Banner featuring Arabic calligraphy in dark blue ink above the words Islamic Medical Manuscripts at the National Library of Medicine written in burgundy ink.

Catalogue: Alchemy

Kitāb al-Khamā’ir al-thālith: (The Third Book of Fermentation); كتاب الخماير الثالث; by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (8th-9th century); جابر ابن حيان

Jābir referred in two of his treatises to a work by him titled Kitāb al-Khamā’ir (The Book of Fermentation). Amongst the collection of alchemical tracts called The 112 Books composed at the end of the 9th century, medieval bio-bibliographers numbered as the 13th treatise one titled Kitāb al-Khamā’ir al-kabir (The Large Book of Fermentation), and as the 14th and 15th one titled Kitāb al-Khamā’ir al-saghir (The Small Book of Fermentation). Since the latter occupies two places on the medieval numbered list of 112 books, it is assumed that it consisted of two parts. There are, however, very few treatises preserved today with similar titles (only the ones at NLM and one in Cairo and one in Tehran, discussed below), and what few there are have not been studied and compared in any detail.

The National Library of Medicine has a copy of a tract titled Kitāb al-Khamā’ir (MS A 33, item 16) whose text is identical to a copy with the same title now in Cairo (Dar al-Kutub, tabi‘iyat MS 731, fols. 139a-143a) copied in 1670/1081. A treatise of the same title is preserved in Tehran, Khaniqah-i Ni‘matallah MS 145, fols. 56b-62a, copied in 1834/1250. See Kraus, Jabir, p. 19 nos. 20-21; Sezgin, GAS IV, p. 234 no. 12. No other copies are recorded.

The same manuscript (NLM MS A 33) also has a treatise (item 13) titled Kitāb al-Khamā’ir al-thālith (The Third Book of Fermentation) which it states is from (min) Kitāb al-A‘rad (The Book of Accidents). The latter is number sixty of collection called The 70 Books (al-Kutub al-sab‘un), also composed at the end of the 9th century (see Kraus, Jabir, p.58 no. 182; and Sezgin, GAS IV, p. 245 no. 60). However, the relationship between this Third Book on Fermentation and The Book of Accidents has not been established. It is possible that it represents the second part of The Small Book of Fermentation listed by the bio-bibliographers as occupying nos. 14 and 15 in the list of '112 Books'. No other copy has been identified.

Yet a third tract in the same manuscript (MS A 33, item 14) also concerns fermentation. It is titled Kitāb Tafsīr al-Khamā’ir al-thālith (Explication of the Third Fermentation or Explication of the Third [Book on] Fermentation). In the manuscript copy it states that the tract is attributed to (al-mansubah ilá) Jabir. It would appear that it is intended as a commentary on the preceeding treatise. Only one other copy is recorded: Tehran, Khaniqah-i Ni‘matallah MS 145, fols. 84a-87b, copied in 1834/1250.

Yet another manuscript at NLM (MS A 91.1) has a tract (item 7) titled Risālah Fī bayān al-Khamā’ir (Essay on the Explanation of Fermentation). The text does not correspond to the other treatises on the subject, and no other copies have been identified.

Kitāb al-Khamā’ir al-thālith (MS A 33, item 13): (The Third Book of Fermentation); كتاب الخماير الثالث; by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (8th-9th century); جابر ابن حيان

This treatise titled Kitāb al-Khamā’ir al-thālith (The Third Book of Fermentation) is specified to be from (min) Kitāb al-A‘rad (The Book of Accidents). The latter is number 60 of collection called The 70 Books (al-Kutub al-sab‘un), also composed at the end of the 9th century (see Kraus, Jabir, p.58 no. 182; and Sezgin, GAS IV, p. 245 no. 60). However, the relationship between this Third Book on Fermentation and The Book of Accidents has not been established. It is possible that it represents the second part of The Small Book of Fermentation listed by the bio-bibliographers as the 14th and 15th of the '112 Books'.

No other copy has been identified.

Illustrations

The back cover of MS A 33 which is bound in an 18th or 19th -century Persian/Turkish binding of brown leather over pasteboards with an envelope flap. Both covers have a blind-stamped large scalloped mandorla panel stamp whose decoration on the inner field has a central flower in full bloom and interweaving vines with full blown and smaller flowers and leaves. There are two small pendants blind-stamped with a single flower-bud. The covers also have blind-tooled frames formed of simple fillets either side of a narrow guilloche roll.

MS A 33, binding (back cover)

The volume is bound in an 18th or 19th -century Persian/Turkish binding of brown leather over pasteboards with an envelope flap. Both covers have a blind-stamped large scalloped mandorla panel stamp whose decoration on the inner field has a central flower in full bloom and interweaving vines with full blown and smaller flowers and leaves. There are two small pendants blind-stamped with a single flower-bud. The covers also have blind-tooled frames formed of simple fillets either side of a narrow guilloche roll.

