Chymes () was a Greco-Roman

alchemist Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...

who lived before the third century. He is known only through fragments of text in the works of

Zosimos of Panopolis Zosimos of Panopolis (; also known by the Latin name Zosimus Alchemista, i.e. "Zosimus the Alchemist") was an alchemist and Gnostic mystic. He was born in Panopolis (present day Akhmim, in the south of Roman Egypt), and likely flourished ca. 3 ...

and

Olympiodorus of Thebes Olympiodorus of Thebes (; born c. 380, fl. c. 412–425 AD) was a Roman historian, poet, philosopher and diplomat of the early fifth century. He produced a ''History'' in twenty-two volumes, written in Greek, dedicated to the Emperor Theodosius II, ...

.Taylor, F. Sherwood. “A Survey of Greek Alchemy”. ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'' 50 (1930): 109–139. Some theorists state that Chymes is the

eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

founder of alchemy.Jamal J. Elias. ''Aisha's Cushion: Religious Art, Perception, and Practice in Islam''. Harvard University Press. 2012. p. 177

Zosimus Zosimus, Zosimos, Zosima or Zosimas may refer to: People * * Rufus and Zosimus (died 107), Christian saints * Zosimus (martyr) (died 110), Christian martyr who was executed in Umbria, Italy * Zosimos of Panopolis, also known as ''Zosimus Alch ...

associates him with Mary the Jewess. He may likely date from this earliest period of alchemy.

Etymology

Chymes' name has also been recorded as Chemas, Cheimas, Chimes, Chemes, and Chimas. He was referred to by

Ibn al-Nadim Abū al-Faraj Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq an-Nadīm (), also Ibn Abī Yaʿqūb Isḥāq ibn Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq al-Warrāq, and commonly known by the '' nasab'' (patronymic) Ibn an-Nadīm (; died 17 September 995 or 998), was an important Muslim ...

as both "Kimas" and "Shimas". Jewish-Hellenistic traditions have equated Chymes with Cham, the biblical figure known as

Ham (son of Noah) Ham (in ), according to the Table of Nations in the Book of Genesis, was the second son of Noah and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan. Ham's descendants are interpreted by Josephus and others as having populated Africa. The Bibl ...

. Despite this, Chymes can not been identified with any known personage.

Fragments

''One is the All, and it is through it that the All is born. One is the All, and if the All does not contain all, the All will not be born.''Raphael Patai. ''The Jewish Alchemists: A History and Source Book.'' Princeton University Press. 2014. p.65

References

{{Alchemy, state=expanded Ancient alchemists Greek alchemists