Ibn Umayl

This article is about the alchemist. For the physician, see Al-Tamimi, the physician.
Illustration from a transcript of The Silvery Water, dating to 1339 AD and probably produced in Baghdad.[1]: 16–17 

Muḥammad ibn Umayl al-Tamīmī (Arabic: محمد بن أميل التميمي), known in Latin as Senior Zadith, was an early Muslim alchemist who lived from c. 900 to c. 960 AD.

Very little is known about his life.[2] A Vatican Library catalogue lists one manuscript with the nisba al-Andalusī,[3] suggesting a connection to Islamic Spain, but his writings suggest he mostly lived and worked in Egypt. He also visited North Africa and Iraq.[4][5] He seems to have led an introverted life style, which he recommended to others in his writings.[6][7] Statements in his writings, comparing the Alchemical oven with Egyptian temples suggest that he might have lived for some time in Akhmim, the former centre of Alchemy. He also quoted alchemists that had lived in Egypt: Zosimos of Panopolis and Dhul-Nun al-Misri.[7]: XIV 

In later European literature, ibn Umayl became known by a number of names: his title Sheikh become 'senior' by translation into Latin, the honorific al-sadik rendered phonetically as 'Zadith'[8] and 'ibn Umail' becoming by erroneous translation 'filius Hamuel', 'ben Hamuel' or 'Hamuelis'.

  1. ^ Abt, Theodor (2009). Book of the Explanation of the Symbols. Kitāb Hal ar-Rumūz. Psychological commentary by Theodor. Corpus Alchemicum Arabicum (CALA) IB. Zurich: Living Human Heritage Publications. ISBN 978-3952260883.
  2. ^ Holmyard, E.J. (1990) [1957]. Alchemy (reprint ed.). New York: Dover. ISBN 0486262987.
  3. ^ Paul Kraus: Jâbir ibn Haiyân, Cairo, IFAO, 1942–3, p. 299.
  4. ^ Starr, Peter: Towards a Context for Ibn Umayl, Known to Chaucer as the Alchemist Senior. Retrieved 2024-05-06
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference stapleton was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Ibn Umayl, Mohammad. Ad-Durra an-naqīya Ms No. 1410. Hyderabad: Asaf. lib.fol. 2f.
  7. ^ a b Abt, Theodor; Madelung, Wilferd; Hofmeier, Thomas (2003). Book of the Explanation of the Symbols. Kitāb Ḥall ar-Rumūz by Muḥammad ibn Umail. Corpus Alchemicum Arabicum (CALA) I. Translated by Salwa Fuad and Theodor Abt. Zurich: Living Human Heritage Publications.p. XIII.
  8. ^ Julius Ruska, Senior Zadith = Ibn Umail. Orientalistische Literaturzeitung 31, 1928, pp. 665-666.