Studies
in comparative religion, pioneered by such scholars as Gerald Massey, have
yielded a wealth of data connecting Egyptian mythology and mysticism to
Christianity, demonstrating that the former contributed a great deal to the
latter. Naturally, most research has focused upon mythology involving Osiris,
Isis, Horus, and Ra. This has been for good reason – these chief deities of
ancient Egypt provide a firm, and in many cases detailed, underpinning of
Christian mythology. However, rather than dwell upon these figures, about
whom so much has been written in terms of comparitive mythology, we shall
turn to a lesser-discussed (although still a very prominent) Egyptian god,
Thoth. In actuality, we will concentrate upon a late Hellenistic version of
Thoth – Hermes Trismegistus – who represents Thoth amalgamated with the
early Hellenistic figure of Hermes. While doing so, we shall explore many
parallels between traditions involving Thoth (principally as Hermes
Trismegistus) and Christian mythology. This will suggest that the Hermetic
tradition contributed a number of elements to Christianity, as the latter
emerged. Given the complexity of comparitive studies in general, worsened
considerably by the antiquity of the period and the massive loss of
documentation, it will be virtually impossible to ‘prove’ that Christianity
directly lifted elements from the Hermetic system. Rather, this article is
merely an exploration, hopefully adding to the general intellectual milieu
of thought and discussion, and providing some possible directions for
further research.
Thoth and Hermes Trismegistus
In ancient Egypt, Thoth was the god of wisdom and writing;
through being identified with Hermes by the Greeks, he evolved into Hermes
Trismegistus. Thoth is described as a scribe and messenger of the gods, and
in this capacity is usually shown as a man with the head of an ibis.1
Owing to the sapiential and scribal nature of Thoth, a large number of books
were attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, thus adding to the corpus of
“Hermetic literature.” In addition to the ibis image, the hawk’s head was
also associated with Thoth. The idea of a winged spirit messenger is
comparable to the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, acting as a heavenly
messenger at Jesus’ baptism, and also as the Paraclete offering testimony
(John 16:7-8, 13-14).
According to Egyptian mythology, Thoth had another important
role:
Thoth ... was frequently represented recording important
proceedings, such as at the ‘Weighing of the Heart’ ceremony which was
believed to take place after death.2
The “weighing of the heart,” or similar judgement, appeared
within, and may have been partly subsumed by, the Isian-Sophian tradition.
The transferral of motifs from Thoth/Hermes to Sophia would be quite
natural, since both were “wisdom” deities. Alluding to the way in which such
transferral can easily take place, Dr Stephan Hoeller explains:
Who, then, actually wrote the “books of Hermes,” which, since
their rediscovery in the fifteenth century, have played such a significant
role in our culture? The writings are all anonymous: their mythic author is
considered to be Hermes himself. The reasoning behind this pseudonymous
approach is simple. Hermes is Wisdom, and thus anything written through the
inspiration of true wisdom is in actuality written by Hermes. The human
scribe does not matter; certainly his name is of no significance.3
The “weighing of the heart” or similar near-death judgement
issues, associated as they were with the Goddess (Isian-Sophian) tradition,
naturally reappeared under the guise of Marian intercession (as in the Roman
Catholic Hail Mary: “Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our
death.”) Thoth’s role as an intercessor is noted by Dr. Hoeller:
Thoth ... was the principal pleader for the soul at the
judgment of the dead.4
The notion of an intercessor in death is often mirrored by
the idea of intervention in sickness, i.e. healing. Since Thoth was regarded
as a wise deity of learning, naturally he became associated with the arts,
and with sciences (including medicine). Spells and healing were also
identified with Isis (and later with Mary; to this day Christians attend
Marian shrines, seeking healing), and it is possible that the Alexandrian
Therapeutae (i.e. “Healers”) – who venerated Isis or at least the “Queen of
Heaven” (cf. Jeremiah 44:17-19) – borrowed spells, chants, etc. from the
Isian tradition, which could easily have encompassed a healing tradition
stemming from Thoth. In the latter regard, the legendary healer Asclepius is
closely associated with Hermetic literature. And certainly, if Eusebius’
claim that the Therapeutae were the earliest Christians is accurate, the
existence of a closely-associated Hermetic medical tradition would help
explain early Christianity’s intense interest in miraculous healing.
