The Discovery of Genesis (11 page)

A simple horizontal stroke
can mean
heaven, or earth or one
, depending upon its relative position. The numeral
one
is written in the middle of a character or radical;
earth
at the base; and
heaven
at the top. The first three numerals are readily apparent:
one
,
two
, and
three
.
Ten
is
. When
one
man
stands on the
ground
, his
ten
toes are placed on the
earth
, and this symbol becomes the word
dirt, mud, dust, soil, clay.
This brief introduction serves to illustrate the truly pictorial aspect of the language as depicted by the preceding primitive radicals.