It is interesting to trace back the etymology of the word “chemistry” and its intrinsic meanings. We have to go back a long way, to the ancient Egyptians. They called their country “Khemi” which in their language meant “black land”, indicating the beneficial silt which was transported from the floods of the Nile, giving them the possibility to cultivate and live off the desert.
In fact, until the invasion of the Persians in 525 B.C. by Cambises II, the Egyptians did not know what money was; all their economy was based on bartering agricultural products. (1)

 

The word “Egypt” was created by the Assyrians and Persians who called this land “Temple of the God of Knowledge” (Het-Ke-Ptah), which over time changed through Greek and then Roman phonetics and became “Egypt”.
For the Egyptians at that time, however, the name of their land remained “Khemi” and the Muslim Arabs who took possession of the country after the fall of the Roman empire took this name as a symbol of culture and knowledge and, when preceded by the Arab article “al”, it became “Al-Khemi”.
With the invasion of Moorish Spain commanded by El-Tarik (Gibraltar = Gebel-el-Tarik, mountain of Tarik) this name arrived in Europe with the meaning of research, becoming Alchemy.
For this reason the legendary founder of alchemic practices, Hermes Trismegistus, is identified with the figure of Imhotep, grand vizier, pharmacist, physician, researcher and architect, constructor of the first terraced pyramid for Pharaoh Djoser and who was later deified. Later, the word “alchemy” changed into “chemistry”.
Therefore, in conclusion, the concept of “Chemistry” is in strict relation to and in direct descent from the concept of “Khemi”, bringer of life and well-being (and here the connection with the “philosopher’s stone” of the alchemists which turns lead into gold – that is, desert into life – is evident).
Obviously, even in this case, all knowledge must be used correctly and responsibly.

And it is just this that ICAP-SIRA is trying to do and is the main goal of its research.

 

(1) Even taxes were paid in grain, collected by the Pharaoh and priests in large deposits. The problem therefore was defending them from mice. That is why cats (see goddess Bast) were sacred: the guardians of the royal treasure! Cambises took advantage of this and in the battle of Pelusium he made his soldiers hold cats in their arms. Therefore, so as not to harm the cats, the Egyptian army dispersed and the Persian invasion took place (Herodotus).