Like Hermetic healing in relation to the Isian-Marian
tradition, the motif of the winged “Mercurial” messenger spirit, associated
with Thoth/Hermes, was also apparently subsumed, in this case being
identified with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the dove, and to a lesser
extent, Mary. Alluding to Thoth’s link to the Paraclete, Dr. Hoeller notes
that “Thoth was also the teacher and helper of the ancient
Egyptian trinity of Isis, Osiris,and Horus.”(emphasis added)5
Likewise, providing a link from Mary to the Paraclete (and hence to Thoth),
the Coptic Liturgy of St. Basil, used by the Coptic Orthodox church in
Egypt, preserves a reference to Mary as “the fair dove.” The possibility
that Mary attracted symbols and motifs previously associated with Thoth/Hermes
is enhanced by Hermes’ mother being named Maia; 6 there
may also be a link to the mother of Adonis, Myrrha, whose mythology
is Syrian (n.b. that Ignatius, from this region, is one of the earliest
Christian letter-writers to mention Mary). The goddess Isis, often seen as a
‘proto-Mary,’ may have facilitated the transferral of aspects of Thoth/Hermes
to Mary, since Thoth helped Isis resurrect the slain Osiris.7
Thoth’s role as a scribe – and recorder of judgement
proceedings – is echoed in Revelation 20:12-15 and 21:27, where the Lamb
(representing Christ) apportions judgement based upon records in his “book
of life.” In addition to the Christological elements, Thoth/Hermes (like
Christ) was identified by Greeks with “God” himself, since the name Theos
derives from Theuth/Thoth. Addressing both this derivation, and a
variety of primitive Christological motifs, Dr. Everard states:
The titles appropriated to HERMES MERCURIUS TRISMEGISTUS
were, in part, the titles of the DEITY. THEUTH, THOTH, TAUT, TAANTES, are
the same title diversified, and they belong to the chief god of Egypt.
Eusebius speaks of him as HERMES. From Theuth the Greeks formed QEOS, or
Theos, which with that nation was the general name of the Deity. Plato, in
his treatise named “Philebus,” mentions him by the name of Qeuq, or Theuth.
He was looked upon as a great benefactor, and the first cultivator of the
vine. ...
In one hand Hermes holds the crux ansata, the symbol
of life—a master symbol which is the most persistent and determined in its
appearance (and in its re-appearance) in all the sculptures of Egypt :—in
the other hand the figure grasps a staff, associated with which are a
serpent, a scorpion, a hawk’s head, and above all a circle surrounded by an
asp, each with its special symbolical significance. ...
The T, Tau, was the instrument of death, but it was also what
Ezekiel ordered the people in Jerusalem to be marked with, who were to be
saved from the destroyer. It was also the emblem of the Taranis or the
Thoth, or Teutates, or TAT, or Hermes, or Buddha among the druids. It was
called the Crux Hermis. The old Hebrew, the Bastulan, and the
Pelasgian, have the letter Tau thus,—X ; the Etruscan, + × ; the Coptic, + ;
the Punic, ÉĢ ÉĢ. [emphasis original]8
In the above passage, Dr. Everard mentions a number of motifs
that have Christological applications. Like Thoth/Hermes, Jesus is
associated with the vine (John 15:1), and the allegedly life-saving cross –
a clear inheritance from the crux ansata or ankh (the symbol
of life), and the Tau – the latter of which, as Dr. Everard notes, was a
symbol of death, and often took the form of a cross. Thus the ankh/Tau/cross,
and the Crux Hermis, simultaneously encompassed motifs of life,
death, and accordingly, rebirth. In Christian mythology, birth and death
motifs are prominent: the nativity of Jesus continues to fascinate
Christians, at least as much as his death/resurrection. The rebirth process
is pictured by Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan (cf. John 3:3-5).
