Chapter 1

...[anyone who wishes to] put his poor soul in danger, let him venture it at his own risk; but I wish to be innocent of his eternal ruin. Therefore, let everyone look to what he does, for it helps a man nothing if he should gain the whole world and suffer damage to his soul.

But to return to my purpose: this Art The alchemical "Art" or "Great Work" of transforming matter and spirit. must have been known even before the Great Flood original: "Sündfluth." The biblical deluge of Noah, which alchemists often cited as a chronological marker for lost ancient wisdom., as the ancients write. For when Hermes Trismegistus A legendary figure combining traits of the Greek god Hermes and Egyptian Thoth, regarded as the founding father of alchemy. went into the Valley of Hebron after the Great Flood, he is said to have found seven marble tablets (upon which the seven liberal arts The traditional academic curriculum—grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy—though here the author implies alchemy was the secret foundation of these studies. were recorded). And this Hermes was the first who described this Art after the Flood, as can be seen from his Emerald Tablet original: "Smaragd-Tafel." The "Tabula Smaragdina," a brief, cryptic text highly revered by alchemists as the summary of their philosophy., which is why he is called a father of all philosophers original: "Philosophorum." In this context, the term specifically refers to "natural philosophers" or alchemists.. Thus, Moses and his sister Miriam are also said to have possessed such an Art. In alchemical tradition, Moses was considered an adept for his ability to dissolve the golden calf into powder, and "Mary the Jewess" (Miriam) is credited with inventing early laboratory apparatus like the bain-marie.

So also writes Suidas A 10th-century Byzantine scholar and compiler of a massive historical encyclopedia., a truthful historiographer, that the Art was so common among the Egyptians that they became so rich because of it that they frequently resisted the Romans. And after they planned a secret rebellion, especially against the Emperor Diocletian Roman Emperor (reigned 284–305 AD). Historical records suggest he did indeed order the burning of Egyptian alchemical texts to prevent them from creating gold to fund wars against Rome., they were severely punished by him; and at that time, all the books of this Art—as many as could be obtained—were burned, so that they [could] not...