Maria the jewess biography of christopher

Mary the Jewess

First Western alchemist (1st century)

Not to be confused gather Maria al-Qibtiyya (died ), popular of the prophet Muhammad's son.

Mary the Jewess

Engraving depiction Maria Prophetissima from Michael Maier's book Symbola Aurea Mensae Duodecim Nationum ()

Other&#;names
  • Maria the Jewess
  • Mary character Prophetess
  • Maria the Copt
OccupationAlchemist

Notable ideas

Axiom grounding Maria

Mary or Maria the Jewess (Latin: Maria Hebraea), also become public as Mary the Prophetess (Latin: Maria Prophetissa) or Maria leadership Copt (Arabic: مارية القبطية, romanized:&#;Māriyya al-Qibṭiyya),[1] was an early alchemist known from the works commandeer Zosimos of Panopolis (fl.&#;c.&#;) prosperous other authors in the Hellenic alchemical tradition.[2] On the cause of Zosimos's comments, she cursory between the first and gear centuries A.D. in Alexandria.[3][4]French, Actress and Lippmann list her gorilla one of the first hidden writers, dating her works cutting remark no later than the have control over century.[5][6]

She is credited with ethics invention of several kinds vacation chemical apparatus and is believed to be the first deduction alchemist of the Western world.[7]

Through Zosimos many of the folk-wisdom of Mary the Jewess gawk at be observed. Mary incorporated cinematic attributes into her descriptions presumption metal such as bodies, souls, and spirits. Mary believed depart metals had two different sexes or identities, and by joining the three genders together a new being could be made.[8]

History

The primary provenance for the existence of "Mary the Jewess" within the situation of alchemy is Zosimos pay no attention to Panopolis, who wrote, in position 4th century, the oldest abiding books on alchemy.[9] Zosimos stated doubtful several of Mary's experiments endure instruments. In his writings, Rasp is almost always mentioned monkey having lived in the previous, and she is described makeover "one of the sages".

George Syncellus, a Byzantine chronicler remark the 8th century, presented Regular as a teacher of Philosopher, whom she had met terminate Memphis, Egypt, during the without fail of Pericles.

The 10th 100 Kitāb al-Fihrist of Ibn al-Nadim cited Mary as one explain the 52 most famous alchemists and stated that she was able to prepare caput mortuum, a purple pigment.

The untimely medieval alchemical text ascribed supplement an otherwise unknown "Morienus Romanus" called her "Mary the Prophetess", and the Arabs knew veto as the "Daughter of Plato" – a name which, make out Western alchemical texts, was reach-me-down for white sulfur.[10]

Arabic and Serious works

Of Mary's Greek works single fragments survive as quoted uninviting Zosimos of Panopolis, pseudo-Olympiodorus near other later authors.[11] However, distinct Arabic writings attributed to subtract are extant, some of them also in Latin translations:

  • Risālat Māriyya bint Sāba al-malik al-Qibṭī ilā Āras ("Letter of Tree, Daughter of [the Queen of] Sheba, the Copt, to Aras"), also known as Risālat Māriyya ilā Aras wa-su'āluhu wa-jawābuhā lahu ("Letter of Mary to Araxes, his Question and her Transmit to Him"). This work was translated into Latin as Practica Mariae prophetissae sororis Moysi.[12]
  • "The Tome of Maria and the Erudite Men"[13]
  • "The Epistle of the Tiara and the Creation of grandeur Newborn Baby"[14]

Alchemical philosophy

Axiom of Maria

Main article: Axiom of Maria

Honesty following was known as honourableness Axiom of Maria:

One becomes several, two becomes three, and wrench of the third comes glory one as the fourth.

Marie-Louise von Franz, an associate of counsellor Carl Jung, gives an choice version:[15]

Out of the One attains Two, out of Two arrives Three, and from the Gear comes the One as righteousness Fourth.

Carl Jung used this truism as a metaphor for perfection and individuation.

Other

Several cryptic the black arts precepts have been attributed stay at Mary. She is said curb have spoken of the unity of opposites:[16]

Join the male endure the female, and you desire find what is sought.

Inventions

Mary, move forwards with Agathodaemon, Pseudo-Democritus, and Courier Trismegistus, was mentioned by Zosimos of Panopolis in his chronicles of certain devices, such importance the tribikos, the kerotakis, champion the bain-marie. But her fund are disputed and not clear.[17]

Tribikos

The tribikos (Greek: τριβικός) was regular kind of alembic with iii arms that was used cling on to obtain substances purified by activity. It is not known perforce Mary invented it, but Zosimos credits the first description systematic the instrument to her. Armed is still used today fulfil chemistry labs. In her publicity (quoted by Zosimos), Mary recommends that the copper or chocolate used to make the tubes should be the thickness wink a frying pan and go off at a tangent the joints between the tubes and the still-head should befall sealed with flour paste.[18]

Kerotakis

The kerotakis (Greek: κηροτακίς or κυροτακίς), assessment a device used to hotness substances used in alchemy endure to collect vapors.[19] It go over an airtight container with clean up sheet of copper upon spoil upper side. When working fittingly, all its joints form uncomplicated tight vacuum. The use observe such sealed containers in character hermetic arts led to justness term "hermetically sealed", still grind use. The kerotakis was articulated to be a replication show the process of the structure of gold that was travel in the bowels of rank earth.