A more opaque aspect of the above passage deals with the
relationship between Thoth, the scorpion, and Jesus. The scorpion motif –
owing to the scorpion’s tail – was viewed as a ‘backbiter’ or betrayer, and
is suggestive of an archetypal Judas-figure. Thus, alluding to the
scorpion’s sting, Jesus describes Judas as one who has “lifted up his heel
against me.” (John 13:18) Since the name Judas means “twin,” from an
allegorical perspective Judas is Jesus’ ‘evil twin’ or his darker/lower
self, sometimes identified with Satan (cf. Luke 22:3; Matthew 16:23).
In the quotation above, Dr. Everard mentions some additional
motifs. Like Thoth/Hermes, Jesus has a staff or sceptre (Psalm 2:9;
Revelation 12:5); similarly, an early catacomb painting depicts Jesus with a
wand, raising Lazarus.9(John 11) Also, with regard to the
serpent/asp motif, although this motif has come to be frequently associated
with the Devil, the Jesus figure has serpentine connotations. Referring to
the copper healing serpent made by Moses (in Numbers 21:9), John 3:14
declares: “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so
must the Son of man be lifted up.” Moses – who is often viewed as a “type”
of Jesus – links together the staff and serpent motifs: his first miracle is
turning his staff into a snake (Exodus 4:2-4). The parallel between Moses
and Jesus is often underlined by both functioning as high priests or
mediators. Regarding such a mediatorial role (as well as the Christological
“first-born” status), Dr. Everard presents the chief Scandinavian god, Thor,
as being derived from Thoth, and notes that “THOR is represented as the
first-born of the SUPREME GOD, and is styled in the Edda ‘the eldest of
Sons.’ ... He was esteemed in Scandinavia as a middle divinity, a
mediator between God and man.”(emphasis original)10 This
appears to derive from Hermes as a Mercurial ‘go-between,’ and hence also a
‘mediator.’ Dr. Hoeller elucidates upon this role:
While Hermes is regarded as one of the earliest and most
primitive gods of the Greeks, he enjoys so much subsequent prominence that
he must be recognized as an archetype devoted to mediating between, and
unifying, the opposites. This foreshadows his later role as master magician
and alchemist, as he was regarded both in Egypt and in Renaissance Europe.
... [Similarly,] Thoth acted as an emissary between the contending armies of
Horus and Seth and eventually came to negotiate the peace treaty between
these two gods. His role as a mediator between the opposites is thus made
evident, perhaps prefiguring the role of the alchemical Mercury as the
“medium of the conjunction.”11
Hermes Trismegistus and the Divine
Pymander
The Divine Pymander of Hermes Trismegistus is a major
source of Hermetic teachings, and incorporates sapiential traditions,
mysticism, and philosophical views akin to Neoplatonism. Its style and
contents bear a striking similarity to many of the texts discovered at Nag
Hammadi, indicating that the Christian Gnostic tradition, in Egypt, evolved
from, or coalesced with, an earlier Hermetic tradition. The extent to which
the Hermetic writings preserve pre-Hellenic, Egyptian teachings specifically
associated with Thoth is difficult to determine; nevertheless, “Hermes
Trismegistus” offers some assurance of continuity in the Divine Pymander
(IV:1):
this day it is fit to dedicate [this speech] to Tat [Thoth],
because it is an Epitome of those general Speeches which were spoken to him.
