Although alchemy is usually associated with manipulating and controlling the natural world in an effort to create things like gold, Jabir Ibn Hayyan practiced alchemy of a slightly different sort. This Eastern mystic sought “takwin,” or the ability to create life. Jabir Ibn Hayyan lived in the Middle East during the 8th century. He was the personal mystic and alchemist for Caliph Harun al-Rashid, a figure famous for his own curiosity and desire to understand existence and nature. Hayyan worked tirelessly to create life, and wrote down long instructions for creating insects, reptiles, and even humans. Though others would later get credit for coming up with modern chemical classification, Jabir Ibn.