Divinity Atlas
Things this atlas does not know. Each entry is a question that specialists
have posed and not settled, recorded with what would actually resolve it and which
expertise the answer needs.
These are kept deliberately, rather than quietly omitted. An atlas that shows
only what it is sure of implies a confidence it has not earned, and the gaps are often where
the interesting work is. Several sit exactly where two fields fail to meet: identifying the
hyssop of the Hebrew Bible needs a botanist and a philologist of Biblical Hebrew, and neither
one settles it alone.
You can send evidence on some of these. A pilot is open on 55 questions in one field, Palaeography. Each says what would resolve it; send something that meets that bar, with a source anybody can check, and an editor will weigh it. Sending evidence does not guarantee the question will be resolved, and it does not have to be your field to read what is being asked. See what is open.
Grouped by the field an answer needs. A question sitting between two disciplines appears under both, which is why the group counts add up to more than the number of questions.
Filter By Specialty 99 fields, 1 selected
Showing 3 of 608 questions, filtered to 1 specialty.
Catalogue Research 3
Vatican Apostolic Library
Which esoteric and occult manuscripts does the Vatican Apostolic Library actually hold?
Open Vatican Apostolic Library
Why It Is Open The library plainly holds material relevant to this atlas, and popular accounts make expansive claims about it. Specific holdings could not be verified well enough to assert a custody relation for any individual work, and asserting one without evidence would be exactly the kind of confident claim the atlas exists to avoid.
What Would Settle It Shelfmarks from the library's own catalogue, which is partly published, for specific works already in this atlas.
Expertise Needed Manuscript studies and catalogue research; Latin and Italian.
Question posed in
Divinity Atlas Open Questions Register, First Edition.
Bodleian Library
Which Esoteric Texts Covered Here Are Held in the Bodleian, and under What Shelfmarks?
Open Bodleian Library
Why It Is Open The Bodleian holds significant alchemical and occult manuscript collections, including Ashmole material, but specific holdings for the works in this atlas were not verified to the point where a custody relation could be cited.
What Would Settle It Shelfmarks from the Bodleian's catalogue for named works, which is largely searchable.
Expertise Needed Manuscript studies and catalogue research.
Question posed in
Divinity Atlas Open Questions Register, First Edition.
Wellcome Collection
Which Items in the Wellcome Collection Correspond to Subjects Already Held Here?
Open Wellcome Collection
Why It Is Open The Wellcome holds a large collection on the history of medicine, magic and belief, much of it digitised. Specific correspondences to items already held here were not established.
What Would Settle It Catalogue identifiers from the Wellcome's own openly available catalogue.
Expertise Needed History of medicine and catalogue research.
Question posed in
Divinity Atlas Open Questions Register, First Edition.
Manuscript Studies 2
Vatican Apostolic Library
Which esoteric and occult manuscripts does the Vatican Apostolic Library actually hold?
Open Vatican Apostolic Library
Why It Is Open The library plainly holds material relevant to this atlas, and popular accounts make expansive claims about it. Specific holdings could not be verified well enough to assert a custody relation for any individual work, and asserting one without evidence would be exactly the kind of confident claim the atlas exists to avoid.
What Would Settle It Shelfmarks from the library's own catalogue, which is partly published, for specific works already in this atlas.
Expertise Needed Manuscript studies and catalogue research; Latin and Italian.
Question posed in
Divinity Atlas Open Questions Register, First Edition.
Bodleian Library
Which Esoteric Texts Covered Here Are Held in the Bodleian, and under What Shelfmarks?
Open Bodleian Library
Why It Is Open The Bodleian holds significant alchemical and occult manuscript collections, including Ashmole material, but specific holdings for the works in this atlas were not verified to the point where a custody relation could be cited.
What Would Settle It Shelfmarks from the Bodleian's catalogue for named works, which is largely searchable.
Expertise Needed Manuscript studies and catalogue research.
Question posed in
Divinity Atlas Open Questions Register, First Edition.
History of Medicine 1
Wellcome Collection
Which Items in the Wellcome Collection Correspond to Subjects Already Held Here?
Open Wellcome Collection
Why It Is Open The Wellcome holds a large collection on the history of medicine, magic and belief, much of it digitised. Specific correspondences to items already held here were not established.
What Would Settle It Catalogue identifiers from the Wellcome's own openly available catalogue.
Expertise Needed History of medicine and catalogue research.
Question posed in
Divinity Atlas Open Questions Register, First Edition.