Linguist, archaeologist and eminent scientist Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) was the last true man of the Renaissance. The monk of the Jesuit order during his life became an authority in almost every field of knowledge. For Kircher the whole world was a delightful manifestation of God, and his research was at once a scientific quest and a religious experience. His works on Egyptology (he is considered the first Egyptologist), music, optics, magnetism, geology and comparative religion became the defining texts of his time – and yet they represent only a part of his vast knowledge. A Christian Hermeticist in the mold of Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola, he also studied alchemy, the Kabbalah, and the Egyptian Mystery tradition, exemplified by Hermes Trismegistus. Kircher was the first to map ocean currents; first proposed a comprehensive theory of volcanism; was the first to compile an encyclopedia on China, a dictionary of the Coptic language, and a book devoted exclusively to acoustics; was the first to construct a machine for encoding messages and another for composing music. His museum in Rome was one of the most famous collections of curiosities, which was visited by all representatives of the enlightened world. The hermetic nature of Kircher’s thinking, which was alien to the interests of those who moved the Age of Reason, combined with the breadth of his interests, led to many of his contributions being overlooked, an omission that has now been masterfully corrected by Joscelyn Godwin. They say that Kircher could only think in images. Although exaggerated, the 400 stunning engravings that are the hallmark of his work are included in this edition so that we can fully appreciate, study and see for ourselves the work, philosophy and achievements of “the last man who knew everything.”

Jocelyn Godwin, musicologist and translator, professor of music at Colgate University. He first explored the life and work of Athanasius Kircher in 1979 in his book Renaissance Man and the Quest for Lost Knowledge. Godwin was educated at Cambridge and Cornell Universities and is the author and editor of many books on Hermeticism and music, including Cosmic Music, The Golden Thread, Harmony of the Spheres and Arktos: The Polar Myth. He is also known for his translations of works by figures such as Fabre d’Olivet and Julius Evola, and for the first complete translation into English of Francesco Colonna’s Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. He lives in New York State.