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"He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot: he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved." (Isaiah chapter 40 verse 20 )

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The figure to the right is a 7th century Irish bronze plate bible cover, which illustrates how motifs from the neolithic period such as the four spirals with central lozenge had continued to be used and understood over the millenia, obviously the figure represents the four cardinal directions as does any cross, but the geometry of the eight directions is also inherent in the design construction. A distinction is illustrated between the lower mid-section Earthly figures and the above winged heavenly angels, it can also be seen the spirals are placed centrally upon the body.

The angle of the spear is at 225', and this would equate with the time of the death of Jesus at 3.00 pm if represented on a 12 hour demarcated circle, the crucifixion taking place from 9.00 am over 6 hours, describing 90' from 135' to 225', total darkness occuring at mid-day. This would be in accordance with the eight directions being associated with particular planets as i outlined in the Israel Schemata, Jupiter at 135' the principle of dominion, Saturn at 180' the point of darkness, and Venus at 225', where the spirit is given up to the Heavens.

The eight directions will always represent eight heavenly bodies, whether this is the four planets of the inner solar system and the four gas giants of the outer is obviously a point of contention as the plants Uranus and Neptune are generally considered to have been unknown, though their inclusion is the only scenario that makes conceptual sense. In terms of the planets being ascribed dualistic characteristics this makes a great deal of sense in terms of natural religious motif as obviously they always have one side turned toward the light, the sun, and one side in darkness, so ascribing the eight planetary aspects of darkness to the Underworld ofthe North and the eight planetary aspects of light and goodness to the sun in the South is a natural observation. The 16 petalled floret symbol was as common in Near Eastern iconography, and elsewhere, as the 8 petalled floret/star motif. Ascribing dualistic notions to a single body which turns and passes through both stages has a precedent in lunar symbolism associated with the number 7, here based upon the moon and it's four phrases of 7 days to half moon and 14 to full moon and the reverse to the end of the cycle. There were always 7 steps into the underworld or 7 toward heaven and the light. The number 9 simply ascribes a central point to the 8, and the two 90' degree quarters of darkness and the two 90' quarters of light that divide the day in terms of cyclic representation illustrate this notion.

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On the right the 10th century AD Irish cross from Clonmacnois, again positioning Jesus in the central lozenge described by four curves, the four and eight directions again described, but also demarcations of five around the quadrants of the cross, with a motif of five circles surmounting the cross. The number five also carried dualistic connotations, the ten commandments carved on stone broken following disobediance, and the second set of ten hopefully to be kept, according with the ten digits on the left side of the body and the ten on the right, the left being seen as the unruly side of ones' nature.

Whilst considering the dualistic aspect of numeric and geometric esoterica one must however understand that essentialy the opposing aspects were ultimately reconcilable, generally they were based on differant phrases or aspects of a singular object in terms of light and darkness, and the essential symbol of a tree rising from the underworld to the highest heaven is one of singularity, the tiny seed rising from the undifferentiated darkness to break through into the light, above ground, to take myriad forms of complexity and beauty. The cult of the sacred tree traces back far into the distant past, appearing to originate in the Pacific region with the fig tree generally fulfilling the role, some species forming a natural temple. In the pacific region generally a figure representing the Sun God bestower of all goodness would climb down a ladder from the tree on the most important feast day of the year, this figure being associated with sacred birds of the highest heights but also maintaining the lower serpentine aspects from which he had arisen, of the opposite polarity, as in the South American cults such as that of Quetzalcoatl. The fig tree not only grows upward but puts forth roots downward, thus there is a cyclic relationship between the upper and lower. Apart from the cosmic axis being understood in terms of a tree there was also the usage of the flower in a similar way, the Hacilar pattern i examined in section two of Sacred geometry is thought of as representing a floret, and this is probably the case as the sacred floret is as common in Near Easter art as is the world tree, the petals of the floret illustrating the eight directions, or sixteen, to good effect, whilst Near Eastern world tree illustrations tended to illustrate the planets as branches spanning the distances from the outer-solar system toward the sun. Two differant ways of describing the same schematics.

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In the Hittite rock carvings from the same region as Hacilar and Catal Hoyuk, at Yazilikaya near their capital of Hattusa, yet of much later date, Deities proffer flowers to each other as icons of power and immortality.

The figure facing right in the above illustration represents Teshub the Hittite storm God, with his thunderous mace which he crashes down upon the heads of whom he chooses causing them to see flashes of light, there are very close parallels between this figure and the depiction of the early egyptian ruler Narmer as illustrated on the Narmer palette, suggesting the early ruling class in egypt had their origins in Asia-minor.

