Mary or Maria the Jewess also known as Maria Prophetissima in Latin, Maria Hebraea, Maria Prophetissa, Miriam the Prophetess; Mariya the Sage and Mary the Prophetess, was an alchemist who first appears was in the works of the Gnostic Christian writer Zosimos of Panopolis, another well-known alchemist. According to him, she's identified with Miriam the sister of Moses and lived between the first and third century A.D. She is attributed with the invention of several kinds of chemical apparatus and is considered to be the first non-fictitious alchemist in the Western world.

In the 4th century, Zosimos wrote his book “Peri kaminon kai organon” (On Furnaces and Apparatuses) which is considered to be the oldest book about alchemy. In it, he describes several of her experiments and instruments. In his writings, Mary is almost always mentioned as having lived in the past and being one of the “sages.” …show more content…
George Syncellus, a Byzantine chronicler of the eighth century, presents Mary as a teacher of Democritus whom she met in Memphis, Egypt at the time of Pericles. Another student of Mary is Cleopatra the alchemist, who probably also attended Mary's school of chemistry as a student. Other sources speaking of her include the tenth century Kitāb al-Fihrist of Ibn al-Nadim that cites her as one of the fifty-two most famous alchemists, knowing the preparation of the caput mortuum. Also, the Roman philosopher Morieno called her “Mary the Prophetess” and the Arabs knew her as the “Daughter of Plato”, a name that in Western alchemical texts was reserved for the white