occurred after his death, though the majority of i
t had been reviewed for publication by Newton himself shortly before he died. As
such, this work represents one of his last known personally reviewed publicatio
ns. Sometime around 1701 he also produced a thirty page unpublished treatise ent
itled "The Original of Monarchies" detailing the rise of several monarchs throug
hout antiquity and tracing them back to the biblical figure of Noah.[24]
Newton's chronological writing is Eurocentric, with the earliest records focusin
g upon Greece, Anatolia, Egypt, and the Levant. Many of Newton's dates do not co
rrelate with current historical knowledge. While Newton mentions several pre-his
torical events found within The Bible, the oldest actual historical date he prov
ides is 1125 BC. In this entry he mentions Mephres, a ruler over Upper Egypt fro
m the territories of Syene to Heliopolis, and his successor Misphragmuthosis. Ho
wever, during 1125 BC the Pharaoh of Egypt is now understood to be Ramesses IX.
Though some of the dates Newton provides for various events are inaccurate by mo
dern standards, archaeology as a form of modern science did not exist in Newton'
s time. In fact, the majority of the conclusionary dates which Newton cites are
based on the works of Herodotus, Pliny, Plutarch, Homer, and various other class
ical historians, authors, and poets; themselves often citing secondary sources a
nd oral records of uncertain date. Newton's approach to chronology was focused u
pon gathering historical information from various sources found throughout antiq
uity and cataloguing them according to their appropriate date by his contemporar
y understanding, standards, and available source material.
Newton's Atlantis[edit]
Found within The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms, are several passages that direc
tly mention the mythical land of Atlantis. The first such passage is part of his
Short Chronicle which indicates his belief that Homer's Ulysses left the island
of Ogygia in 896 BC. In Greek mythology, Ogygia was home to Calypso, the daught
er of Atlas (after whom Atlantis was named). Some scholars have suggested that O
gygia and Atlantis are locationally connected, or possibly the same island. From
his writings it appears Newton may have shared this belief. Newton also lists C
adis or Cales as possible candidates for Ogygia, though does not cite his reason
s for believing so. Within the same material Newton mentions that according to a
ncient sources, Atlantis had been as big as all Europe, Africa and Asia, but was
sunk into the Sea.
Newton and secret societies[edit]
Isaac Newton has often been associated with various secret societies and fratern
al orders throughout history. Due to the secretive nature of such organizations,
lack of supportive publicized material, and dubious motives for claiming Newton
's participation in these groups, it is difficult to establish his actual member
ship in any specific organization.[25]
Regardless of his own membership status, Newton was a known associate of many in
dividuals who themselves have often been labeled as members of various esoteric
groups. It is unclear if these associations were a result of his being a well es
tablished and prominently publicized scholar, an early member and sitting Presid
ent of The Royal Society (1703 1727), a prominent figure of State and Master of th
e Mint, a recognized Knight, or if Newton actually sought active membership with
in these esoteric organizations himself. Considering the nature and legality of
alchemical practices during his lifetime, as well as his possession of various m
aterials and manuscripts pertaining to alchemical research, Newton may very well
have been a member of a group of like minded thinkers and colleagues. The organ
ized level of this group (if in fact any existed), the level of their secrecy, a
s well as the depth of Newton's involvement within them, remains unclear.
Though Newton was largely considered a reclusive personality and not prone to so
cializing, during his lifetime being a member of "Societies" or "Clubs" was a ve

ry popular form of interpersonal networking. Considering his esteemed social sta

tus, it is probable that Newton would have had a least some contact with such gr
oups at various levels. He was most certainly a member of The Royal Society of L
ondon for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge and the Spalding Gentlemen's Soci
ety,[26][27] however, these are considered learned societies, not esoteric socie
ties. Newton's membership status within any particular secret society remains ve
rifiably allusive and largely speculative, however, it still lends itself to pop
ular sensationalism.
Newton and The Rosicrucians[edit]
Perhaps the movement which most influenced Isaac Newton was Rosicrucianism.[28]
Though the Rosicrucian movement had caused a great deal of excitement within Eur
ope's scholarly community during the early seventeenth century, by the time Newt
on had reached maturity the movement had become less sensationalized. However, t
he Rosicrucian movement still would have a profound influence upon Newton, parti
cularly in regard to his alchemical work and philosophical thought.
The Rosicrucian belief in being specially chosen for the ability to communicate
with angels or spirits is echoed in Newton's prophetic beliefs. Additionally, th
e Rosicrucians proclaimed to have the ability to live forever through the use of
the elixir vitae and the ability to produce limitless amounts of time and gold
from the use of The Philosopher's Stone, which they claimed to have in their pos
session. Like Newton, the Rosicrucians were deeply religious, avowedly Christian
, anti-Catholic, and highly politicised. Isaac Newton would have a deep interest
in not just their alchemical pursuits, but also their belief in esoteric truths
of the ancient past and the belief in enlightened individuals with the ability
to gain insight into nature, the physical universe, and the spiritual realm.[28]
At the time of his death, Isaac Newton had 169 books on the topic of alchemy in
his personal library, and was believed to have considerably more books on this t
opic during his Cambridge years, though he may have sold them before moving to L
ondon in 1696. For its time, his was considered one of the finest alchemical lib
raries in the world. In his library, Newton left behind a heavily annotated pers
onal copy of The Fame and Confession of the Fraternity R.C., by Thomas Vaughan w
hich represents an English translation of The Rosicrucian Manifestos. Newton als
o possessed copies of Themis Aurea and Symbola Aurea Mensae Duodecium by the lea
rned alchemist Michael Maier, both of which are significant early books about th
e Rosicrucian movement. These books were also extensively annotated by Newton.[2
8]
Newton's ownership of these materials by no means denotes membership within any
early Rosicrucian order. Furthermore, considering that his personal alchemical i
nvestigations were focused upon discovering materials which the Rosicrucians pro
fessed to already be in possession of long before he was born, would seem to som
e to exclude Newton from their membership. However, in religious terms, the fact
q
that a saint might have 'found God' would not preclude others from the search
uite the opposite. The Ancient & Mystical Order Rosae Crucis has always claimed
Newton as a frater.[29] During his own life, Newton was openly 'accused' of bein
g a Rosicrucian, as were many members of The Royal Society.[30] Though it is not
known for sure if Isaac Newton was in fact a Rosicrucian, and he never publicly
identified himself as one, from his writings it does appear that he may have sh
ared many of their sentiments and beliefs.