Arbatel Collection of Veterum Magic - 7 Books

The Arbatel De magia veterum is a grimoire of Renaissance ceremonial magic published in 1575 in Switzerland. Waite wrote that the title is from the Hebrew: ארבעתאל‎ (or Arbotal) as the name of an angel from whom the author claimed to have learned magic. Adolf Jacoby believed that the name was a reference to the Tetragrammaton, via the Hebrew ARBOTHIM (fourfold) and AL (or God). Peterson, mentioning the above possibilities, also suggests that the title may be the author's pseudonym.

The Arbatel is known for being straightforward, positive, and exceptionally honest about its origins. Although several occult works claim to be from earlier periods and regions other than where they were actually published, textual evidence suggests that the book must have been written between 1536 and 1583, which encompasses the claimed date of 1575. The final edition of the book was probably made by Theodor Zwinger, and it was almost definitely published by Pietro Perna, leaving little doubt as to the book's supposed Swiss origin. The author remains unknown, but Peterson believes that a certain Jacques Gohory (1520–1576) is the most likely possibility.

Some German manuscripts produced shortly after its publication attribute the work to Paracelsus, although without evidence.

The Arbatel focuses primarily on the relationship between humanity, celestial hierarchies, and the positive relationship between the two. The Olympian spirits presented in it are entirely original, never quoted.

Unlike other grimoires, the Arbatel urges the magician to remain active in his community (rather than isolating himself), favoring kindness, charity, and honesty over remote and obscure rituals.

The Bible is the most cited and mentioned source throughout the Grimoires and they cannot be understood apart from the philosophy of Paracelsus, who seems to have coined the term “Olympian spirits”.

The Arbatel Grimoire is rooted in classical culture, including ancient Greek philosophy, the Sibylline Oracles, and Plotinus, as well as contemporary theology and occult philosophy of figures such as Iovianus Pontanus and Johannes Trithemius.

It is undoubtedly one of the most influential works for the occult in its period, inspiring figures such as Johann Arndt, Gerhard Dorn, Adam Haslmayr, Robert Fludd, Heinrich Khunrath and Valentin Weigel, as well as its editor and publisher, Zwinger and Perna.

It was possibly the first work to use "Theosophy" in an occult sense (as opposed to a synonym for theology) and to distinguish between human ("anthroposophia") and divine ("theosophia") knowledge.

Elements of the Arbatel appear in several versions of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses.

This collection has 7 books, manuscripts and microfilm with a total of 518 pages:

• Arbatel De Magia Veterum Peter Perna, 1575
• Arbatel De Magia Veterum, Andreas Luppius, 1686
• Arbatel De Magia su Pneumatica Veterum, 1750
  
• De Magia Veterum Summum Sapientiae Studium Arbatel
• Tracts on Magic including Ptolemy, Cyprian, & Solomon (17th century)
• Salomonis filii David Beschwerungen der Olympischen Geister (18th century)
• Arbatel of magic veterum: Hs. Bernus ( 17th century)