Jean-Pierre Mahé

Jean-Pierre Mahé (b. 1944) is a distinguished French orientalist and historian of religions, recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on the Armenian and Hermetic traditions. He holds the chair of Armenian Studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études and is a member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.

The Hermès en Haute-Égypte

Mahé's most significant contribution to Hermetic scholarship is his monumental two-volume work, Hermès en Haute-Égypte (1978–1982). In this study, he provided critical editions and exhaustive commentaries on the Coptic Hermetica found at Nag Hammadi (Codex VI). Mahé's work was revolutionary because it demonstrated a much closer link between the philosophical Hermetica and native Egyptian temple traditions than previously assumed by the 'Grecian' school of Festugière. He argues that Hermeticism was not just a literary phenomenon but a living ritual practice in Late Antique Egypt.