Przygody demona Asmodeusza i króla Salomona według Talmudu babilońskiego (Gittin 68a–b). Przekład i komentarz z perspektywy projektu Elyonim veTachtonim

Abstract

Tractate Gittin 68a–b contains a unique rabbinic story about the adventures of king Solomon and demon Asmodeus. The king wishes to build the Jerusalem temple, but in order to do so he needs the support of the demon. The latter helps the king, but the price Solomon has to pay afterwards turns out to be very high and for the rest of his days the king sleeps surrounded by his armed guard in fear of the return of Asmodeus. Despite the complexity and richness of this tale, it has not yet been translated into Polish. What is more, due to the vividness of its protagonists it can exemplify the nuances of the world of the supernatural entities. The present study has therefore two main purposes: (1) the presentation of the Polish translation of the story of Solomon and Asmodeus present in Gittin 68a–b; and (2) the analysis of the said story using the categories of the Elyonim veTachtonim project, which aims at the creation of a complete database of the supernatural entities in the early rabbinic literature.