Issues of continuity in the Hermetic tradition, and similar
problems of analysis, are considerably worsened by the destruction of many
Hermetic writings. Dr Hoeller observes:
The original number of Hermetic writings must have been
considerable. A good many of these were lost during the systematic
destruction of non-Christian literature that took place between the fourth
and sixth centuries A.D. ... Church Father Clement of Alexandria says that
the books of Hermes treat of Egyptian religion; and Tertullian, Iamblichus,
and Porphyry all seem to be acquainted with Hermetic literature.12
Another problem in analysis is that Hermeticism was a
secret tradition. As instructed in the Divine
Pymander:
Avoid all conversation with the multitude or common people;
for I would not have thee subject to Envy, much less to be ridiculous unto
the many. ... it behoveth to avoid the multitude, and take heed of them as
not understanding the virtue and power of the things that are said. [I:83-5]
Likewise, Jesus instructs his disciples concerning secret
teachings, not to be revealed to the “common people” (whom Jesus refers to
as “dogs” and “swine”):
Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls
before swine, that they may never trample them underfoot, then turn around
and rip you open. ... Many are called, but few chosen. [Matthew 7:6; 22:14]
To you is has been granted to know [gnōnai]
the mysteries [mystēria]
of the kingdom of God, but for the rest it is in parables, in order that,
though looking, they look in vain, and though hearing, they may not
comprehend. [Luke 8:10]
Evidently, whatever these “mysteries” are, Jesus does not
want them preached unto the “ends of the earth.” Here, Jesus is speaking as
a Hermetic sage, teaching secrets to his inner circle of followers.
Thoth/Hermes as the Word, or Logos
As a divine messenger, Thoth/Hermes becomes associated with
the idea of the divine Word (the Logos), the Mind of God, God’s image or
manifestation, and the “Son of God.” In the Divine Pymander, the Mind
of God speaks:
I am that Light, the Mind, thy God ... and that bright and
lightful Word from the mind is the Son of God. ... That which in thee seeth
and heareth, the Word of the Lord, and the Mind the Father, God, differ not
one from the other; and the union of these is Life. [II:8-9]
Later, we read:
But the Father of all things, the Mind being Life and Light,
brought forth Man like unto himself, whom he loved as his proper Birth; for
he was all beauteous, having the image of his Father. ... Holy is God, the
Father of all things. ... Holy art thou, that by thy Word hast established
all things. Holy art thou, of whom all Nature is the Image. [II:18; 86-90]
Such expressions are very reminiscent of the views of Philo,
who was very probably exposed to some form of Hermetic tradition. Of course,
the above-mentioned concepts of the Word’s identity with God, the Word being
the creative agency of God, the Word being the “Son of God,” and the Word’s
“Life” and “Light” being reflected as a divine quality in humanity, all
reappear at the beginning of the Gospel of John. This strongly suggests that
the writer of this gospel was familiar with some form of Hermetic tradition.
(The frequent references to the Gospel of John, in the present article,
provide further clues as to Hermetic influences in the Johannine tradition.)
As John’s gospel continues, the writer refers to John the
Baptist as bearing witness or offering proclamation concerning the “light.”
Elsewhere, John is the voice “crying out” in the wilderness, who instructs
his hearers to get baptized. Similarly, the Divine Pymander mentions,
along with a “Cup” motif (which is both Eucharistic and representative of
the baptismal font):
Filling a large Cup or Bowl therewith, [God] sent it down,
giving also a Cryer or Proclaimer. And he commanded him to proclaim these
things to the souls of men. Dip and wash thyself, thou that art able in this
Cup or Bowl: Thou that believeth that thou shalt return to him that sent
this Cup; thou that acknowledgest whereunto thou wert made. As many,
therefore, as understood the Proclamation, and were baptized, or dowsed into
the Mind, these were made partakers of knowledge, and became perfect men,
receiving the Mind. [XII:13-16]
Closely echoing the latter part of this passage, John’s
gospel records:
But as many as did receive him [the Word / the light], to
them he gave authority to become children of God, because they were
believing in his name; and they were born, not from blood or from man’s
will, but from God. [1:12-13]
Providing more detail on the original, Hermetic baptismal
tradition, Dr. Hoeller states:
The Hermeticists had their own sacraments as well. These
appear to have consisted primarily of a form of baptism with water and an
