O Corpus Hermeticum, datado provavelmente do século I ao século III, representou a fonte de inspiração do pensamento hermético e neoplatônico renascentista. Na época acreditava-se que o texto remontasse à antiguidade egípcia, anterior a Moisés e que nele estivesse contido também o prenúncio do cristianismo.
Segundo Clemente de Alexandria, eram 42 livros subdivididos em seis conjuntos. O primeiro tratava da educação dos sacerdotes; o segundo, dos rituais do templo; o terceiro, de geologia, geografia, botânica e agricultura; o quarto, de astronomia e astrologia, matemática e arquitetura; o quinto continha os hinos em louvor aos deuses e um guia de ação política para os reis; o sexto era um texto médico.
Costumava-se creditar também a Hermes Trismegisto o Livro dos Mortos ou o Livro da Saída da Luz, além do mais famoso texto alquímico - a "Tábua de Esmeralda".
As " scribe and messenger of the gods " , in Hellenistic Egypt , Hermes Trismegistus was regarded as the author of a set of " hermetic " sacred texts , sayings , containing teachings on the arts, sciences and religion and philosophy - the Corpus Hermeticum - whose purpose is the deification of humanity through the knowledge of God . It is unlikely that all these books were written by one person , but represent the knowledge accumulated by the Egyptians over time , attributed to the great god of wisdom .
The Corpus Hermeticum , probably from the first century to the third century dated, represented the source of inspiration of the Renaissance Hermetic and Neoplatonic thought . At the time it was believed that the text remontasse the ancient Egyptian , Moses and before that it was also contained in the beginnings of Christianity .
According to Clement of Alexandria, 42 books were divided into six sets . The first dealt with the education of priests , the second of the temple rituals , the third of geology, geography, botany and agriculture , the fourth of astronomy and astrology, mathematics and architecture , the fifth contained the hymns of praise to the gods and a guide for political action to kings : the sixth was a medical text .
It used to be also credited to Hermes Trismegistus or the Book of the Dead Book of Light Output , besides the most famous alchemical text - the " Emerald Tablet " .
