Cultural Plurality In Ancient Magical Texts And Practices: Graeco-egyptian Handbooks And Related Traditions (orientalische Religionen In Der Antike / Oriental Religions In Antiquity)

A conference held in Heidelberg in 2014 resulted in this collection of essays, which explore the multifaceted aspects of magical texts and practices in antiquity, focusing especially on the Graeco-Egyptian magical papyri. The authors concentrate on questions of cultural plurality and fusion, ranging from earlier Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Greek magico-religious traditions, through the original developments of Graeco-Roman Egypt, up to and including their integration into Jewish and Byzantine magical lore. Contributors: Alessia Bellusci, Gideon Bohak, Ljuba M. Bortolani, Christopher A. Faraone, William Furley, Richard Gordon, Adria Haluszka, Franziska Naether, Svenja Nagel, Richard Phillips, Joachim Friedrich Quack, Marcela Ristorto, Daniel Schwemer, Michael Zellmann-Rohrer Table of Contents 6 List of General Abbreviations Used Throughout the Volume 8 Introduction • Ljuba Merlina Bortolani/Svenja Nagel 12 Acknowledgements 34 Part I: Egyptian, Greek and Mesopotamian Traditions of Magic: Different Genres, Perception of the ‘Other’ and Possible Transcultural Exchange 36 Magical Practices in Egyptian Literary Texts: in Quest of Cultural Plurality • Franziska Naether 38 Magic and Mystery at Selinus: Another Look at the Getty Hexameters • William D. Furley 53 Beyond Ereškigal? Mesopotamian Magic Traditions in the Papyri Graecae Magicae • Daniel Schwemer 73 Part II: Cultural Plurality and Fusion in the Graeco-Egyptian Magical Papyri (PGM/PDM) 98 Single Handbooks and Magical Techniques 100 Compiling P. Lond. I 121 = PGM VII in a Transcultural Context • Richard Gordon 102 Illuminating Encounters: Reflections on Cultural Plurality in Lamp Divination Rituals • Svenja Nagel 135 ‘We Are Such Stuff as Dream Oracles Are Made on’: Greek and Egyptian Traditions and Divine Personas in the Dream Divination Spells of the Magical Papyri • Ljuba Merlina Bortolani 160 Cultural Plurality in Greek Magical Recipes for Oracular and Protective Statues • Christopher A. Faraone 182 Specific Spells and Deities 200 The Heliopolitan Ennead and Geb as a Scrofulous Boar in the PGM: Two Case Studies on Cultural Interaction in Late-Antique Magic • Joachim Friedrich Quack 202 Traditions of Transformation and Shape-Shifting in PGM XIII 270–77 219 Crowns of Hermanubis: Semiotic Fusion and Spells for Better Business in the Magical Papyri • Adria Haluszka 238 Love Spell and Hymn to Aphrodite in PGM IV (2891–941) 249 Part III: Integration and Transformation of Graeco-EgyptianMagic in Jewish and Byzantine Spells 268 The Greek Prayer to Helios in Sefer ha-Razim, in Light of New Textual Evidence • Gideon Bohak/Alessia Bellusci 270 Incantations in Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Greek: Change and Continuity • Michael Zellmann-Rohrer 287 Bibliography 308 List of Contributors 352 Index of Sources 356 Index of Names 375 Index of Subjects 381 Plates 386 A conference held in Heidelberg in 2014 resulted in this collection of essays, which explore the multifaceted aspects of magical texts and practices in antiquity, focusing especially on the Graeco-Egyptian magical papyri. The volume concentrates on questions of cultural plurality and fusion, ranging from earlier Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Greek magico-religious traditions, through the original developments of Graeco-Roman Egypt, up to and including their integration into Jewish and Byzantine magical lore. In particular, phenomena such as simple borrowing, advanced adaptation, complete assimilation or even distortion of origin and meaning stress the importance of disentangling different cultural elements and understanding their interaction. Going beyond the borders of academic fields, this book aims at giving to the transcultural perspective the importance it deserves in the study of ancient magic. A conference held in Heidelberg in 2014 resulted in this collection of essays, which explore the multifaceted aspects of magical texts and practices in antiquity, focusing especially on the Graeco-Egyptian magical papyri. The authors concentrate on questions of cultural plurality and fusion, ranging from earlier Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Greek magico-religious traditions, through the original developments of Graeco-Roman Egypt, up to and including their integration into Jewish and Byzantine magical lore.Contributors:Alessia Bellusci, Gideon Bohak, Ljuba M. Bortolani, Christopher A. Faraone, William Furley, Richard Gordon, Adria Haluszka, Franziska Naether, Svenja Nagel, Richard Phillips, Joachim Friedrich Quack, Marcela Ristorto, Daniel Schwemer, Michael Zellmann-Rohrer. -- Provided by publisher A conference held in Heidelberg in 2014 resulted in this collection of essays, which explore the multifaceted aspects of magical texts and practices in antiquity, focusing especially on the Graeco-Egyptian magical papyri. The authors concentrate on questions of cultural plurality and fusion, ranging from earlier Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Greek magico-religious traditions, through the original developments of Graeco-Roman Egypt, up to and including their integration into Jewish and Byzantine magical lore.0Contributors:Alessia Bellusci, Gideon Bohak, Ljuba M. Bortolani, Christopher A. Faraone, William Furley, Richard Gordon, Adria Haluszka, Franziska Naether, Svenja Nagel, Richard Phillips, Joachim Friedrich Quack, Marcela Ristorto, Daniel Schwemer, Michael Zellmann-Rohrer Der vorliegende Sammelband ist das Ergebnis einer Konferenz in Heidelberg im Jahr 2014. Die Beitragenden untersuchen die verschiedenen, facettenreichen Aspekte magischer Texte und Praktiken in der Antike mit besonderem Fokus auf griechisch-ägyptischen magischen Papyri Edited By Ljuba Merlina Bortolani [and 3 Others]. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 297-340) And Indexes.