More Symbolism

WAS BROUGHT DOWN TO EGYPT
ARCANA CEOLESTIA 4964

Was brought down to Egypt.
That this signifies to the memory-knowledges [scientifica]
of the church is evident from the signification of "Egypt"
as being memory-knowledge ….
In the Ancient Church there were doctrinal things
and there were memory-knowledges.
The doctrinal things treated of love to God
and of charity toward the neighbor;
but the memory-knowledges treated of the correspondences
of the natural world with the spiritual world,
and of the representatives of spiritual and celestial things
in things natural and earthly.
Such were the memory-knowledges of those
who were in the Ancient Church.

[2] Egypt was one of those countries and kingdoms
where the Ancient Church was;
but as in Egypt it was chiefly memory-knowledges
that were handed down to posterity,
therefore such knowledge in general is signified by "Egypt;"
and it is for this reason also
that Egypt is so often treated of in the prophetic Word,
and by it such knowledge is specifically meant.
The very magic of the Egyptians also had its origin thence;
for they were acquainted
with the correspondences of the natural world with the spiritual,
and afterward, when the church among them was at an end,
these correspondences were abused
by being turned to magical things.
Now because they had such knowledges
(that taught correspondences,
and also representatives and significatives)
and as these knowledges were of service
to the doctrinal things of the church,
especially to the understanding of those things
which were said in their Word . . .
by "being brought down to Egypt"
is signified to the memory-knowledges of the church.