This volume contains important excerpts in which Rudolf Steiner first discusses the foundational sequence of Phinehas -- Elijah -- John the Baptist -- Raphael -- Novalis all as the same reincarnated individual. It is the first occasion on which Steiner mentions individuals by name, and in that sense is the beginning of his teaching on reincarnation, but it is also part of his most esoteric insights into the Gospel of St. Mark.
