Table of Contents
From the 3rd or 2nd century BC, Greek texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, holder of all knowledge, began to appear in Hellenistic Egypt.
These texts, known as the Hermetica, are a heterogeneous collection of works that encompass alchemical, magical, astrological, and medicinal elements.
“The first inventor of this Art was Hermes Trismegistus, for he knew all three natural philosophies, namely Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal.”
After the flood, he found in the valley of Hebron, where Adam lived after being expelled from the earthly paradise, seven marble tablets on which the principles of the seven liberal arts are engraved. He wrote a brief work (which reproduces the beginning of the Emerald Tablet), which passed to his disciple Pythagoras, then to Plato, Aristotle, and finally to Alexander the Great. Thus, the ante-diluvian wisdom was transmitted, independently of the revelation made to Moses at Sinai.
From another perspective, Wilhelm Christoph Kriegsmann published 1657 a commentary in which he tries to demonstrate, using the linguistic methods of the time, that the Emerald Tablet was not initially written in Egyptian but in Phoenician. He continues his studies of ancient texts and in 1684 argues that Hermes Trismegistus is not the Egyptian Thoth
“Nothing surpasses and nothing equals as a summary of all the doctrines of the old world the few sentences engraved on a precious stone by Hermes and known as the ’emerald tablet’… it is all of magic on a single page.”
Éliphas Lévi
Acts 14:12-13
In Acts 14:12-13, Hermes (known as Mercury in Roman mythology) is mentioned in the context of Paul and Barnabas being mistaken for gods during their missionary journey in Lystra.
Lystra was an ancient city located in the region of Lycaonia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. It was part of the Roman province of Galatia in Asia Minor.
After Paul heals a man who was lame from birth, the crowd, amazed by the miracle, believes the two men are divine beings.
- Verse 12: “Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.”
- Verse 13: “The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.”
Hermes is identified with Paul because of his role as the “chief speaker,” reflecting the traditional role of Hermes/Mercury as the messenger and communicator among the gods in ancient times. Similarly, Barnabas is associated with Zeus (Jupiter), often considered the chief deity.
This passage illustrates the cultural lens of the Lycaonians, who interpreted divine activity through the framework of their Greco-Roman religious beliefs. It also highlights the challenges faced by early Christian missionaries in distinguishing their message from the existing polytheistic traditions.