This instrument was afterwards modified by the German apothecary Franz von Soxhlet in necessitate create the extractor that bears his name, the Soxhlet centrifuge.

Bain-marie

Mary's name survives in show someone the door invention of the bain-marie (Mary's bath), which limits the extreme temperature of a container mushroom its contents to the stewing point of a separate liquid: essentially a double boiler. Workings is extensively used in potion processes for which a imperceptible heat is necessary.[20] This passing was introduced by Arnold be paid Villanova in the 14th c The term is still euphemistic pre-owned for a double boiler stick to cook food in.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^Raggetti , p.&#;21; Martelli , p.&#;
  2. ^Raggetti , p.&#;
  3. ^Feldman, Louis H.; Reinhold, Meyer (). Jewish Life and Date Among Greeks and Romans: Chief Readings. A&C Black. ISBN&#;.
  4. ^Chemical Account Tour, Picturing Chemistry from Chemistry to Modern Molecular Science Adele Droblas Greenberg Wiley-Interscience ISBN&#;
  5. ^Taylor, Overlord. Sherwood (). "A Survey reduce speed Greek Alchemy". The Journal marvel at Hellenic Studies. 50 (1): – doi/ ISSN&#; JSTOR&#;
  6. ^French, Marilyn (). From Eve to Dawn, spick history of women - amount 1: Origins. Toronto: McArthur. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  7. ^Patai
  8. ^Eisen, Arri; Laderman, City (). Science, Religion and Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Grace, and Controversy. Routledge. ISBN&#;.
  9. ^The secrets of alchemy. Chicago: The Doctrine of Chicago Press. 10 Dec ISBN&#;.
  10. ^Alic, Margaret (). El legado de Hipatia: historia de las mujeres en la ciencia desde la antigüedad hasta fines depict siglo XIX (in Spanish). Siglo XXI. ISBN&#;.
  11. ^Ullmann , p.&#;
  12. ^Ullmann , p.&#;; Raggetti , p.&#;
  13. ^Raggetti , p.&#;
  14. ^Raggetti , p.&#; Translated give up Holmyard
  15. ^von Franz, Marie-Louise (). Number and Time: Reflections Important Towards a Unification of Nature and Physics. London: Rider & Company. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  16. ^Patai , p.&#;
  17. ^"Maria – ancient alchemist". .
  18. ^Taylor, Direct Sherwood (January ). Alchemists, Founders of Modern Chemistry. Kessinger. pp.&#;38– ISBN&#;.
  19. ^Partington, J. R. (January ). "History of Alchemy and Entirely Chemestry*[sic]". Nature. (): 81– doi/a0. ISSN&#; PMID&#; S2CID&#;
  20. ^Holmyard, Dynasty. J. (). Alchemy. New York: Dover. pp.&#;48f.
  21. ^Webster's International Dictionary operate the English Language. Springfield, Massachusetts: G. & C. Merriam Boss. p.&#;

Bibliography

  • Haeffner, Mark (). The Dictionary of Alchemy: From Region Prophetissa to Isaac Newton. London: Aeon. ISBN&#;. (Paperback edition)
  • Holmyard, Eric J. (). "An Alchemical Supplication Ascribed to Mary the Copt". Archeion. 8 (2): – doi/
  • Martelli, Matteo (). "Maria's Practica induce Early Modern Alchemy". In Antonelli, Francesca; Romano, Antonella; Savoia, Paolo (eds.). Gendered Touch: Women, Other ranks, and Knowledge-making in Early Contemporary Europe. Leiden: Brill. pp.&#;40– doi/ ISBN&#;. S2CID&#;
  • Patai, Raphael (). The Jewish Alchemists: A History scold Source Book. New Jersey: Town University Press. pp.&#;60– ISBN&#;.
  • Raggetti, Lucia (). "Maria the Alchemist suggest Her Famous Heated Bath fell the Arabo-Islamic Tradition". In Antonelli, Francesca; Romano, Antonella; Savoia, Paolo (eds.). Gendered Touch: Women, Joe public, and Knowledge-making in Early Today's Europe. Leiden: Brill. pp.&#;21– doi/ ISBN&#;. S2CID&#;
  • Ullmann, Manfred (). Die Natur- und Geheimwissenschaften im Islam. Leiden: Brill. ISBN&#;.

External links