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Forensic analysis is
science and art of detective work. It comes in handy to have been an owner of a Public Relations firm (after being an auditor) for twelve years as I wade through possibilities of 'spin-doctoring' at work by Bible Exegesists. They sometimes call themselves hermeneuts or other high-falutin' names that would get any bum a coffee, and some change. Here is real perspective of Arab scholars from a highly credible Encyclopedia from 1996:
"THE SOURCES OF ALCHEMY AMONG THE ARABS
Pythagoras is often mentioned in Arabic philosophy and in gnomic literature. Jaldake calls him 'al-mu' lallim al-awival' because he acquired science from hermetic texts.
SOCRATES {Teacher of Plato and Aristotle, also mentioned as an alchemist in Mark Haeffner's 'Dictionary of Alchemy along with these same people. Yet no anthology of Aristotle in my local library mentions his 'Secretum Secretorum'.}
Socrates is considered not only as a wise man but also as an alchemist {HIS teacher Archelaos was too.}. Jabir calls him 'the father and mother of all philosophers' and considers him as prototype of real chemist. From Socrates to Jabir, there is a continuous tradition which attributes entire treatises to him {All kept from unwarranted viewers.}. Jabir affirms that Socrates was opposed to writing down of alchemic knowledge to avoid its exposition to ignorance of masses. Most references to Socrates refer to his arithmetical speculations (theory of balance) and also to artificial generation {Homonunclus to be covered more later.}.
PLATO
In reference to his book 'Liber Quartorum' he says: 'The contents of this book are mainly alchemic but it contains also information on geometry, physiology and astrology. The ancient authors cited are Aristotle, Ptolemy, Hipparchus, Proclus, Sophists {Not alchemists and too open about their knowledge for liking of Socrates who compared them to prostitutes who sell their beauty for money.}, Ostanes, Hermes, Asclepius and Hippocrates
ARISTOTLE
He wrote a book on alchemy for his disciple Alexander… It includes three chapters (l) About great principles of alchemy; (2) Alchemic operations; (3) The elixir. Pythagoras, Democritus, Asclepiades, Hermes, Plato, Ostanes, and Balinās are mentioned in text. We also have a dialogue between Aristotle and Indian Yūhīn sent by Indian king as messenger to Alexander...
Zosimus and his contemporaries {Third century AD. much after these others, and in line with what Barrett says.} who collected their predecessors' traditions insist on their connections with Egypt of Pharoahs or with Persia of Zoroastra and Ostanes. We can find texts under name of Agathodaiman compared with Hermes. Some written pieces even say that alchemic texts were engraved in hieroglyphs on steles {Stones that could be rubbed with charcoal and parchment would pick up symbols and formulas - thus ancient libraries.) but it was absolutely forbidden to divulge them.
HERMES AND HERMETIC LITERATURE
According to Ibn al-Nadim (351, 19) Arab alchemists considered Babylonian Hermes as first one to have mentioned art of alchemy. Exiled by his countrymen, he came to Egypt where he became king {Guilds and knowledge were prerequisites to achieve high office in ancient times, for example Tuatha de Danaan leader - Lugh.}. He wrote a certain number of books on alchemy and was equally interested in hidden forces of nature.
The 'Fihrist' gives a list of thirteen books of Hermes about alchemy but in fact some of them are about magic." (3)
At very least we can be assured that someone knows alchemists weren't hermits hiding in caves working on making manure into gold. That is way many books and even Time/Life Video portrays them. They called Carl Jung an alchemist as well. That may be, in some definitions of word; but I never read where Jung thought of himself in that manner even though he wrote a book on Psychology and Alchemy. His interest was more in archetypal primordial symbology, and truth aspects of it. If we were to accept Jung as an alchemist, then all Masons or at least high level ones in Rosicrucianism are alchemists. It is true that some of attendees at Eranos were alchemists and that Jung was a hermeticist, I suppose. It is not an easy title to throw around and I have been a student of these things for many years, but still wouldn't call myself an alchemist and certainly not a Spagyricist.
Many of items and people mentioned will be dealt with as we proceed but there are many others who have traveled this awesome road in pursuit of something less than what is right. Personally I agree with Mr. Barrett about no one person being able to truly know so much. The 'Thrice-greatest' appellation is either psychopompous braggadocio or a guise to mislead. The Three laws of magi require intense study and two would likely be maximum that anyone has actually achieved unless we are to go back to designer of Great Pyramid. The application of all knowledge that exists in that one monument is beyond perception of all but a few writers, among hundreds of thousands who hold forth on its meaning.
It would be interesting if Russians really did have 'Philosopher's Stone' that some claim they are selling under name of 'Red Mercury'. Atomic research is only one way of getting this kind of knowledge and I believe it requires spiritual knowledge and attunement as well. This perception is shared by alchemists who I have befriended, and by Rosicrucian inner sanctum people who think highly of my knowledge in area. Paracelsus was a prodigy in field and I have his formula for making 'Stone'. It would not avail me any good to try to make it, unless I had prepared myself in manner attributed to Jesus as he spent forty days in desert without food and water. For esoteric scholars who have not traveled any distance along path towards such attunements it makes little sense for them to comment on alchemy. Israel Regardie was Aleister Crowley's personal secretary and he wrote books on subject as well as an educational approach from Hermetic Order of Golden Dawn (HOGD). In his book 'The Philosopher's Stone' he said whole meaning was metaphoric for a spiritual transmutation only. Twenty-some years later when he did a reprint, he knew better.