anointing resembling “a baptism and a chrism” as mentioned in the Gnostic
Gospel of Philip. The Corpus Hermeticum mentions an anointing
with “ambrosial water” and a self-administered baptism in a sacred vessel,
the krater, sent down by Hermes from the heavenly realms.13
Thoth/Hermes and the Sign of the Fish
The idea of baptism, since it involves being “born of water,”
naturally invokes the image of a fish – just as early Christians symbolized
Christ using the ichthus (fish) symbol – also known as the vesica
piscis (sign of the fish). As noted by Freke & Gandy,14 the
vesica piscis symbol was well known to the Pythagoreans, who formed
it by intersecting two circles so that the circumference of each touches the
centre of the other circle. (Measurements based on these two circles then
produce the sacred ratio 153:265; interestingly, the number 153 is
specifically mentioned in relation to fish, at John 21:11.) The two
intersecting circles were seen as a unification of spirit and matter – as
echoed in the simultaneous “human and divine” nature of Christ, and in the
idea that the soul/spirit has entered into (or, become entombed in) flesh,
or in Nature. Thanks to Hermes Trismegistus, the Divine Pymander
gives a complex account of divinity ‘separating’ into seven primal Circles
(emanated aspects of divinity) to achieve self-reflective Gnosis, and
apparently recognizing the vesica piscis or fish shape – representing
humanity’s inherent divinity – now formed within the intersecting Circles,
or, like fish, “in the Water”:
For indeed God was exceedingly enamoured of his own form or
shape, and delivered unto it all his own Workmanships. ... he considered the
Operations or Workmanships of the Seven; but they loved him, and every one
made him partaker of his own order. And he learning diligently, and
understanding their Essence, and partaking their Nature, resolved to pierce
through the Circumference of the Circles, and to understand the power of him
that sits upon the Fire. And having already all power ... [he] peeped
through the Harmony, and breaking through the strength of the Circles, so
shewed and made manifest the downward-born Nature, the fair and beautiful
Shape or Form of God. ... he smiled for love, as if he had seen the shape or
likeness in the Water, or the shadow upon the Earth, of the fairest Human
form. And seeing in the Water a Shape, a Shape unto himself, in himself he
loved it, and would cohabit with it ... Nature presently laying hold of what
it so much loved, did wholly wrap herself about it, and they were mingled,
for they loved one another. And from this cause Man above all things that
live upon earth is double: Mortal, because of his body, and Immortal,
because of the substantial Man. For being immortal, and having power of all
things, he yet suffers mortal things, and such as are subject to Fate or
Destiny. [II:19-26]
Rethinking Early Christianity
The way ‘traditional’ Christianity (that is, Christianity as
modified and promoted by the Roman Church from the time of Irenaeus) has
been presented would lead us to think that the process of its development
was one of progressive enlargement and deepening of theology. This view
begins with the simple life and maxims of Jesus, as recorded in the
canonical gospels, and then expands into the theological musings of Paul, to
be advanced by the ante-Nicene Fathers, and to blossom into the
fully-developed theology of Augustine et al. However, the discovery
that Paul’s letters are the earliest canonical writings began to destabilize
this picture within scholarly circles. Pauline theology emerges as if
suddenly, as a complex and profound edifice of theological speculation; some
years later (up to a century later, according to some liberal scholars)
gospels of “Jesus’ life” emerge – and there is no evidence that Paul knew of
any such gospels (indeed, many scholars have conclusively determined that he
cannot possibly have been aware of them, nor could he have relied upon some
much-touted “oral” biography of Jesus, which is clearly wishful thinking on
the part of certain orthodox scholars). What is strange here is that
Christianity, far from blossoming from simple sayings and traditions into a
complex and profound theological system, appears to be evolving backwards
(i.e. devolving): first the sophisticated theology, then the
simple ‘wise teachings’ of the Master, a few details of his life, and so on.
Of course, the written gospel tradition did develop – but was this a
matter of progress, or a case of acute romanticizing, where the profound
theological musings of Paul et al gave way to romantic fictions about
Jesus, replete with dazzling miracles to entertain the pious, ignorant
masses?
