Nicolas Flamel, Le Livre des figures hiéroglyphiques in Trois traitez de la philosophie naturelle (ed. P. Arnauld),
Paris, Guillaume Marette, 1612

When in Paris in 1357 the alchemist Nicolas Flamel acquired a papyrus allegedly containing the secret of alchemy, he was only able to decipher it with the help of a Jewish physician in 1378, who disclosed to him the meaning of the work, which had been written by 'Abraham le Juif' for his people. In his edition of the Figures hiéroglyphiques, editor Pierre Arnauld had Flamel claim that a true understanding of alchemy was impossible without having first progressed in the 'Cabale traditive', and after diligent study of the books of the Hebrews.