Abraham Eleazar

Abraham Eleazar is the fictitious author of an alchemical work titled R. Abrahami Eleazaris Uraltes Chymisches Werk ('R. Abraham Eleazar's Age-Old Chymical Work').^[1] The book was first published in Erfurt in 1735;^[2] a second edition was published in Leipzig in 1760.^[3]

Rabbi Abraham Eleazar

In the preface of the first part of the work, it is claimed that Abraham Eleazar drew his alchemical nations and illustrations from ancient copper tablets of Tubal Cain. The second part is ascribed to another rabbi named Samuel Baruch.^[4] It is further stated that the original was written in Latin, Arabic, Chaldaean, and Syriac.

Historical evidence suggests that the actual author behind both works was Julius Gervasius of Schwarzburg, who is credited as the publication's editor.^[2][4]

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Gottheil, Richard (1903). "Eleazar, Abraham". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 96.

1. Fürst, Julius (1863). Bibliotheca Judaica: Bibliographisches Handbuch der gesammten jüdischen Literatur (in German). Vol. 1. Leipzig: Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann. p. 231.
2. Patai, Raphael (2014). The Jewish Alchemists: A History and Source Book. Princeton University Press. pp. 238–257. ISBN 978-1-4008-6366-2.
3.  Gottheil, Richard (1903). "Eleazar, Abraham". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 96.
4. Priesner, Claus (2016). "Legends about Legends: Abraham Eleazar's Adaptation of Nicolas Flamel". Ambix. 63 (1): 1–27. doi:10.1080/00026980.2016.1163631. PMID 27376176. S2CID 27361436.