Books like The Mystery of Numbers by Annemarie Schimmel

Annemarie Schimmel’s *The Mystery of Numbers* guides readers through centuries of numerological fascination. Beginning with early number systems—such as the vigesimal base of pre‑Roman Europe and the Maya’s sophisticated vigesimal‑multiplicative structure—she examines how numerals like the Arabic system entered Europe from Indian and Islamic sources. The heart of the book delves into the rich symbolism of numbers, showing their roles in Pythagorean and Platonic philosophy, the Jewish and Kabbalistic traditions, Islamic mysticism, and even Keplerian astronomy. Schimmel discusses individual numbers from one to ten thousand, offering cross‑cultural examples that reveal how numbers have been seen as divine, evil, lucky, unlucky, masculine, feminine, and contradictory. The work presents a rigorous, accessible overview of how numerology has shaped human thought and daily life.

First publish date: 1993