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The Rudolf Steiner Archive

a project of Steiner Online Library, a public charity

World History in the Light of Anthroposophy
and as a Foundation for Knowledge of the Human Spirit
GA 233

Humanity now stands in the presence of the guardian of the threshold who challenges us to take a step into a new sphere of activity, into the spiritual world. In these lectures, given concurrently with the Christmas Foundation Meeting, Steiner presents a comprehensive survey of the history of the ancient mysteries and the spiritual guidance of humanity. This prepared and strengthened the founding assembly for his courageous, decisive act of establishing the new mysteries during the Christmas Foundation Meeting.

These nine lectures, translated from the German by George and Mary Adams (the last lecture being translated by Dorothy Osmond), were given in Dornach from December 23rd 1923 to January 1st 1924, during the Foundation Meeting of the General Anthroposophical Society. In the collected edition of Rudolf Steiner's works, the volume containing the German texts is entitled: Die Weltgeschichte in Anthroposophischer Beleuchtung und als Grundlage der Erkenntnis des Menschengeistes.

I.Evolution of the Soul and of Memory December 24, 1923
II.Mysteries of “Asia” December 25, 1923
III.Asiatic Mysteries of Ephesus, Gilgamesh and Eabani December 26, 1923
IV.Atlantean Wisdom in the Mysteries of Hibernia, Gilgamesh and Eabani at Ephesus, Logos Mysteries of Artemis at Ephesus December 27, 1923
V.Mysteries of the East, West, and of Ephesus December 28, 1923
VI.Mysteries of the Ancient Near East Enter Europe December 29, 1923
VII.The Fifteenth Century and the Transition from Mind-Soul to Spiritual-Soul December 30, 1923
VIII.The Burning of the Ephesian Temple and the Goetheanum December 31, 1923
IX.World History in the Light of Anthroposophy January 01, 1924