“What is poetic about Hebrew poetry?” our author rhetorically poses in their opening line. Certainly not rhyme or meter, as neither are present in any known poetry from the early Biblical period. Nevertheless, as any good Christian will tell you, even in translation the psalms contain a certain *je ne sais quoi*, distinguishing them from the surrounding prose. With apologies to the French we describe this special character below. As it turns out the ’poetry’ of Hebrew poetry is not so crude as to lie in the structure of verse or the syntax of language. Instead the ’poetry’ exists entirely on a semantic level. This is best demonstrated with the examples in the text. > In Judah God is known > His name is great in Israel --- Psalm 76 (truncated) >As a deer longs for flowing streams > So my soul longs for you, O God —-- Psalm 42 (truncated) The semantic content of the first lines are mirrored in the lines that occur below. The bottom reflects the top. Having established the concept of semantic couplets, this line of reasoning is temporarily retired (to be returned to shortly) by the author as they begin to engage with topics of a more esoteric nature. The Emerald Tablet was originally an alchemical text known only to the Arabs. Ostensibly authored by the fabled Hermes Trismegistus, since its introduction to the West its influence has tentacled into every branch of mystical thought. Of particular interest to our author are the second and third lines which read: >إن الأعلى من الأسفل والأسفل من >الأعلى and translate roughly to: ”That which is above is from that which is below, and that which is below is from that which is above”, commonly shortened to the Hermetic refrain, ”As above, so below”. This evocative phrase has been used to describe the relation between the heavens and the earth, God and his creations. It almost seems like a step down to use it for something as pedestrian as poetical analysis. However, our author, with ever the flair for the dramatic, builds to something quite fantastic (if also totally outrageous) so that we can safely declare he has done his mystical forefathers proud. Returning from our Hermetical segue, we now understand the author's point. They are arguing that the poetic structure of the psalms is reflected in the refrain ’as above, so below’. Like any good esotericist, our author views this observation as a starting point. For every hidden layer of meaning there is always one even deeper. The argument culminates with an analysis of this much loved psalm. >The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. > He makes me lie down in green pastures, >he leads me beside quiet waters, > he refreshes my soul. >He guides me along the right paths > for his name’s sake. >Even though I walk > through the darkest valley, >I will fear no evil, > for you are with me; >your rod and your staff, > they comfort me. > >You prepare a table before me > in the presence of my enemies. >You anoint my head with oil; > my cup overflows. >Surely your goodness and love will follow me > all the days of my life, >and I will dwell in the house of the Lord > forever. —— Psalm 23 Applying our poetic analysis here yields very little. Adjacent lines relate to one another about as much as in prose text. And yet it still feels poetical, even more intensely than most psalms --- why? Our author posits that this was a deliberate decision on the part of the psalm writer. A clue that there must be something deeper to find. What if the poetry does not exist between the lines, but exists between the stanzas instead? As above, so below. What if the second stanza reflected the first? We are clearly a sheep in the first stanza. As above, so below. Suppose that we remain a sheep in the second stanza. A sheep at the dining table, surrounded by enemies, anointed with (olive?) oil. We see now the point: mutton! ”All the days of my life” might equivalently be replaced with ”the next forty minutes”. How Eldritch! Looked after and shepherded right to the dinner table of some unknowable ancient gods (perhaps Leviathan and Behemoth?). An eschatological analysis ensues, with the author using this psalm, as well as the now tired Hermetic refrain, to argue for a conflation of heaven and hell. Indeed it's almost too neat. It goes without saying that I advocate for the rejection of this paper. While an entertaining read, the scholarly rigour is frankly just not there. There is almost something worth salvaging in the core idea presented, but I believe our author is too wild of temperament to ever do it justice.