Concepciones y modelo de enseñanza de las ciencias naturales del estudiante P

The Egyptian Hermes, known as Hermes the Copt (Al-Ya^qubi Tarikh I: 187), was perceived as the source of science. This followed from earlier sources that treated the Egyptian Thoth/Hermes as the origin of many of the sciences (Kâkosy 1981: 42).

Some Arab writers, for example Al-Nadim (Al-Fihrist: 345), quoting Ishaq Ibn Hunain (Tarikh: 150), attributed the invention of certain sciences to ancient Egyptians or to Hermes:

Some say it was the Egyptians who invented medicine. Others say Hermes invented all crafts and philosophy and medicine.

In keeping with earlier Arab sources, Sa^d (Tabaqat: 35-37) spoke highly of ancient Egyptian science and tells that Hermes, a resident of Upper Egypt before the Flood, was the source of all science. Hermes was said to be the first astronomer, builder, doctor and poet. He was also:

the first to predict the Flood and to foretell that a celestial

catastrophe of water and fire would strike the earth, and he became concerned that science and other forms of knowledge would be lost; so he built the pyramids that can still be found in Upper Egypt. On the wall of the pyramids he drew all forms of technical equipment and devices and described all aspects of science, intending to preserve them for ftiture generations, because he was afraid that they might be lost to the world.

This Egyptian Hermes was very popular in medieval Moslem/Arab sources (Scott 1985 4: 248ff; Massignon in Festugière 1981 1: 384ff; Siggel 1937 and Plessner 1954). He was claimed as a native by almost every country including Yemen, Iraq,

and Lebanon (Sabanu 1982: 11; Blanco 1984: 2254). He was also associated with the Hebrew prophet Enoch and the Qur’anic prophet, Idris, (Q 19: 57-58, Q 21: 85-86) who was said (Al-Qifti Ikhbar: 229) to have taught the Greek Asklepios who travelled from Greece to Egypt especially to learn and transfer scientific knowledge back to Greece. Al-Qifti seems to have been aware of the nature of the relationship between the Greek Asklepios, the Egyptian Imhotep, and Hermes (Fodor 1974: 156). In other words, Hermes was identified in Arabic sources with Imhotep as well as with Thoth following the Greek tradition (Fowden 1986: 22, 32, 216). Ibn Fatik (Mukhtar: 10) alluded to this through his description of the physical appearance of Hermes. Among many features he was:

dark coloured (adam al-lun) complete body, bald, handsome, with thick beard, broad shouldered, large boned with little flesh, bright eyes painted with kohl, gently spoken, with long silences, unmoving limbs. When walking, often focuses his eyes on the ground mostly in deep thought. He is very serious and moves his index finger during talking. He lived on earth for 82 years.

Moslem alchemists regarded this Hermes as one the founders of the science of alchemy (Holmyard 1957: 82, 98-100). They claimed that he was the source of their own material and knowledge as did Abu Al-Qasim Al-Traqi (see above eg. 84, 94). It was Hermes who wrote the famous “Tabula Smaragdina” (Emerald Tablet) which contained the key to all the secrets of the universe (for literature on this tablet see Kahn 1995 and the references there). The name of this tablet in Arabic is al-lawh al- mahfouz which has a profound meaning for Moslems as it is mentioned in The Qur’an (Q 85: 21-22): “This is a glorious The Qur’an, (inscribed) in an (eternally) preserved tablet” meaning that the most revered book for Moslems has been in eternal existence. It has already been noted that Hermes was Islamicised in these Arab sources and that alchemists elevated his tablet to a revered status as the origin of their sacred knowledge. This idea is rooted in ancient Egyptian materials as can be seen in the rubrics in the Book of the Dead where magical spells were believed to be found on tablet of “real lapis lazuli” (Allen 1936: 151).

Sa^fr described another Hermes who lived in Egypt after the Flood whom he called “Hermes the Second”, a travelling philosopher, geographer and alchemist.

This Hermes is often referred to (e.g. Ibn Juljul Tabaqat: 8) as Hermes the Babylonian. There is yet another Hermes, “Hermes the Third”, who also lived in Egypt (Tabaqat: 19, 90 n.5-6).

