The Greeks came afterward, but gave credit to Egyptians and named them Alchemists.
They named science Alchemy which means "The Egyptian Art"
The word “Alchemy” is derived from Khem, the name of Egypt, “Al” means “of” so the word means “of Egypt.”
The Egyptian God Thoth was believed to have invented the sacred art of writing and the concepts of justice; he taught mankind astronomy, architecture, geometry, medicine and religion.
He was the carrier of Divine messages and recorded all human deeds.
Like the Hebrew/Persian god, He sat among the judges of the dead, weighing the heart.
An unworthy heart (soul) was eaten by Sobek and ceased to exist, while the worthy went to the blissful realms or were reborn to continue their evolution.
It is therefore understandable that Thoth, the God of Wisdom, was credited with the creation of alchemy.
The famous Library of Alexandria contained more than 500,000 scrolls, including Euclid, Archimedes, Ptolemy (geometry), Aristarchus of Samos (who demonstrated that the world was round and revolves around the sun some 1500 years before Kepler) and texts on math and geography which were translated in Latin and dominated these fields well into the middle ages.
Scientists studied ancient Egyptian texts and learned of the precession of the equinoxes and that the moon, which revolved around the Earth, was responsible for tides.
All of these authors were alchemists.
Pagan scholars and sages fled to the Middle-East and were welcomed with open arms by the emerging Muslim cultures.
Greek versions of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes were treasured by the Muslim conquerors and revered as sources used to develop Algebra, Number Theory, Architecture and Medicine which until recently far surpassed the West.
The texts known as the ‘Hermetica’ are named after the Greek God Hermes Trismegistris, Thrice Great Hermes, the Greek name of Egyptian God Thoth as in the ancient world it was common to credit the God or Goddess who inspired the author.
Hermetica is seen as the direct descendant of Sumerian and Egyptian philosophy.
200 years after Alchemy worked its magic, Muslim Empires were replete with learning and scientific achievements.
In the 9th century, the first University was established in Baghdad and was called “the House of Wisdom.”
Many pagan works were translated and taught, studied and practiced.
Hermetica became the secret inspiration for many unorthodox religious sects such as the Sabaeans, Sufis (who called Hermes “Idris and Enoch.”), Zoroastrians, Gnosticism and various schools of neo-Platonists.
The most notable of the Sufis was. Al Hallaj martyred as a heretic, who loudly espoused the Hermetic wisdom “I am the truth,” and “We are all God.”
Secret societies such as Masonry, the Golden Dawn, the O.T.O., the Rosecrutians were founded around Hermetic texts and on Hermetic doctrines.
Early Hermetic writings remain some of the oldest and greatest sacred texts ever written.
In a very real sense, Hermetica continues its influence as quantum mechanics demonstrates the hidden truths of ancient Hermetic philosophy and psychology validates alchemy as true means of mental and spiritual health.
Religion and science are merging.
The questions are, how it all started with the Egyptians? The Pharaohs?
Where Science came from?
Why most of the texts were sacred?
Why the Sufis called Hermes Idris or Enoch?
What is the relation of this God Messenger with Alchemy?
If we look at some of famous figures in history whose works were influenced by Alchemical texts.. we can see among them:
Queen Elizabeth I, Martin Luther, Rumi the Sufi, Shakespeare, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Aristotle, Leonardo Da Vinci, Micheangello, Victor Hugo, William Blake, Decartes, Milton, etc....
Again go figure......
Sami Cherkaoui
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