The concept of the (i) creation from (ii) nothing (creatio ex nihilo) implies, from the perspective of existing empiricism1, strictly speaking, the assumption of a virtual structure (VR) of the existing empiricism, which is causally underlyed by an intangible, yet knowingly and willfully acting and creating real world (R), as also indicated in the Phænomena of Aratus:
"MVndus est compages ex cælo, terráq;, & iis naturis coagmentata quæ vtroque continentur. Cœlum est id quod omnia, quæ sunt, præter [...] ", (Petavius, 1630, p. 261).
The world is a structure of heaven and earth, connected by the natures contained in both. The Universe is that what all things, except [...], are.
Here, too, one legitimately refrains from further descriptions of the incomprehensible reality R and presents exclusively the developmental and creative phenomena in the virtual structure VR, the existing empirical evidence:
" [...] iis, quæ in sublimi cernuntur.", (Petavius, 1630, p. 261).
[...] those things which are seen in the sublime.
The basic explanation is therefore obvious, since some form of (i) being is indispensable and inevitable, because, purely formally speaking, a complete nothing must clearly also be, otherwise one would have a non nothing and thus some basic being anyway.
The origin itself, the nothingness, in this analogy can be seen in the (ii) linear time t={}, in the common time characteristic of R and VR, or the common timing, which is in concreto very clearly shown on the Third Day in the explanations about the waters, with springs (R) {and} lakes (VR).
It should be noted that the Second and First days, Order and Creation, taking place in R, are only indirectly recognized as a logical, recursive predecessor image in VR from Day Three onward, Design and further Ornamentation. This representation is thus continued retrospectively in the Preface:
"quam pleni [et] [con]summati boni fons i[n] ip[s]o erat: vt ab eo bono tam[que]m riu[us] ordieret[ur].", (Schedel, 1493, fol. 2r).
In himself was the source of perfect and accomplished goodness, so that goodness might flow forth from it like a stream.
Continuing in Day One:
"Gl[or]iosus [...] de[us]. q[ui] e[st] vera lux [...] ", (Schedel, 1493, fol. 2v).
[...] for the glorious God, who is the true light [...].
Finally, in the First Age of the World:
"SUmma bonitas volens co[m]mu[n]icare suum bonu[m] [et] alijs [...]", (Schedel, 1493, fol. 6v; c.f. Petrus, 1484, Sententiarum, II.4.).
The supreme goodness wishes to impart this goodness to others [...]
In context with the diapason, the universal harmony within the astral plane (s. Rackham, 1967, p. 227 ff.), i.e. Pythagoras' doctrine of musica universalis (c.f. Plinius Secundus, 1250, fol. 22r) see the schematic representation of the illustrations from the First Day to the Fourth Day, where a white circle represents one tone and a white circle together with a red circle represents a half tone (c.f. NC_tab_astro01).
The basic assumption of a virtual structure VR of empiricism is also all too clear in the explanations of the orders of magnitude in Ptolemy's Almagest:
"MAius quo scitur q[ue] terra s[ecundu]m sensum qua[n]tu[m] ad spaciu[m] q[uo]d peruenit a centro totius ad orbe[m] stellaru[m] fixaru[m] sit sicut punctum [...] ", (Ptolemæus, 1515, fol. 4r).
" […] the earth has […] the ratio of a point to the distance of […] the fixed stars […]", (c.f. Toomer, 1984, p. 43).
If we assume that the Earth, and thus the empirical evidence we have, is virtual VR, then, viewed from the outside, this would only result in a logical coordinate place within the overall picture (R), the mathematical point. In this way, a virtual, yet geometrically consistent image would unfold from the inside and would necessarily result in excessive dimensions of the surrounding starry sky in relation to it.
The clear assumptions of the descriptions for the creation (from R) are quite clearly recognized in the model of the tetrahedron, the most basic spatial geometric figure, a spatial quadrilateral, c.f. Fig. 1.
"Creatio re[rum] senario numero explicatur. Cuius partes. unu[m]: duo: tria sunt. que in trigonu[m] surga[n]t.", (Schedel, 1493, fol. 2r; c.f. Mirandola & Mirandola, 1601, Heptaplus).
[...] creation is expressed in the number six, whose components are 1, 2 and 3, which rise to form a triangle.
Figure 1. Days and parts of the creation represented in the tetrahedron.
The assumed real world R (ipse deus!) can also easily be found in the construct of the Celum Trinitatis or Celum Empireum:
"[...] celum trinitatis ipse deus qui est in omnibus [et] super om[n]ia.", (Schedel, 1493, fol. 6r).
[...] the heaven of the Trinity, God Himself, who is among all things and beyond all things.
Here, on the Next Day, the existence of a tenth sphere (the Empyreum or the immobile first intelligence) beyond the traditional nine spheres is discussed:
"Supra nouem celorum orbes [...] creditum est decimum celum fixum manens [et] quietum: quod motu nullo participet. [...] hic ysaac decimu[m] orbem ab Ezechiele designatum intelligit per zaphiru[m] in similitudine[m] throni", (Schedel, 1493, fol. 3r; c.f. Mirandola & Mirandola, 1601, Heptaplus, II.1).
Above the nine celestial spheres [...] it is assumed that the tenth heaven is unchanging, at rest and still, since it does not participate in any movement [...]. Here, Isaac interprets the tenth orbit as designated by Ezekiel through the sapphire in the form of a throne [...]
See Ezekiel 1:4 and 1:26-28. s. Jiménez de Cisneros (1517, fol. vijr ff.), Berry (1939), Idel (1977, p. 291) and Bergren (2017).
Further references to the spatial(!) quadrilateral can be found in the Psalms through the Civitas in quadro posita, c.f. NC_tab_cmp:
" [...] les Théologiens placent [...] un XII. CIEL, qui est immobile, & qui pour cet efet est nommé dans l'Apocalypse: Civitas in quadro posita, Cap.XXI. v.16. une Ville batie en quarré: [...] pour désigner sa fermeté & son état de consistence éternelle. [...] Pseaume XXXV.", (De Vallemont, 1707, p. 54).
the Theologians place [...] a XII. HEAVEN, which is immobile, & which for this effect is named in the Apocalypse: Civitas in quadro posita, Cap.XXI..16. a City built in a square: [...] to designate its firmness & its state of eternal consistency. [...] Psalm XXXV.
In this context see furthermore, on the First Day the explanations regarding the creation of the (i) four cardinal directions, on the Second Day the discussion of the (ii) axes of the sphere of the heaven and on the seventh day the presentation of the (iii) four wind gods, the Anemoi, s. Tab_fol_5v (c.f. von Raumer, 1837 and Thompson, 1918).
To what extent the geometric model assumptions can be further generalized would be worth considering.
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Footnotes
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The entire world, both directly and indirectly perceptible. ↩