Aleph, of the Alphabet of Moses, a Geometric Analysis and Transformation through Lamed, & Lichfield Cathedral
“When God began to create heaven and earth, and the earth was welter and waste and darkness over the deep and God’s breath over the waters, God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And it was the evening and it was the morning, first day.” Genesis 1:1–5 (Robert Alter)
Lichfield Cathedral Kabbalistic Key (Sefer Yetzirah)
The first person mentioned in the Bible as a “Hebrew” is Abraham (known as Abram before God changed his name). Abraham is believed the be the author of the oldest Kabbalistic text, the Sefer Yetzirah. The author believes that Lichfield Cathedral was built according to the geometric principles laid out by Abraham in the Sefer Yetzirah. This text describes the construction of the fifth dimensional “Tree of Life”, containing ten divine emanations or “Sephirot”.
In other articles we described how the Hebrew alphabet represents the architectural segments of Lichfield Cathedral.
When God began to create heaven and earth
“One becomes three, becomes seven.”
For God to become known, He must express Himself from the “All in Noting”, as described genetically by the point, the zero-dimension, representing everything as drawn in two (actually all) dimensions. He does this by drawing a circle, describing some “limit” within which He can create. This is the circle. The circle forms within itself to create potential, which we call the heavens or the ‘upper worlds’ (coloured blue below).
“‘An infinite sphere, whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere”, Liber XXIV Philosophorum, a Latin booklet, attr. Marinus Victorinus, 4th century.
To give form to this potential, He divides again, and so the Earth is formed (in green above). Alternatively, this can be represented by a complete reproduction of the heavens as shown below, which may be the geometric source of the quote near the beginning of the Zohar, “Just as a rose has thirteen petals.”
Tzimtzum
Constructing the Paleo-Hebrew Aleph
The Zohar, the principal book of Jewish mysticism, teaches that the letter aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, represents the divine and that all other letters of the alphabet are derived from it. According to the Zohar, the letter aleph is transformed into the other letters as the divine energy descends into the physical world, becoming embodied in the various forms and manifestations of creation. The different letters are seen as different levels or aspects of the divine, with each letter representing a different aspect of God’s nature or a different stage in the process of creation.
Let us build the Paleo-Hebrew letter aleph using the first principles of the above geometry. Whilst these geometric expansions may appear Euclidean, the author knows that the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet precedes Euclid.
Therefore, using our model, the Paleo-Hebrew letter Aleph is formed by connecting the centres of the circles (lines in red) formed by our geometric expression of Genesis 1:1. Straight lines coming from the overlapping of circles are light. Light is formed by God connecting with Himself across the space and time He has already created. This is why angels are made from light (Islam).
It is, therefore, only natural that all other letters are derived from this. In addition, we see a reflection symmetry in this design through the blue line. This reflection, like God, sees Himself in a mirror, forms triangles of 30–60–90 degrees. Moses himself is, of course, this point of reflection and why his face shone after he had communed with God on Mount Sinai.
This triangle is also key to understanding the Pythagorean formula x² + y² = z². The length of its sides, 3–4–5, also provides the basic measure for architecture and construction, allowing the generation of an accurate right angle and the aforementioned angles, essential for the building of sound buildings. Note the gematria for Moses is also 345.
The 30–60–90 degree triangle is found throughout Lichfield Cathedral, most notably in its position on the compass bearing.
And now placing our constructed Aleph on the floor plan of Lichfield Cathedral. It is also no coincidence that Lichfield Cathedral is built halfway up a hill, just as Moses would descend Mount Sinai to preach to the Hebrews in the wilderness.
The transformation of Aleph into other Paleo-Hebrew letters
In an earlier article, we used simple geometry to construct the first part of the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet.
Here we describe how aleph may be transformed into the Paleo-Hebrew letters up to Lamed.
Beth
The letter beth is derived from aleph by adding a horizontal stroke to the bottom of the diagonal strokes, creating a shape that resembles a rectangle with an open top.
Other letters of the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet are similarly derived from aleph or other letters in the alphabet by adding, subtracting, or modifying strokes, lines, or angles. The transformations are not random but follow specific rules and conventions that reflect the evolution of the script over time and its adaptation to different languages and cultures.
Gimmel
In the Paleo-Hebrew script, the letter gimmel is derived from the letter aleph by adding a horizontal stroke to the top of the aleph. The resulting shape of gimmel is a combination of the diagonal strokes of aleph and the horizontal stroke added to the top.
Gimmel is the third letter in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of three. It represents the idea of giving or generosity and is associated with the Hebrew word “g’milut chasadim,” which means “acts of loving-kindness.”
Dalet
The letter dalet is derived from the letter aleph by adding a horizontal stroke to the right of the central point where the two diagonal strokes meet. This stroke extends to the right, forming a right angle with the diagonal stroke that points to the left. The resulting shape of dalet is a triangle with a flat base and a diagonal stroke that extends upward to the left.
Dalet is the fourth letter in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of four. It is considered to represent the idea of a doorway or a threshold and is associated with the Hebrew word “dal,” which means “poor” or “needy.” The shape of the letter dalet is also said to resemble the shape of a door, with the horizontal stroke representing the threshold and the diagonal stroke representing the doorpost.
