Magic in the Ancient Greco-Roman and Ancient Jewish Worlds

James R Davila

doi:10.1163/2451859x-00701005

Abstract

Abstract In Drawing Down the Moon: Magic in the Ancient Greco-Roman World, Radcliffe Edmonds provides us with a new etic framework for understanding ancient magic, but one steeped in the emic perspectives of the actual practitioners and clients as preserved in the literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence. In this paper I examine Edmonds’s findings in relation to the ancient Jewish magical and mystical traditions found mainly in Sefer HaRazim, “The Book of the Mysteries,” a late-antique ritual handbook written in Hebrew.

Highlights

IntroductionIn his wonderful book, Drawing Down the Moon: Magic in the Ancient GrecoRoman World, Radcliffe Edmonds provides us with a new etic framework for understanding ancient magic, but one steeped in the emic perspectives of the actual practitioners and clients as preserved in the literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence. Edmonds takes “magic” to be non-normative ritu-
In his wonderful book, Drawing Down the Moon: Magic in the Ancient GrecoRoman World, Radcliffe Edmonds provides us with a new etic framework for understanding ancient magic, but one steeped in the emic perspectives of the actual practitioners and clients as preserved in the literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence.1 Edmonds takes “magic” to be non-normative ritu-via free access commentary articles on radcliffe g. edmonds iii alized activity which is marked by several features
In this paper I examine Edmonds’s findings in relation to the ancient Jewish magical and mystical traditions found mainly in Sefer HaRazim, “The Book of the Mysteries,” a late-antique ritual handbook written in Hebrew

Summary

Introduction

In his wonderful book, Drawing Down the Moon: Magic in the Ancient GrecoRoman World, Radcliffe Edmonds provides us with a new etic framework for understanding ancient magic, but one steeped in the emic perspectives of the actual practitioners and clients as preserved in the literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence. Edmonds takes “magic” to be non-normative ritu-. It may be that the composers of our spells associated the Jewish God only with what they thought of as positive workings, ones bringing this-worldly benefits, useful knowledge, or communion with the divine They may have considered workings involving malediction, coercion, necromancy, or gambling to be morally dubious, beneath God’s dignity, and perhaps best not to draw to his attention. They may have taken a morally neutral line that the Jewish God only offered help in certain areas, while other areas were in the province of specific pagan deities and spirits of the natural world. The theurgic rite for a vision of the passage of the sun by night both adjures the angels by God and mandates a prayer to Helios.

A Sample Working from Sefer HaRazim

Conclusion