Artephius
Encyclopedia
Artephius or (Al-Hafiz, Ibn al-Hafiz) or (Al-Tafiz, Ibn al-Tafiz of Ibn ar-Tafiz) (Circa 1126) was an independent Alchemist
from Al-Andalus
, he has been known as the author of numerous works of Alchemical texts, now extant only in Latin
. He was among the most prominent Alchemists known in the Middle Ages, he was a freelance alchemist
from probably Córdoba
. Like Al-Majriti, he was keenly interested in mercuric oxide, he also mentions some medicines which were extracted from saffron
by Ibn al-Wafid
of Toledo
(Abenguefit).
) in a village on the outskirts of probably Córdoba
. His family owned livestock such as cattle
and produced dairy products. His name Al-Hafiz or Al-Tafiz (one who has memorized the Quran by heart) indicates his early education. During his youth he learned the sciences of Alchemy
, his works are a compendium of the sciences of Alchemy
in Al-Andalus
and like the works of his colleagues are mystical
in nature.
After detailed studies in Alchemy, he became the renown author of The Secret Book of Artephius, in the first chapter he mentions substances such as: mercuric oxide, sulfur
, antimony
, iron ore, thiosulfate
, gold
, alluvium
, sal ammoniac
, wax
, brass
silver
, black ash, metallic vapors, magnesia (magnesium hydroxide
); in the second chapter he mentions the methods used to make vinegar
saffron
, cheese
, pure milk
, yogurt, cream
and butter
. In the third chapter he writes about the Sublimation
process, Bain-marie
. He concludes his book with quotes and the verses from the Quran (Aale Imran, 7; 3:26):
Which when you see, render praises and thanksgiving to the most great and gracious God (Allah), who gives wisdom and riches to whomsoever He pleases, and takes them away according to the wickedness of a person. To Him, I say, the most wise and almighty God (Allah), be glory for ages and ages. AAMEN.
Although details, origins and biography of the author have been lost due to the turbulent years of the Reconquesta and the Inquisition
that followed. The works of Al-Tafiz (Artephius) are very similar to that of his fellow Alchemists in Al-Andalus
mainly due to his mystical style of writing:
O God (Allah), how through nature, doth thou change a body into a soul: which could not be done, if the soul were not incorporated with the bodies, and the bodies made volatile with the soul, and afterwards permanent and fixed. For this cause sake, they have passed over into one another, and by the influence of wisdom, are converted into one another. O Wisdom: how thou makest the most fixed gold
to be volatile and fugitive, though by nature it is the most fixed of all things in the world... (The Secret Book of Artephius)
Another work ascribed to him is the De Vita Propagandi, The Art of Prolonging Human Life, the book was most probably published after his death and deals only with the elixir
. Although the origin of the texts is unclear, at least some of it derives from various Arabic antecedents. Roger Bacon
alludes to The Secret Book of Artephius, indicating that it goes back to the thirteenth century. In the sixteenth century there were numerous allusions.
, printed originally in 1613. Then in 1624, Eirenaeus Orandus provided an English translation of the 'secret booke'.
Renaissance tradition credited Al-Tafiz (Artephius) for his detailed works on the extraction of various substances, and also attribute to having discovered the alchemical elixir that made it possible to prolong life. In his Secret Book, Al-Tafiz claims that the science of Alchemy
to be more than a thousand years old originating in the Levant
. Like many of his colleagues in Al-Andalus
he is also known to have written various essays on the use of music
. The Bain-marie
was first mentioned by Al-Tafiz as he quotes the sayings of a previous Alchemist named Adfar, he states it as a crucial device used in the study of Sulfur
. Modern scholars credit Al-Tafiz (Artephius) for inventing the Bain-marie
.
Alchemist
An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy. Alchemist may also refer to:-People and groups:*The Alchemist , a hip hop music producer and rapper*Alchemist , an Australian progressive metal band...
from Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
, he has been known as the author of numerous works of Alchemical texts, now extant only in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. He was among the most prominent Alchemists known in the Middle Ages, he was a freelance alchemist
Alchemist
An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy. Alchemist may also refer to:-People and groups:*The Alchemist , a hip hop music producer and rapper*Alchemist , an Australian progressive metal band...
from probably Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
. Like Al-Majriti, he was keenly interested in mercuric oxide, he also mentions some medicines which were extracted from saffron
Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel...
by Ibn al-Wafid
Ibn al-Wafid
Ali Ibn al-Husain Ibn al-Wafid , known in Latin Europe as Abenguefit, was a pharmacologist and physician from Toledo. He was the vizier of Al-Mamun of Toledo. His main work is Kitab al-adwiya al-mufrada...
of Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
(Abenguefit).
Early Life
He was born to Spanish Muslim (MuladiMuladi
The Muladi were Muslims of ethnic Iberian descent or of mixed Arab, Berber and European origin, who lived in Al-Andalus during the Middle Ages. They were also called "Musalima" .-Etymology:...
) in a village on the outskirts of probably Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
. His family owned livestock such as cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and produced dairy products. His name Al-Hafiz or Al-Tafiz (one who has memorized the Quran by heart) indicates his early education. During his youth he learned the sciences of Alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, his works are a compendium of the sciences of Alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
in Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
and like the works of his colleagues are mystical
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
in nature.