Physical Description

Arabic. 6 leaves (fols. 212a-217b, line 9). Dimensions 21 x 14.8 (text area 15.3 x 7.4) cm; 12 lines per page. The title and author are given on fol. 230b, line 4. The title is given on fol. 212a, line 2, where it is also said that it is from The Book of Accidents (min Kitāb al-A‘rad) by Jābir. In line 4 of the same folio, it is said that 'this book of ours is the third on fermentation' (hadha kitā'bna al-thālith fī Khamā’ir).

The copy is undated and unsigned. The appearance of the paper, ink and script suggests a date of 17th or 18th century.

All the items in the volume were copied by the same unnamed person. The volume was given the title Majmu‘ nafīs al-kimiya’ (A Valuable Collection on Alchemy) on fol. 1b, which is a later title page and table of contents. A modern label on the front paste-down reads: Majmu‘ah: Rasa’il li-Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (Collection: Treatises by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān).

The text is written in a large naskh tending to ta‘liq script using black ink with headings in a tomato-red. The text area is frame-ruled. There are catchwords.

There are marginalia in several hands throughout the volume. Some indicate corrections, others (in a very large script) repeat section headings, and some provide brief commentaries. Most of the folios have been numbered in Arabic numerals on the verso; the volume has been recently refoliated in Western numerals.

Fols. 2-188 are composed of a thin, ivory paper with vertical laid lines and single chain lines (no watermarks observed). Fols. 189-252 are composed of a slightly thicker and stiffer light-beige paper that also has vertical laid lines with single chain lines spaced further apart than in the paper of the first group; there are also evident watermarks. The paper is damp-stained and darker near the edges, with considerable water-damage at the top inner corner. It is also slightly soiled through thumbing. Fol. 1 is a watermarked paper slightly different from the rest of the volume.

The volume consists of 252 leaves. Fol. 1a is blank; the folio is a later piece of paper on which someone has written a table of contents for the volume on the verso. Fols. 10b, 27a, 48a, and 89b are completely blank. Fol. 121a is blank except for a short Persian later annotation. Fol. 36b was blank, but a Persian note has since been added to it, and fol. 58a was blank until a short note in red ink was added that repeats the title of the previous item. Carefully written Persian notes have been written at the bottom of fols. 47a and 47b.

Fols. 2a-10a (item 1) contain Kitāb al-Malāghim al-awwal by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 1); fols. 11a-26b (item 2) Kitāb al-Malāghim al-thānī by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 2); fols. 27b-36a (item 3) Kitāb al-Malāghim al-thālith by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 3); fols. 37a-47a (item 4) Tafsīr al-Malāghim by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 4); fols. 48b-57b (item 5) Kitāb al-al-Tadābīr by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 5); fols. 58b-89a (item 6) Kitāb al-Uṣūl by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 6); fols. 90a-120b (item 7) Kitāb al-Sirr al-sārr wa-sirr al-asrār by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 7); fols. 121b-147a (item 8) al-Muntakhab min Kitāb al-Ittiḥād by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 8); fols. 147a-161b (item 9) Kitāb al-Sirr al-asrār by al-Rāzī (MS A 33, item 9); fols. 161b-173b (item 10) Kitāb al-Sirr al-Maknūn by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 10); fols. 174a-185a (item 11) Kitāb al-Wāḥid al-awwal wa-al-thānī wa-al-thālith by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 11); fols. 185a-211b (item 12) Kitāb al-Bāhir by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 12); fols. 212a-217b (item 13) Kitāb al-Khamā’ir al-thālith by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān here catalogued; fols. 217b-229a (item 14) Kitāb Tafsīr al-Khamā’ir al-thālith by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 14); fols. 229b-230b (item 15) Kitab al-Sha‘ar [quotations from] by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 15); fols. 230b-244b (item 16) Kitab al-Khama'ir by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 16); and fols. 244b-252b (item 17) al-Khalis al-mubarak by Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (MS A 33, item 17).

Binding

The volume is bound in an 18th or 19th century Persian/Turkish binding of brown leather over pasteboards with an envelope flap. Both covers have a blind-stamped large scalloped mandorla panel stamp whose decoration on the inner field has a central flower in full bloom and interweaving vines with full blown and smaller flowers and leaves. There are two small pendants blind-stamped with a single flower-bud. The covers also have blind-tooled frames formed of simple fillets either side of a narrow guilloche roll. The envelope flap has a similar frame, with the small scalloped panel stamp decorated with a small flower in full bloom surrounded by a scalloped design. The spine, fore-edge flap, and edges are recently repaired in a darker brown leather. The envelope flap has a yellow-green paper lining. There are modern pastedowns and endpapers and a recent brown cloth fore-edge flap lining.

Provenance

The volume was purchased in 1941 by the Army Medical Library from A. S. Yahuda (ELS No. 1683).

References

Schullian/Sommer, Cat. of incun. & MSS., entry A 33, p. 308.

NLM Microfilm Reel: FILM 48-118 no. 6.