The 14th-century alchemist al-Jildakī

[Paul Ferguson]

"Abstract: Although al-Jildakī is one of the most important Arabic alchemists in history, he is still a shadowy, mysterious figure as are most of the Arabic alchemists. Fortunately, modern scholarly research has shown increasing interest in uncovering the mysteries surrounding the life of this celebrated alchemist. In this contribution, we aim to shed light on certain aspects of the enigmatic aura surrounding al-Jildakī, particularly regarding the geographical scope of his scientific activity, his places of residence, discussing whether he is Egyptian by origin or not. The second part of this paper will concern his opus magnum and maybe his latest work al-Miṣbāḥ fī asrār ʿilm al-miftāḥ ("The lamp, on the secrets of the science of the key"), in which al-Jildakī has collected all of his knowledge in alchemy, his important concepts, principles and views. Al-Miṣbāḥ is considered a summary of his previous books. The discussion will clarify al-Miṣbāḥ's authenticity, correct title, and whether al-Jildakī wrote the book in two parts as he mentions in the preface, which consequently may give a hint about al-Jildakī's deathdate."

https://www.academia.edu/129961485/The_1...25_109_131