Famous Alchemist: Zosimos of Panopolis
“The race of philosophers is superior to Fate, because they neither rejoice in her blessings, for they are masters of pleasure; nor are they thrown by her evils, since they live an inner existence; nor again do they welcome the beautiful gifts she sends, since they focus on the end of evils.” - Zosimos of Panopolis
Zosimos of Panopolis (Akhmim) - (late 300 A.D. - early 400 A.D.) …no one knows when he died.
Zosimos of Panopolis, was also known in Latin by the name of Zosimus Alchemista or Zosimos the Alchemist. He was an Egyptian alchemist and Gnostic mystic who spent most of his life in Alexandria. He was most revered for writing one of the oldest alchemical books called, “Cheirokmeta”, which is Greek means “things made with hands.”
Zosimos of Panopolis provided some of the first public descriptions of alchemy, deeming it to be the study of the composition of waters, movement, growth, embodying and disembodying, drawing the spirits from bodies and bonding spirits within bodies. He understood alchemical work to be one of psychic transformations and the gateway to spiritual salvation. He also believed in two forms of alchemy. One form he saw as the profane - seeking of material gain and enslaved by the doctrines of demons. The other he saw as the sacred seeking of a spiritual baptism.
Zosimos of Panopolis believed metallurgy and chemistry were given to women, when the fallen angels lusted after them and married them. This idea is in line with the stories in the Book of Enoch. He also believed that Daemons/Archons and their earthly servants had a dark intent of maintaining the ignorance and enslavement of fallen humanity. Zosimos of Panopolis taught that the spiritual man, or luminous man, who was called Adam by the Hebrews and Thoth by the Egyptians, was tricked by the archonic ministers of Fate into clothing himself in the four elements. This deception left spiritual Adam/Thoth’s light trapped and divided into material bodies. He also believed that the demons now jealously guarded these secrets, only revealing them to the priest who worshipped them and fed them via human sacrifice.
To Zosimos of Panopolis, the goal of sacred alchemy was to liberate the spiritual part of humanity from the bonds of matter and fate, freeing them from the clutches of the Archons/Daemons. In his teachings, it was the goal of the alchemist to not ignore these forces; rather, to work directly with material substances and seek salvation through spiritual regeneration. This lead him to believe that the Egyptians and Hebrews were given the true science and wisdom, operating through prayer and divine grace untainted by the influences of the fallen ones. He also taught that Jesus came to instruct humanity into our spiritual nature. He urged people to resist bodily passions and appetites, which attracted daemons and to instead focus inwardly on attaining the knowledge and experience of the true God.
Zosimos of Panopolis also studied the Testament of Solomon. He saw King Solomon as a Magus and exorcist who held divine dominion over Deamons. This is still taught in most secret societies and is echoed in modern Freemasonry and the ancient Order of the Knights Templar.
Zosimos of Panopolis made many breakthroughs in the world of distillation and medical tincture making, practices still used today. His is also credited with bringing the mystical aspects of alchemy to the public world. Because of his work and deep love for the things of the Divine, the sacred art of alchemy was seen as a way of life. Sacred alchemy now publicly demanded from its followers a work of mental purification and knowledge of self that gave access to spiritual salvation.
