title: Wisdom Literature: A Theological History
author:  Leo G. Perdue 
description: <b>Leo G. Perdue</b> is Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. He is aninternational authority on wisdom literature and the author of numerous books, including <i>Proverbs</i> in the esteemed Interpretation commentary series.
zlib_text:  
   
                         BOOK 4 
                    by Aleister Crowley 
   
                               PART I 
   
                             MEDITATION 
          THE WAY OF ATTAINMENT OF GENIUS OR GODHEAD CONSIDERED 
                     AS A DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN BRAIN 
   
   
   
   
   
  Issued by order of 
  the GREAT WHITE 
  BROTHERHOOD 
  known as the A.'.A.'. 
   
       "Witness our Seal," 
                          N.'.' 
                     "Praemonstrator-General" 
   
                         {Diagram: A.'.A.'. seal} 
   
   
   
   
   
                           PRELIMINARY REMARKS 
   
  EXISTENCE, as we know it, is full of sorrow.  To mention only one minor point: 
  every man is a condemned criminal, only he does not know the date of his 
  execution.  This is unpleasant for every man.  Consequently every man does 
  everything possible to postpone the date, and would sacrifice anything that he 
  has if he could reverse the sentence. 
     Practically all religions and all philosophies have started thus crudely, by 
  p