There are many similarities between the Hittite iconography, which can be traced back to much earlier cultures from the same region and some of the standard iconography of Egypt. The Ankh cross not only looks similar to the Hittite flower motif but would almost certainly carried the same meanings. The design of the Ankh is slightly more abstract than the Hittite flowers, yet one of it's major features, the angles of the horizontal arms is also a feature of Hittite flowers, representing leaves, and the Ankh was held and proffered in much the same way as in the Hittite illustrations, whilst also the blue-lily was depicted naturally, offered in much the same way, generally carrying implications of life and well being in a harmoniously Divine immortal sense. The sacred flower of Indo-European culture was generally believed to hold such power, as part of the soma beverage, similar to the Egyptian usage of the blue lily essence drank with wine, the blue lily also being an aspect of Hittite culture.

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The Ankh stylistically represented the hope for eternal life through cyclic return, just as the sun sets in the West and was thought to travel down into the Northern underworld realms, to return in the East having completed the traverse through the Northern hemisphere, thus was the soul of an individual thought to make the same journey, through increasingly fearful realms, to be judged at the Northern point of all beginings, the seeding place of the tree or flower, the place of ultimate darkness yet starting point of all.

Returning to the concept of geometry based upon sixteen directions, then geometric patterns laid out upon the ground at Palpa near to Nazca are of considerable expertise and complexity, though not yet investigated to any great degree, so far only known from scant photographic evidence. The centre of the design has sixteen directions radiating from a square which is essentialy an 8 x 8 construct, in the same manner as a chess board.

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This illustration is a combination of the central square motif intergrated with the concentric circle design from the two radial outlying circles, which are essentialy of the same even proportional increase ratio. The second square is set off at 45', if two squares each indicating eight directions were set off at 22.5' then that would naturally indicate sixteen directions.

This South American geometry can also be compared to the oldest of geometry from Hacilar, the bowl analysed in section two of sacred geometry, where consideration was given to the fact that the proportionalism inherent in the design could be systematically compared and overlaid with other design from differant culture and later date and would essentially fit as there are certain design constants at work...

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Here on the left the Palpa geometry of the square is superimposed over the geometry of the eight pointed cross, explained in the Israel schemata, whilst on the right the Hacilar bowl desgn is superimposed.

The bowl above is placed full fit within the Palpa square design, there are slight irregularaties in the bowl design execution, but that aside the central lozenge shapes of the design within the 16 inner squares of the 64 elaborate upon and can be seen as stylisticaly associated with aspects of the Palpa design, great variations in scale, yet proportional and geometric constants. Apart from looking at the bowl in terms of total one to one fit, it's circular design can also be placed as the centre of the concentric circles of the Palpa design, and the greater geometry of the pattern considered in terms of the study of the circles that described the curved faces of the lozenges of the Hacilar bowl. It can be seen that the offset square of the Palpa design if taken out one step in accordance with the 45' angles of the corner squares is of the right size to equal the edges of the large circles of the Hacilar design which describe the outer curved facets of the lozenge design.

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The circular geometry of the Hacilar bowl i drew up directly from the object, it isn't a theoretical overlay, so any slight variations in the design are reflected in it, but having said that it can be seen to merge remarkably well with the geometry of the Palpa squares, it's the illustration i drew up that's on Section two before i looked at the Palpa design, so it's a rough fit super-imposition, but does illustrate some remarkable correlations, and it can be seen that the overall design would be of 14 x 14 squares to fit in the outer circles and off-set squares, as illustrated at the bottom of the page, the 4 X 49=196 square format corresponding with the mathamatics of Earth Measure.

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A couple more illustrations of how well the Hacilar bowl geometry fits in with the Palpa design, the inner circle being seen to fit in proportionaly with the four inner squares, the centre of the Hacilar design probably representing an eye of the Divine intellegence.

Another culture that came from the region of Hacilar in Turkey was that of the Etruscans of Italy who were said to have migrated there from Lycia, and certainly their culture has many apparant aspects of Near Eastern belief within it. They were a large influence on Roman religion and thus of Western religion in general. One aspect of their belief system was that of sixteen principle deities connected with a cosmogony of sixteen demarcations, six Gods of death and the underworld described the North-westerly directions, six Gods of nature and of Earth the Southerly directions, and four celestial Gods the North-easterly to South-easterly quadrant. This schemata pervaded aspects of their life from divination to city planning and the design of temples.

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A couple of Etruscan ante-fixes from the 5th century BC, which were made from terracota formed in moulds, the designs being a combination of Grecian and Near Eastern elements, the floret encasing being typically Eastern.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (Gospel of John, chapter 3 verses 14~15)

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