Copied from John Lant proof pages.
(1881)
Oahspe refers to itself as the book of knowledge (in the Book of Judgement XVII:3). However, The Book of Knowledge here referred to, is that found in John Lant's proof pages of the first unpublished Oahspe plates, which were made in 1881 as Dr. Newbrough received the manuscript. These proof pages passed through various hands to Wing Anderson, whose organization (the Essenes of Kosmon) reprinted them in 8 parts (small booklets). It is from these booklets that the following annotated version is produced.
What is The Book of Knowledge? It appears that God's Book of Ben is either a part of it, or a revision and abridgement. There is evidence to suggest the original manuscript was the sum of both The Book of Knowledge and God's Book of Ben. Two letters from Andrew Howland to Gustave Percival (Percy) Wiksell are reproduced as part of this introduction, which indicate The Book of Knowledge proof pages were part of a larger original manuscript, of which God's Book of Ben is also part. For whatever reasons, much editing and revision was done to Oahspe, even before the 1882 edition was published. This is why The Book of Knowledge is so important: since it comes from the unpublished 1881 Oahspe plates made by John Lant as Dr. Newbrough received the manuscripts, it is perhaps closest to the original Oahspe manuscript. There is evidence that this is the case: The editor of the 1882 Oahspe said on page 550, "I have omitted the word 'Tae' or 'Tah', substituting the word 'Man'" (in God's Book of Ben). In The Book of Knowledge, 'Tae' is used, and not changed to 'Man'.
There are verses in The Book of Knowledge which also appear in God's Book of Ben. There are proof pages missing from The Book of Knowledge whose text may be found in God's Book of Ben. These similarities are italicized in this annotated presentation.
Some captions to plates in God's Book of Ben were left out. Some of these are given in the Wing Anderson blue Oahspe edition omissions and errata, which is reprinted in this volume from old Kosmon Pioneer Bulletins. Other captions to plates in God's Book of Ben are found imbedded in the text, where they were placed and even verse numbers were assigned to them. (Chapter and verse numbers were not included in the original Oahspe manuscript. These were added as it was edited and the type was set; hence the opportunity for such error.)
The Book of Knowledge differs from God's Book of Ben regarding identification of the four beasts. The Book of Knowledge identifies these as four of the current religions, while God's Book of Ben substitutes religions from previous cycles.
There is an important difference between The Book of Knowledge and all published versions of Oahspe, regarding the identification of the spirit resurrections. The Book of Knowledge identification corresponds to the plates showing three levels, or resurrections, in atmospherea; then etherea shown beyond the Bridge of Chinvat border, outside of atmospherea. Published Oahspe versions give only two resurrections in atmospherea, the third being etherea. This difference is illustrated using plate 5 from Oahspe.
Finally no introduction to The Book of Knowledge would be complete, without attempting to explain the meaning of the nine entities, called "Jehovih and His Family (The Tree of All Light, or Knowledge), plus trying to explain the cycles of time. These words and concepts are used throughout Oahspe.
Jim Dennon
1983