In addition to the blanks discussed on the chronogram page, there are, throughout the text of ‘Apologia’, missing words, or rather letters, replaced by blanks. It seemed logical to look at these blanks and treat them in the same way. I won’t list all the words concerned but it quickly became clear that in every case the missing words contain the Roman Numerals for the numbers 5 and 55. There are fifteen examples of the missing words, but only one in the first part of Apologia, and that one is on the title page, but easily missed.

At the bottom of the page Bessler writes the date of publication as 1716, two dashes and 1717. The dashes could be construed as just decoration, however the existence of several more similar dashes in part two of Apologia, suggests that the blanks might represent the word ‘zu’ which means ‘to’. So the date reads ‘1716 to 1717’, and the two blanks may refer to the ‘z’ and the ‘u’. Of course one can also use the letter ‘V’ in place of the ‘u’, and as a Roman numeral, stands for 5. I was always slightly uneasy about the fact that Bessler chose to put two dates down as publication date – to me it was an unnecessary addition, but in the light of the above interpretation it makes perfect sense. So the number 5 is indicated again.

In addition if you add the numbers together, i.e. 17+16+17+17 = 67, now add the 5 from ‘zu’ and you get 72, the pentagon number again.

It is possible to replace the ‘zu’ with ‘und’ meaning ‘and’ giving ‘1716 and 1717’. ‘The ‘word ‘und’ transposes to VnD which gives 505 which again seems relevant to Bessler’s obsession with the number 55, and with the earlier sum, 17+16+17+17 = 67 plus 505 = 572. That is the pentagon number 72 as well as its mate 5; i.e. 5 x 72 = 360.

For more information about Johann Bessler and to obtain copies of his books with English translations go to www.free-energy.co.uk

Copyright © 2009 John Collins.