Jacob Bohmen, also known as Jakob Böhme (1575 - 1624), was a shoemaker turned visionary and founder of the sect of the Aurea-crucians. He is notable for his unique blend of alchemy and religion, which he developed through his interpretation of the Bible and the works of various mystical and alchemical writers.

Bohmen was born in Gorlitz, Upper Lusatia, in 1575. He spent his early years working as a shoemaker. For the first thirty years of his life, he led a life marked by obscurity and was considered a visionary with an unsettled mind. His fortunes began to change with the dissemination of the Rosicrucian philosophy in his region around 1607 or 1608.

From that point on, Bohmen began to neglect his trade, immersing himself in metaphysical studies. The works of Paracelsus and the Rosicrucian ideas captivated his mind, leading him to abandon his profession and fall into poverty and destitution. Despite these hardships, his focus remained on spiritual matters, and he considered himself a new apostle of the human race.

In 1612, after four years of meditation, Bohmen published his first work, _Aurora; or, The Rising of the Sun_, which reflected his absorption of Paracelsus's ideas and further complicated them. Bohmen believed that the philosopher's stone could be discovered through diligent study of the Old and New Testaments, especially the Apocalypse, which he thought contained all the secrets of alchemy.

He proposed that Divine Grace and Providence operated by the same principles and methods as those in the natural world. Just as metals were purified by fire, so too were human minds cleansed from vices and corruptions.

Bohmen acknowledged the existence of various supernatural beings, including sylphs, gnomes, undines, and salamanders, as well as different ranks and orders of demons. He claimed to possess abilities such as invisibility and absolute chastity and asserted that he could abstain from food and drink for extended periods if he wished.

Despite these claims, his work was met with criticism. The magistrates of Gorlitz reprimanded him for his writings and advised him to return to his trade to support his family. Bohmen, however, continued his studies, blending mineral burning, metal purification, and mystical interpretations of religious texts.

Bohmen authored three additional works:

• _Metallurgia_, which is somewhat less obscure than his other writings.
• _The Temporal Mirror of Eternity_
• _Theosophy Revealed_, filled with allegories and metaphors.

His writings gained a reputation for absurdity, with followers such as Gifftheil, Wendenhagen, John Jacob Zimmermann, and Abraham Frankenberg, who also faced persecution. Some of his followers suffered imprisonment and torture for their beliefs, and one, Kuhlmann, was burned alive in Moscow in 1684 on charges of sorcery.

Bohmen's works were later translated into English and published by William Law, an enthusiast of his ideas. Bohmen died in 1624, leaving behind a significant number of devoted disciples.

Despite the controversy surrounding his work, Jacob Bohmen's writings continued to influence mysticism and alchemical thought long after his death. His unique synthesis of alchemy, mysticism, and religious philosophy has made him a notable figure in the history of esoteric thought.