John Dee, Monas Hieroglyphica: Colophon: The Watery Dew of Heaven
Commentary on Colophon: The Watery Dew of Heaven
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John Dee (1527 to 1608) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occultist, navigator, and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I. He was also an early popularizer of applied mathematics, and was instrumental in planning the British Empire.
Above is the colophon from John’ Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica. The emblem depicts the Monas within the alchemical egg, with the personification of Luna at top, mirroring the symbolism of the Monas.
The text at the top of the colophon reads: “The watery dew of heaven and of the fruit of the earth he will give,” from Genesis 27:27. The passage is transfigured as a reference to Christ, the “dew” of heaven descending to earth.
The “watery dew of heaven” appears again in the Monas Hieroglyphica on the title page, where drops of dew descend from the Sun and Moon and collect in cisterns.