After detailed studies in Alchemy, he became the renown author of The Secret Book of Artephius, in the first chapter he mentions substances such as: mercuric oxide, sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
, antimony
Antimony
Antimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
, iron ore, thiosulfate
Thiosulfate
Thiosulfate is an oxyanion of sulfur. The prefix thio indicates that thiosulfate ion is a sulfate ion with one oxygen replaced by a sulfur. Thiosulfate occurs naturally and is produced by certain biochemical processes...
, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
, sal ammoniac
Sal ammoniac
Sal ammoniac is a rare mineral composed of ammonium chloride, NH4Cl. It forms colorless to white to yellow-brown crystals in the isometric-hexoctahedral class. It has very poor cleavage and a brittle to conchoidal fracture. It is quite soft, with a Mohs hardness of 1.5 to 2, and has a low specific...
, wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
, brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, black ash, metallic vapors, magnesia (magnesium hydroxide
Magnesium hydroxide
Magnesium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Mg2. As a suspension in water, it is often called milk of magnesia because of its milk-like appearance. The solid mineral form of magnesium hydroxide is known as brucite....
); in the second chapter he mentions the methods used to make vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
saffron
Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel...
, cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, pure milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, yogurt, cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
and butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
. In the third chapter he writes about the Sublimation
Sublimation
Sublimation may refer to:* Sublimation , the change from solid to gas without entering liquid phase* Sublimation , the transformation of emotions* Sublimation , a music album by Canvas Solaris-See also:...
process, Bain-marie
Bain-marie
A bain-marie is a French term for a piece of equipment used in science, industry, and cooking to heat materials gently and gradually to fixed temperatures, or to keep materials warm over a period of time.- Description :...
. He concludes his book with quotes and the verses from the Quran (Aale Imran, 7; 3:26):
Which when you see, render praises and thanksgiving to the most great and gracious God (Allah), who gives wisdom and riches to whomsoever He pleases, and takes them away according to the wickedness of a person. To Him, I say, the most wise and almighty God (Allah), be glory for ages and ages. AAMEN.
Although details, origins and biography of the author have been lost due to the turbulent years of the Reconquesta and the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
that followed. The works of Al-Tafiz (Artephius) are very similar to that of his fellow Alchemists in Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
mainly due to his mystical style of writing:
O God (Allah), how through nature, doth thou change a body into a soul: which could not be done, if the soul were not incorporated with the bodies, and the bodies made volatile with the soul, and afterwards permanent and fixed. For this cause sake, they have passed over into one another, and by the influence of wisdom, are converted into one another. O Wisdom: how thou makest the most fixed gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
to be volatile and fugitive, though by nature it is the most fixed of all things in the world... (The Secret Book of Artephius)
Another work ascribed to him is the De Vita Propagandi, The Art of Prolonging Human Life, the book was most probably published after his death and deals only with the elixir
Elixir
An elixir is a clear, sweet-flavored liquid used for medicinal purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one's ills. When used as a pharmaceutical preparation, an elixir contains at least one active ingredient designed to be taken orally....
. Although the origin of the texts is unclear, at least some of it derives from various Arabic antecedents. Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon, O.F.M. , also known as Doctor Mirabilis , was an English philosopher and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of nature through empirical methods...
alludes to The Secret Book of Artephius, indicating that it goes back to the thirteenth century. In the sixteenth century there were numerous allusions.
Legacy
In printed form, works attributed to Artephius became well known in the seventeenth century. A work Artefii clavis majoris sapientiae was printed in Paris in 1609. Later it would also appear within Volume IV of Theatrum ChemicumTheatrum Chemicum
Theatrum Chemicum , is a compendium of early alchemical writings published in six volumes over the course of six decades. The first three volumes were published in 1602, while the final sixth volume was published in its entirety in 1661...
, printed originally in 1613. Then in 1624, Eirenaeus Orandus provided an English translation of the 'secret booke'.
Renaissance tradition credited Al-Tafiz (Artephius) for his detailed works on the extraction of various substances, and also attribute to having discovered the alchemical elixir that made it possible to prolong life. In his Secret Book, Al-Tafiz claims that the science of Alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
to be more than a thousand years old originating in the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
. Like many of his colleagues in Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
he is also known to have written various essays on the use of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. The Bain-marie
Bain-marie
A bain-marie is a French term for a piece of equipment used in science, industry, and cooking to heat materials gently and gradually to fixed temperatures, or to keep materials warm over a period of time.- Description :...
was first mentioned by Al-Tafiz as he quotes the sayings of a previous Alchemist named Adfar, he states it as a crucial device used in the study of Sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
. Modern scholars credit Al-Tafiz (Artephius) for inventing the Bain-marie
Bain-marie
A bain-marie is a French term for a piece of equipment used in science, industry, and cooking to heat materials gently and gradually to fixed temperatures, or to keep materials warm over a period of time.- Description :...
.
Sources
- Austin, H.D. 1937. "Artephius-Orpheus." Speculum 12: 251–54.
- Levi della Vida, G. 1938. "Something More about Artefius and His Clavis Sapientiae." Speculum 13: 80–85.