The great theologians and philosophers of the 13th century, such as Thomas of Aquin, Albertus Magnus or William of Ockham, did not mention Hildegard of Bingen and her work in their writings. For them, she was neither an authority to refer to nor did she play a role in the development of the women’s mysticism, apart from her contact with Elizabeth of Schönau. Her work though had an influence on the 13th century: Around 1220, the Prior of the Cistercian monastery in Eberbach, Gebeno, compiled the Pentachronon sive speculum futurorum temporum („The Five Ages or Mirror of Times to Come“) from different texts from Hildegard (Scivias, Liber divinorum operum as well as the letters) combined with his own comments. The title reveals the intention of the author – an interpretation of the historical processes as a history of salvation as well as a prophetic forecast of events in the future. About Gebeno himself we do not know much, but his Pentachronon, which was handed down in more than fifty manuscripts, characterized the image of Hildegard over the centuries. Statements, interpretations and opinions about the meaning of Hildegard’s texts were then rarely based on the original writings, but on this one as it was easier to access.

For Gebeno, the meaning of Hildegard’s work laid in pointing out the bad situation in the Church as well as in the necessary instruction of believers with regard to the upcoming appearance of the Antichrist. According to Gebeno, this would not have to be expected immediately, in contrary to the rumours circulating, but only after the end of the four stages of life described by Hildegard. He did not comment on concrete changes in the world and in the Church, but rather warned against false prophets spreading around false visions. He named Joachim of Fiore as one of them. The admonishing work was intended to – defined by Gebeno’s choice of texts – make Hildegard’s message accessible to a larger number of readers and to oppose the writings of Joachim of Fiore, which also criticised church hierarchies and monastic structures. Hildegard researchers also believe that Gebeno wanted to support Hildegard’s canonization.

Already a few centuries after Hildegard’s death, excerpts from her work were related as concrete prophecy to the situation of that time. The letter from Hildegard to the clergy of Cologne, in which she had warned against the Cathars, for example, was commented on by Gebeno with the warning to mistrust the new forms of the vita religiosa and thus was transferred to the then upcoming Mendicant Orders of the Franciscans or Dominicans. This opinion was particularly spread by a poem from Henry of Avranches of around 1230. According to this, Hildegard was considered as the maintainer of the right faith and as warner against innovations. Some members of these new orders, however, saw in the statements of Hildegard – summarized in the Pentachronon – the Mendicant Orders as disputers and the ones promoting the true faith in the run-up to the end of the world. According to Gebeno’s interpretation of Hildegard’s writings, the theological contents were hardly considered in the history of reception. Instead, her prophetic authority was used in order to interpret the meaning of the occurrences then for future events, in particular the appearance of the Antichrist, or for interpreting processes for individual interests, respectively. So she remained one of the most important prophetic authorities during the Middle Ages whose name was mentioned in many chronicles.

Hildegard herself, however, never wanted to be considered a „sibyl“: She never stated anything about the time of the end of the world or about concrete future occurrences. With her pictorial and symbolic prophecies she rather tried to bring the believers back on the correct path of a life pleasing to God.