The main source in almost all Arabic materials for these various Hermes is Abu Ma^shar Al-Balkhi (d. 885) in his book the Thousands on Houses of Worship (Al- Uluf ft Bvut Al-%adat^ (Burnett 1976) which is now lost, only small fi'agments of it having been collected and edited by Pingree (1968). Long quotations from Abu Ma^shar are found in many Arab books when referring to Hermes, for example in Ibn Juljul (d. a. 994) (Tabaqat: 1-100) and in Al-Qifti (Ikhbar: 2-6, 227-229) who said that:

Hermes the Third, the Egyptian, is known as Trismegistus because he is the third of the three sages. He was from Egypt after the Flood, a travelling philosopher, an ancient one

who knew the countries very well, their cults and their people’s characters. He wrote an excellent book on alchemy and another on poisonous animals. He was a native scientist of Egypt, a country among the esteemed ones. It had a great kingdom and ancient fame in old times as evidenced from their monuments, buildings, sanctuaries and science centres, most of which still stand in the country to this day and all o f which, as agreed by all people, are unique on earth.

Knowledge of Hermes and his books was essential for the medieval Moslem/Arab scholar as can be seen in Al-Jahiz (Rasai 1 3: 72) who taunted one of his critics for not knowing the writings of Hermes (Netton 1991: 50fl). As Al- Jahiz died 771 CE, knowledge of Hermes must have been already common among Arab scholars well before the ninth century, the earliest date given by Blanco (1984: 2255) for Arab knowledge of Hermes.

After the Flood, highly esteemed ancient Egyptian scientists were said to be knowledgeable in all science and philosophy, including mathematics, the physical sciences and theology. Sa^id tells us that the Ancient Egyptians dealt with the most

complex of problems. He quoted a widely used source named Al-Wasyfi on one such problem, the “Theory of Creation”:

The ancient Egyptians believed that prior to the birth of the human race, the earth was populated by species of animals having strange forms and extraordinary appearances.

Then came the human race, which fought and defeated all the other species until they were annihilated or dispersed in the wilderness and deserts. Among these animals were the ogres and the ghouls and others as mentioned by al-Wasyfi in his book on the history of Egypt.

Recent translators of the Tabaqat. Salem and Kumar (1991: 94 n. 5), have suggested that this quotation from Al-Wasyfi may have been a later addition to the work of Sa^id, by a copyist, since Al-Wasyfi died in 1202 some hundred and thirty years after the death of Sa°id (Kahalah 1957 1: 125). But we do not know the exact dates for Al-Wasyfi and whether he might be the same person as Ibn Wasif Shah who is believed to have lived in the tenth century (Ferré 1991), or perhaps even Ibn Wasif Al-Sabi’ (Sezgin 1994). The quotation above seems to have been particularly popular since it is often repeated, and sourced, to Al-Wasyfi (e. g. Abu Al-Salat Al-Risalah: 24; Al-Qifti Ikhbar: 228).

Moslem/Arab thoughts on the origin and conflict of species and on natural selection leading to the evolution of humans can be seen in the works of Jabir (d. ca 815), for example in his book Tadbir Al-Iksir (8-9) where he even hints at an evolutionary connection between fish and humans warning his readers “not to be surprised at such a connection” {Ibid 9). These discussions on evolution had became common knowledge by the ninth/tenth centuries as can be seen in the works of Ikhwan Al- Safaa (Kruk 1996: 79 and n. 55), of Al-Muqadasi (d. 950) fAl-Bad': 2: 75f), and of Miskawaih (d. 1030) fTahdhib: 64ff). The suggestion of Salem and Kumar about the quoted passage of Al-Wasyfi that it is a later addition may be supported by the comment on it, attributed to Sa^id, which questioned the intellect of the ancient Egyptians if they had truly been the advocates of such a theory o f evolution. He said:

If true, this will make them [the ancient Egyptians] as far as they could be from the discipline of wisdom and the laws of philosophy

(Sa^'id Tabaqat: 94).

This quotation of Sa^d is in contrast to his obvious admiration for Egyptian scientific knowledge seen in his accounts of the many eminent Greek scientists who studied under Egyptian masters.