The reader might assume that Thebes in Greece is intended, but no better context can be inferred. The book, however, provides little elucidation as to who this might be no sources to substantiate the claim are given. Īccording to the Sworn Book of Honorius, he is supposed to be 'the son of Euclid, master of the Thebians'. Honorius of Thebes is also claimed to be the creator of the Theban alphabet, in Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa's De Occulta Philosophia (1531) and Johannes Trithemius's Polygraphia (1518). Considerable mystery still exists about the identity of Honorius. The purported author, Honorius of Thebes, is a possibly mythical character from the Middle Ages. The book can be classified as a 'Solomonic grimoire' due to its heavy use of angelic powers and seals like those found in The Key of Solomon, and its own claim to 'lay out the works of Solomon'. Like many grimoires, it has lengthy dissertations for proper operation and seals to be used. It has many instructions on how to conjure and command demons, to work other magical operations, and knowledge of what lies in Heaven among other highly sought information. In 93 chapters, it covers a large variety of topics, from how to save one's soul from purgatory to the catching of thieves or finding of treasures. It is supposedly the product of a conference of magicians who decided to condense all of their knowledge into one volume.

The first printed manuscript of this work did not appear until 1629. Sloane MS 313, dating to the late 14th or early 15th century, was once in the possession of John Dee.

The oldest preserved manuscript dates to the 14th century, Sloane MS 3854 (fol 117-144). Johannes Hartlieb (1456) mentions it as one of the books used in necromancy. The first certain historical record is the 1347 trial record of Etienne Pepin from Mende, France. Its date of composition is uncertain, but it is possibly mentioned as Liber Sacer in the 13th century, apparently asserting a date in the High Middle Ages.

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