Heh
The letter heh is derived from the letter aleph by adding horizontal strokes to the upper left side of the top, central point and lower right side of the aleph. The resulting shape of heh is a rectangle with an open top and a diagonal stroke that extends upward to the left.
Heh is the fifth letter in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of five. It is considered to represent the idea of breath or spirit, and is associated with the Hebrew word “ruach,” which means “spirit” or “wind.” The shape of the letter heh is also said to resemble the human form, with the diagonal stroke representing the head and the horizontal stroke representing the arms and torso.
Vav
The letter vav is derived from the letter aleph by adding a vertical stroke to the central point where the two diagonal strokes meet. The resulting shape of vav is a straight line that extends downward from the central point of aleph.
Vav is the sixth letter in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of six. It is considered to represent the idea of a hook or a connection and is associated with the Hebrew word “vav,” which means “hook” or “peg.” The shape of the letter vav is also said to resemble a hook or a nail and is often used in the Hebrew language as a conjunction, connecting words and phrases together.
Zayin
The letter zayin is derived from the letter aleph by adding a horizontal stroke to the lower right side of the central point where the two diagonal strokes meet, and extending it to the left. The resulting shape of zayin is a diagonal stroke that extends to the left and has a small horizontal stroke at its end.
Zayin is the seventh letter in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of seven. It is considered to represent the idea of a weapon or a sword and is associated with the Hebrew word “zayin,” which means “weapon” or “sword”, and is sometimes used in Jewish mysticism to represent the idea of spiritual warfare. The shape of the letter zayin is also said to resemble a plough.
Chet
The letter chet is derived from the letter aleph by adding a diagonal stroke to the upper left side of the central point where the two diagonal strokes meet. Then add a parallel stroke to the base of the right side of aleph. Then joining the upper and lower parts of these parallel lines.
Chet is the eighth letter in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of eight. It is considered to represent the idea of a fence or an enclosure and is associated with the Hebrew word “chet,” which means “fence” or “enclosure.” The shape of the letter chet is also said to resemble a fence or a wall and is sometimes used in Jewish mysticism to represent the idea of separation or distinction between the holy and the profane.
Teth
The letter teth is not directly derived from the letter aleph, but rather from the letter chet. However, the letter chet itself is derived from aleph by adding a diagonal stroke to the upper left side of the central point where the two diagonal strokes meet. The letter teth is derived from chet by adding a horizontal stroke to the bottom of the diagonal stroke that extends upward to the left. The resulting shape of teth is a shape that resembles a hook with a horizontal stroke at the bottom.
Teth is the ninth letter in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of nine. It is considered to represent the idea of a serpent or a twist and is associated with the Hebrew word “teth,” which means “serpent” or “twist.” This is more evident in the modern Hebrew teth. The shape of the Paleo-Hebrew letter teth is also said to resemble a basket. It is sometimes used in Jewish mysticism to represent the idea of spiritual transformation or healing.
Yod
the letter yod is derived from the letter vav, which is itself derived from aleph. The transformation of aleph to vav is achieved by adding a vertical stroke to the central point where the two diagonal strokes meet. The resulting shape of vav is a straight line that extends downward from the central point of aleph. Then, the transformation of waw to yod is achieved by reducing the size of the vertical stroke and shifting it to the left, so that it becomes a small dot or point to the left of the diagonal stroke.
Yod is the tenth letter in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of ten. It is considered to represent the idea of a hand or work or a deed and is associated with the Hebrew word “yad,” which means “arm & hand” or “power.” The shape of the letter yod is also said to resemble a hand or a finger and is sometimes used in Jewish mysticism to represent the idea of divine power or creative energy.
Kaph
the letter kaph is derived from the letter yod, which itself is derived from the letter waw, which is derived from aleph. To continue with the derivation of kaph: the letter kaph is derived from yod by adding a horizontal stroke to the top of the diagonal stroke. The resulting shape of kaph is a rectangle with an open bottom and a diagonal stroke that extends upward to the left.
Kaph is the eleventh letter in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet and has a numerical value of twenty. It is considered to represent the idea of a palm or a hand, and is associated with the Hebrew word “kaf,” which means “palm” or “power.” The shape of the letter kaph is also said to resemble a hand or a fist, and is sometimes used in Jewish mysticism to represent the idea of divine power or strength.
Lamed
The letter lamed is derived by shortening the left side of aleph. However, the letter lamed is traditionally thought to have developed from an earlier pictogram of a shepherd’s staff, which may have had some connection to the original shape of aleph. The letter represents the number thirty. It is said that the shepherd’s staff, which was used to guide, discipline and protect the flock, was seen as a symbol of leadership and authority and was therefore associated with the idea of a ruler or a king responsible for guiding and protecting his people. In this sense, lamed came to represent the idea of authority or leadership.
The transformation of aleph to lamed with a curved arm is not achieved by graphic derivation but rather through a more abstract association of ideas and concepts. The connection between aleph and blamed, in this sense, is not a direct transformation but rather a symbolic one based on cultural and historical associations.
In our next article, we look at the second part of the alphabet from Mem to Tav.
Eye of Heaven — Lichfield Cathedral, a Theory of Everything
“Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines.” Shakespeare, Sonnet 18
Footnotes
The Ancient Hebrew Language and Alphabet. Jeff A Benner. Published by Virtualbookworm.com 2004
Artificial intelligence was used to facilitate the construction of this article.
