The Arabic Hermes: From Pagan Sage to Prophet of Science
- Date of account
- 2008
- Location
- Cambridge; Arabic intellectual traditions of Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Iran
- Source
- model_recalled_reference
- Record updated
- 2026-10-10
Record summary
Manfred Ullmann’s study of the Arabic Hermes traces how Hermes Trismegistus was represented in Islamic-era scientific, philosophical, astrological, and occultizing literature. It offers a strong comparative lead for examining how a figure associated with alchemy and hidden knowledge was reclassified as a sage, prophet, or transmitter of sciences. The work concerns textual history rather than a verified supernatural encounter. Its relevance to North Africa and the Middle East lies in the circulation of Arabic sources across scholarly networks, while precise dates, authorship, and manuscript dependence vary substantially between individual texts.
Investigate related details with Anomaly Graph’s account-based search, or read how matching and provenance work.