The Appearance of Trismegistus

There is another striking connection. A little after the decree of 196 BCE, the Jewish writer Artapan assimilated Thoth-Hermes to Moses. The historian of Alexandrian Hermetism, A.-J. Festugiere, noticed this same amalgam reappearing in the eighth century CE 

The beautiful text of the Kore Kosmou adds to this mission of Hermes another one the Lord, having asked him to assemble the other gods in order to discuss the plan for creating mankind, then asks him to take part in this creation  

As for me, said Hermes, I declare that I will not only create the nature of mankind, but I will make them the gifts of Wisdom, Temperance, Persuasion, and Tmth, and will give myself ceaselessly to Invention moreover, I will always assist the mortal life of men bom under my signs (for the signs attributed to me by the Father and Creator are at least sensible and intelligent), and all the more so, when the movement of the planets that mle them shall be in accord with each one s natural energy. 

Since Hermes has a progeny, it is difficult to tell in each text which Hermes is intended, and which of them can be identified as Trismegistus. At every epoch, the documents seem to contradict each other. But if the number of Hermeses is variable, and if their identity is unstable, their number is three by definition whenever it is a question of the Trismegistus(es). This inclines to connect the latter with the tricephalus or three-headed Mercury [tiicephalos. 

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