Author: Schimmel, Annemarie

Synopsis
In this fascinating book Schimmel shows that numbers have been filled with mystery and meaning since the earliest times, and across every society. She conducts an illuminating tour of the mysteries attributed to numbers and their symbolism. 45 halftones; 64 linecuts. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title

Synopsis
The author "traces interpretations of numbers based on symbolism, religious connotations, and linguistic correlations." (Choice) Bibliography. Index.

Annotation
In this fascinating book Schimmel shows that numbers have been filled with mystery and meaning since the earliest times, and across every society. She conducts an illuminating tour of the mysteries attributed to numbers and their symbolism. 45 halftones; 64 linecuts.

Description from The Reader's Catalog
Schimmel takes us on a tour of the powers attributed to numbers through the centuries, from Pythagorean and Platonist philosophy to the kabala and the Islamic Brethren. She examines individual numbers from one to 10,000, and discusses the meanings they hold in different traditions, from Semitic and Christian cultures to those of India, China, and the Americas

From The Publisher
Why is the number seven lucky - even holy - in almost every culture? Why do cats have nine lives (except in Iran, where they have seven)? From literature to folklore to private superstitions, numbers play a conspicuous role in our daily lives. But in this fascinating book, Annemarie Schimmel shows that numbers have been filled with mystery and meaning since the earliest times, and across every society. In The Mystery of Numbers Annemarie Schimmel conducts an illuminating tour of the mysteries attributed to numbers over the centuries. She begins with an informative and often surprising introduction to the origins of number systems: pre-Roman Europeans, for example, may have had one based on twenty, not ten (as suggested by the English word "score" and the French word for 80, quatrevingt - four times twenty), while the Mayans had a system more sophisticated than our own. Schimmel also reveals how our fascination with numbers has led to a rich cross-fertilization of knowledge: "Arabic" numerals, for instance, were picked up by Europe from the Arabs, who had earlier adopted them from Indian sources ("algorithm" and "algebra" are corruptions of the Arabic author and title names of a mathematical text prized in medieval Europe). But the heart of the book is an engrossing guide to the symbolism of numbers. Number symbolism, she