Many liberal scholars are, nowadays, leaning towards the
latter outlook. With the discovery of the Nag Hammadi gospels in the
twentieth century, the traditional picture is falling apart; every
indication is that, at the earliest stage, Christianity was a profound,
complex, metaphysical system. However, with the passage of time, “votes” by
unenlightened bishops as to what the truth should be, and the intervention
of politics in particular, Christianity collapsed into a puerile system of
blind faith in mythology, unquestioning appeal to human authority, belief in
sacramental magic, and superstitions involving such things as virginity,
rubbing crucifixes, and worrying about when to eat fish. (So much for the
vesica piscis...)
Hermeticism, as previously discussed, provides another
dimension to our understanding of the rise (or, fall) of
Christianity; like its counterpart, Gnosticism, Hermeticism reflects an
advanced stage in late Hellenistic thought. But, like Gnosticism,
Hermeticism was not to survive (except as a secret, underground movement);
forces of ignorance, superstition and fanaticism would wreak havoc upon the
sublime, Hellenistic vision, one which had helped carry the flame of Gnosis
from ancient Egypt. Perhaps, like Icarus who flew too near the sun, the
Hellenistic vision had become too profound, too complex. In humanity’s
desire to reach up and touch the divine, to express the inexpressible,
perhaps humanity ‘flew too near the sun,’ and came crashing down. This
appears to have happened as only the most highly learned and profoundly
spiritual individuals could grapple with the sophisticated theology they had
developed; increasingly, they found themselves in the minority, and subject
to persecution. The common people, who were largely illiterate, had no
tolerance for theological and philosophical musings; they wanted a scapegod
who “died for them,” magically washing their sins away. They wanted firm
leadership from priests, dressed in colorful finery to titillate the visual
faculty – priests who could, with a sacred hand gesture here, or a flick of
magical oil there, expel demons, and bless the faithful (evidently, even the
“atoning blood” of the murdered God incarnate was not quite enough to
assuage the wretched parishioners’ troubled consciences). Perhaps most of
all, the common people wanted assurance of a prime location in the Elysian
fields; they were not particularly interested in knowing God, in touching
the face of the divine. It is little wonder, then, that the Christian world
descended into a mire of crass superstition, its citizens barely held in
check from total anarchy even by the threat of eternal torment. Thus, the
Dark Ages began – a thousand years in which the manifestations of the divine
human spirit, the most ecstatic heights of philosophy and knowledge, were
eclipsed. A thousand years, in which all noble individuals who tried to
relight the flame of ancient wisdom were summarily tortured, and executed at
the stake. But in the darkness, in secret, enlightened monks, nuns and
assorted intellectuals – risking their lives at every turn – hid their
precious manuscripts, trained apprentices in absolute secrecy, and helped
keep alive the weakened spiritual pulse of humanity. Those who were found
out by the Church often paid the ultimate penalty. However, their sacrifices
have not been in vain, for the divine human spirit lives on; yet we are
mindful of how much has been lost.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
—Tennyson.
1. Lucia Gahlin,
Egypt: Gods,
Myths and Religion.
Lorenz Books:
London
(2002). 46.
2. ibid., 47.
3. Stephan A. Hoeller, On the Trail of the Winged God: Hermes and
Hermeticism Throughout the Ages. Internet article at
http://www.webcom.com/~gnosis/.
4. ibid.
5. ibid.
6. Euripides, Ion (prologue).
7. Hoeller, op. cit.
8. John Everard (trans.), The Divine Pymander of Hermes. Wisdom
Bookshelf:
San Diego (1994). vi, x-xii.
9. Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy, The Jesus Mysteries: Was the ‘Original
Jesus’ a Pagan God? Thorsons: London (2000). 264h.
10. The Divine Pymander of Hermes, op. cit., xi.
11. Hoeller, op. cit.
12. ibid.
13. ibid.
14. Freke & Gandy, op cit., 48-9.
Copyright © 2003, Michael Claire. All rights reserved.
