The Great Pyramid of Gizeh. A Symbol of Universal Truth J. Munsell Chase. Published by Chase & Rae Press, San Francisco, 1916. First edition. An uncommon San Francisco esoteric work blending early Pyramidology with the Theosophy adjacent symbolic and metaphysical interpretations circulating in West Coast spiritual circles. Chase presents the Great Pyramid as a living emblem of universal truth, moving through its history, dimensions, and chamber system while tying each aspect to ideas of fire, sacred number, the decad, the four elements, and the broader mysteries he believed began in ancient Egypt. Issued as Temple Talks Series 1 No. 1 and very difficult to locate today. Green printed paper wraps, staple-bound. Illustrated with eleven b&w plates and diagrams, including maps, sectional views of the King's Chamber, and symbolic renderings typical of early occult pyramid studies. Good + Condition: light wear to the wrappers, two bottom margin clear tape repairs to verso's of ffep and title page, corner creases, oxidizing to the staples but they're holding well, overall tight, bright, clean and unmarked. Scarce, only 3 copies in OCLC collections worldwide.

John Munsell Chase (1859-1941) was a San Francisco writer, publisher, editor, and occultist. He was Vice President of the California State Spiritualists Association and the Society of Progressive Spiritualists in San Francisco, and the director of the Mediums' Protective Association. He was editor of the "Philosophical Journal" a spiritualist weekly in 1903-1904. His publications include "The Riddle of the Sphinx" (1915), a work exploring esotericism, theosophy, and philosophy. The Great Pyramid of Gizeh: A Symbol of Universal Truth (1916), a detailed analysis of the pyramid's architecture and history. And he published maps of San Francisco. He passed away in Tamalpais Canyon, now Homestead Valley in Mill Valley after a fall.