Emerald Tablet (“Tabula Smaragdina”) Engraved depiction of the Emerald Tablet in Heinrich Khunrath's Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae (1609), an influential Hermetic and Christian mystical treatise. (more) Emerald Tablet text attributed to Hermes Trismegistus Also known as: “Tabula Smaragdina” Written by Ethan Teekah Ethan Teekah is an Associate Editor at Encyclopædia Britannica, where he leads coverage of Asia. Ethan Teekah Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Feb. 26, 2026 •History Emerald Tablet, short, cryptic text traditionally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. It became foundational within the alchemical and Hermetic traditions of the medieval Islamic world and later of medieval and Renaissance Europe. Prior to the Scientific Revolution, the text was understood among alchemists to contain compressed teachings about nature, particularly the structure of the cosmos, the nature of reality, processes of transformation and change, and the attainment of the philosopher’s stone. After modern science rendered alchemy...

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