An unpublished manuscript reveals Isaac Newton's quest to decipher the secret of the Egyptian pyramids and the biblical apocalypse

Alchemy, mysticism, secret codes, Bible prophecies and Egyptian pyramids aren't exactly the things that come to mind when you think of Isaac Newton, one of the most famous scientific minds in history, from the laws of motion to the law of gravity.

However, the British scientist had a whole side to his work that is not as popular or well-known, one that is strongly associated with mysticism and the obsession to demonstrate some of the most important biblical events, such as the geographical place where for the apocalypse to happen, Telegrafi reports.

There is little evidence for that work. An unpublished manuscript handwritten by Newton himself will go up for sale, in which he describes his studies of the pyramids and biblical mysteries.

The text is burned at its edges, signs of an accident that may have caused it to be lost forever. It was caused by Diamond, the scientist's dog, who caused it after jumping on a table and knocking over a candle.

“These are really fascinating articles because in them you can see Newton trying to solve the secrets of the pyramids. This is a wonderful union to bring together Newton and these great objects from classical antiquity that have fascinated people for thousands of years. The articles take you incredibly quickly right to the heart of a series of deeper questions that Newton was investigating," manuscript specialist Gabriel Heaton told the Observer.

In the 1660s Newton spent part of his time studying the pyramids. In those years he moved from his base at Cambridge University after receiving criticism of his work from Robert Hooke, a rival of the Royal Society.

The physicist's obsession was to find the measurement used by those who built the pyramids, as he believed it would be the secret to measuring the circumference of the Earth, something the ancient Egyptians had probably managed to do.

This discovery would, according to Newton, be the key to deciphering other mysteries, such as the architecture and dimensions of Solomon's Temple, the scene of the biblical apocalypse.

"He was trying to find evidence for his theory of gravitation, but it was also thought that the ancient Egyptians had secrets of alchemy that have since been lost. Today these seem like different areas of study, but they didn't seem that way to Newton in the 17th century," added Heaton.

The curious thing is that for Newton his mathematical and scientific discoveries, which brought him great fame and still make him a reference point for the world of science today, were seen as secondary to his "major" studies in alchemy. /Telegraph/