The Benbine Table and Tablet of Cebes.

kwaw

Surprised you didn't reference The Isiac Tablet of Cardinal Bembo by Westcott:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/isi/isi02.htm

For anyone who hasn't heard of the Tablet of Cebes (actually a Greek dialogue discussing the allegorical interpretation of a picture in the Temple of Chronos, rather than the picture itself) the Greek text here has a useful summary in English in the introduction:

https://archive.org/details/cebestabletwithi00cebeiala

And there is an English version here:

https://archive.org/details/greekpilgrimspro00cebeuoft

I am not sure I follow from your blog entry how we are supposed to conclude that:

"...we are once again forced to consider an Egyptian origin for the Tarot and the symbols of the major arcana."

Nothing you mention inclines me to such a conclusion at all.

The Tablet of Cebes has been called the Greek 'Pilgrim's Progress'. Even if one chose to interpret the Tarot sequence as an allegory akin to that the the Tablet of Cebes, how that would that make it any more 'Egyptian' than Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress?
 

ravenest

I found it a bit of a mixed jumble myself.

Even a simple source as wiki states " Although the scenes are Egyptianising, they do not depict Egyptian rites. Figures are shown with non-customary attributes, making it unclear which are divinities and which kings or queens. Egyptian motifs are used without rhyme or reason. However, the central figure is recognisable as Isis, suggesting that the Tablet originated in some Roman centre of her worship. "

So clearly non-Egyptian.

Why go to all that trouble ?

Why did people go to all that trouble ( and still do ! ) to make, copy, add to the 'Gosford hieroglyphs ' ( ancient Egyptians sail to Australia and make contact with Aboriginals :rolleyes: ) and still write books about it, try to force some fake antiquity on it, give lectures on it ( and charge admission ;) ) ... that's a lot of trouble . Also on examination of the 'hieroglyphics' they come up pretty much the same as the BeMbine tablet (also note the M ... Bishop Bembo, not Benbo ( Good Lord ! Before long it might even turn into the Bimbine Tablet ;) ) - that is done by and collated together by a copyist with little real knowledge.

The same reason why , in the Royal Arch, the plate with the word and symbols on it is supposed to have been 'treasure' found at King Solon's Temple .... The vault of Christian Rosenkreutz ... where a preserved body was found ... and so on. The 'why' isnt THAT hard to figure.

The article on 'occultum' even states " Because it was most likely created in Rome during the first century it has long been considered a mere meaningless imagining with no esoteric basis "

It was created in Rome, most likely, so not Egyptian ( but the reason given here, that its source being Rome makes it esoterically invalid, isn't the point, the reason is for the above reasons given in the wiki quote ... basically, because its a Hodge Podge.

But then the article seems to do a quantum jump and starts giving people like Levi and Many Hall some cred ... after explaining the tablet was probably Roman , we read this ; " According to Manly P. Hall in The Secret Teachings of all Ages, a manuscript by Thomas Taylor detailed how The Benbine Table was the altar before which Plato stood while receiving the knowledge of the great mysteries. "

This is pretty much ' a map of Atlantis ' itself .

I agree with Kwaw, nothing in that article leads me to think , or 'force me' to rethink of the Egptian connection to the tablet or the tarot with Ancient Egypt.

Actually the whole article is written in that new age ? modern ? internet style ?, what ever one wants to call it , where ideas and what ifs and maybes, some even wrong in their postulation are strung together to mean things , or just suggest a 'what if' 'conclusion'.

Like; If this is so, then we are once again forced to consider an Egyptian origin for the Tarot and the symbols of the major arcana. " : " If this is so, ( so there is a big 'if' and a case was not presented really, to even consider an if in the first place ) then we are once again ( once again ? that is trying to set up some previous validity, 'have we considered this seriously before ? ) forced to ( why forced, everything has been suggestion and what ifs and some wrong info up to this point ) consider an Egyptian origin for the Tarot and the symbols of the major arcana ( which wasn't demonstrated anywhere in the article).

Maybe its just reading for entertainment purposes? Maybe this is what nowadays passes as something valid or some research ?

... Maybe I am just a cranky old coot lamenting what is coming out on the internet nowadays ( and many Youtubes are the same ) , < shakes walking stick at computer screen and yells > "Back in my day, if you wanted to be taken seriously, you got ya facts straight, and you could logically make a point and lead clearly to the next one that actually validly led to your conclusion ! .... or at least spell the name of the thing right ! "

- Squark !