Editing Emerald Tablet (section)

=== Ibn Umayl ===
[[File:Ibn Umayl The Silvery Water.jpg|thumb|303x303px|Fourteenth-century depiction of [[Ibn Umayl]]'s discovery story in a pyramid from manuscript ''Book of the Silvery Water and the Starry Earth''. (man. Topkapı Palace Library, man. ''Ahmet III 2075'').]]
Similarly, an Arabic treatise called the ''Book of the Silvery Water and the Starry Earth''{{Efn|{{langx|ar|كتاب الماء الورقي والأرض النجمية|Kitāb al-Māʾ al-Waraqī wa-'l-Arḍ al-Najmiyya}}.}} by [[Ibn Umayl]]{{Efn|Whose name is at time [[Latinisation of names|latinised]] to ''Senior Zadith''.}} reproduces a version of the ''Tablet''.<ref>{{harvnb|Stapleton|Lewis|Taylor|1949|p=81}}.</ref> This treatise was translated as {{Langx|la|Tabula Chemica|4=Chemical Tablet}}''.''<ref>{{harvnb|Ibn Umayl|1933|p=|pp=117-118}}.</ref> In this version of the frame story, a stone table is discovered, resting on the knees of Hermes Trismegistus in the secret chamber of a pyramid. However, this table does not contain the ''Tablet'' text which is repeated later in the treatise.<ref>{{harvnb|Stapleton|Lewis|Taylor|1949|p=81}}.</ref> It is instead inscribed with writing described as {{Langx|ar|بيرباوي|bīrbāwī|hieroglyphic; of the pyramid}}.{{Efn|"We went towards the Pyramid (''Birbāʾ'') which the keepers opened, and I saw on the roof of the galleries<sup>1</sup> of the Pyramid a picture of Nine Eagles with out-spread wings, as if they were flying, and with outstretched and open claws. In the claw of each of the eagles was a thing like the fully-drawn bow which is used by soldiers (''Jund'': MSS. P. and L. ''Ḵẖail'' ‘cavalry’). On the wall of the gallery on the right side of any one entering the Pyramid, and on the left side, were pictures of people standing, most perfect in shape and beauty, wearing clothes of various colours and having their hands stretched out towards a figure seated inside the Pyramid, near the pillar of the gate of the Hall. The image was situated to the left hand of whoever desired to enter into the Hall, facing the person who entered from the gallery. The image was (seated) in a chair, like those used by physicians, the chair being separate from the figure. In its lap, resting on the arms—the two hands of the figure being stretched out on its knees—was a stone slab (''balāṭah'')—also separate—the length of which was about 1 cubit, and the breadth about 1 span. The fingers of both its hands were bent behind the slab, as if holding it. The slab was like an open book, exhibited to all who entered as if to suggest that they should look at it. On the side, viz., in the Hall (''riwāq'') where the image was situated, were different pictures, and inscriptions in hieroglyphic (''bīrbāwī'') writing. The tablet which was in the lap of the image was divided into two halves by a line down the middle: and on one half of it towards the bottom, was a picture of two birds having their breasts (contiguous) to one another. One of them had both wings cut off, and the other had both wings (intact). Each of them held fast the tail of the other by its beak as if the flying bird wished to fly with the mutilated bird, and the mutilated bird wished to keep the flying bird with itself. These two linked birds that were holding one another appeared like a circle, a symbol of 'Two in One'. Above the head of the one that was flying was a circle and, above these two birds, at the top of the tablet close to the fingers of the image (''sic!''), was the representation of the crescent moon (''hilāl''). At the side of the Moon was a circle, similar to the circle near the two birds at the bottom. The total (of these symbols) is Five—3 at the bottom, ''viz''., two birds and the circle: and, above, the figure of the Crescent Moon and another circle."<ref>{{harvnb|Ibn Umayl|1933|pp=119-120}}.</ref>}}

The literary theme of the discovery of Hermes' hidden wisdom can be found in other Arabic texts from around the tenth century. The introduction of the Book of Crates provides one such example. In the narrative a Greek philosopher named Crates{{Efn|{{langx|ar| قراطس|Qarāṭas}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Ruska|1924|p=12, 20}}.</ref> Possibly a corrupted Arabic version of the name [[Pseudo-Democritus|Democritus]].<ref>{{harvnb|Houdas|1893|p=9}}; {{harvnb|Ruska|1924|p=26}}.</ref>}} is praying in the temple [[Serapeum|''Sarapieion'']].{{Efn|{{langx|ar|ساراوندين|Sārāwandīn}}. {{harvnb|Faivre|1988}} and {{harvnb|Houdas|1893}} merely translate this to mean the ''Temple of [[Serapis]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Faivre|1988|p=98}}; {{harvnb|Houdas|1893 |p=46}}</ref> But Ruska points out that {{transliteration|ar|Sārāwandīn}} is the Arabised version of [[Serapeum|Sarapieion]] and that {{langx|ar|سَرافِيل|Sarāfīl}} is the Arabised version of Serapis—with the particle ''īl'' being reminiscent of the Arabisation of Hebrew angel names like {{langx|ar|جبريل|Jibrīl|lit=Gabriel}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Ruska|1924|p=14}}.</ref>}} While in prayer he has a vision of the ancient sage.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ruska|1926|p=|pp=137-139}}; {{Harvnb|Ruska|1924|p=16}}; {{Harvnb|Faivre|1988|p=98}}.</ref> It reads:

{{Blockquote|text="Then I saw an old man, the most beautiful of men, seated on a chair. He was dressed in white garments and held in his hand a board attached to the chair, upon which rested a book. Before him were wondrous vessels, the most marvellous I had ever seen. When I asked who this old man was, I was told: ''He is Hermes Trismegistus, and the book before him is one of those that contain the explanation of the secrets he concealed from humankind.''"<ref>{{harvnb|Houdas|1893|pp=46-47}}.</ref>}}