Dr Salam Rassi has received a Leverhulme Research Project grant for his project, ‘Islamic Science, Christian Practitioners: Pseudo-Aristotle’s Treatise on Alchemy.’ Dr Rassi is about to embark on a 12-month period of research leave to complete his second book: a critical edition, English translation, and monographic study of a 13th-century Arabic alchemical handbook.The project utilises philology, a scholarly method for studying historical texts. This involves carefully comparing different manuscripts, which often contain mistakes or differences because they were copied by different people over many centuries. By examining these variations, Dr Rassi will try to determine the original author's intended text. Much of this detailed work will be supported by cutting-edge digital tools designed for studying humanities subjects. Dr Salam Rassi Dr Rassi's focus will be on studying a medieval alchemical text that describes how to make the Philosophers’ Stone—a mysterious substance believed to turn base metals into gold. This involves reconstructing the original Arabic from eight different manuscripts and producing a clear, readable English translation. Readers will be able to view the Arabic and English side by side, with notes and an introduction to help them navigate the text and its historical context.This demanding and time-consuming work, requires sustained focus and careful attention to detail making it difficult to balance alongside full-time teaching and administrative duties. The grant will provide the dedicated time and space necessary to complete this project. Receiving a grant like this is a tremendous privilege for academics. It allows us to devote the time and energy needed to pursue our research with depth, focus, and passion. Dr Salam Rassi Project background ‘Islamic Science, Christian Practitioners’ centres on a little-known 13th-century Arabic treatise on alchemy, composed in northern Iraq and framed as a correspondence between Aristotle and Alexander the Great. While part of a broader genre of occult science, the text functions as a technical guide to producing the Philosophers’ Stone and reflects the maturity of alchemical theory in the Islamic world. What sets this work apart is its transmission history. Authored by Abdisho, a bishop of Sinjar, and reportedly translated from Syriac, the text survives in both Muslim and Christian contexts: over half the extant manuscripts are written in Garshuni (Arabic in Syriac script), while the remainder were copied by Muslim scribes. Through a critical edition and translation, the project will illuminate the shared intellectual traditions of medieval Christians and Muslims. Leverhulme Research Fellowship Leverhulme Research Fellowships are open to experienced researchers, particularly those who have struggled to complete a programme of research due to routine duties. Awards can provide replacement costs and research expenses to assist the award holder to carry out a research project. Publication date 13 May, 2025
