Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS

[bi3mw]

... It is too late for the VMs, so I'm very interested to find earlier sources ...

I'll  try to open another path, starting from Clavis Artis.

The author of Clavis Artis is unknown. He claims that the German translation is based on an Arabic text from the year 1236. Bruno Nardini dates the Clavis Artis in the 17th century. The year 1738 is given in the printed Jena version of the work. The date 1378 in the title page is probably a print error. The seal in the title page clearly points to a rosicrucian provenance: "J.V.S.F.R.O" stands for "J.V.S Frater Rosae[crucis]  Ordinis.

Clavis Artis Des berühmten Juden und Rabbi Zoroasters, 1738, Jena, Chem.1267, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

It is thought that the author of Clavis Artis is Abraham Eleazar. His work "Uraltes Chymisches Werck" was published in 1735 and 1760. The justification for this presumption is vague and needs to be further researched. I've found this short text on the net ( no source is indicated ):

"..... In Bibliotheca chemica : a catalogue of the alchemical, chemical and pharmaceutical books published in London in 1906, John Ferguson, a Scottish chemist and bibliographer argued that it is likely that Hermann Fichtuld the founder of the Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross was right in believing that the author of Clavis Artis is  Abrahami Eleazaris. However,  he is a fictitious author of an ancient work on alchemy published in Leipsic in 1760, bearing the title "R. Abrahami Eleazaris Uraltes Chymisches Werk." The real author seems to have been Julius Gervasius of Schwarzburg, whose name is given as the editor on the title-page of the first part.Nevertheless, the image of a man in the vestments of a rabbi who is engraved on the cover page of the book of Abraham Eleazar is very similar to that of Zoroaster. There are also some other similarities among the illustrations of the two books. ...."

R. Abrahami Eleazaris Uraltes Chymisches Werck, Erfurt, 1735 Chem.968, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Gervasius, Julius, R. Abrahami Eleazaris Uraltes Chymisches Werck, Leipzig 1760, Ident. 10.3931/e-rara-4955,  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

If the presumed author is correct, then a link to Nicolas Flamel could be established. See the comparison  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Patai, R, Jewish Alchemists, Princeton University Press, 1995, page 256-257

In a German edition, I found the following text for comparison:

Nicolas Flamel, Chymische Werke, Wien 1751, page [35]23
"... Abraham der Jude, ein Fürst, Priester und Levite, Astrologe und Philosoph wünscht den durch den Zorn Gottes hin und her in Frankreich zertreuten Juden Glück und Heil ..."

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There is a first edition in Paris, "Le Livre des figures hiéroglyphiques", edited 1612 in a collection by Arnauld de la Chevalerie ( or François Béroalde de Verville ? ). A comparison of the text passage with the more recent German edition would be exciting. Unfortunately, I could not find the French edition as a digitalsat.

A comment by Adam McLean on a question about "Abraham the Jew and Flamel" can be found You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. .