Abstract: Isaac Newton is rightly credited with the discovery of the laws of gravity, the development of

mathematical calculus, and the transformation of natural philosophy into modern-day classical physics. Yet

Newton himself firmly believed that he created nothing new. Instead, he considered of all knowledge as ancient,

revealed to mankind by God at the beginning of time. Although man’s fall from grace and his subsequent

idolatrous practices meant much of that knowledge had become obscured or lost, throughout history sages such as

Zoroaster, Hermes, and Plato, had passed on their knowledge to those who studied their writings diligently. In this

paper, I argue that exactly this underlying belief in the antiquity of knowledge connects Newton’s various studies

in domains that seem very disconnected today, such as mathematics, alchemy, and the study of mythology and

chronology. Through a close examination of Newton’s manuscript legacy and the use of Newton’s notes by one

of his disciples, the Scottish mathematician David Gregory, I explore these connections and show how in order

to understand Newton’s thinking in areas such as natural philosophy, we must take very seriously his studies of

ancient writings, because Newton took these studies very seriously himself.

Key Words: Isaac Newton; Ancient knowledge; David Gregory; Principia

This article can be downloaded here

https://jdn.ucas.ac.cn/public/uploads/files/67f72104d5a14.pdf