Drawing spirit : the role of images and design in the magical practice of Late Antiquity

A pioneering interdisciplinary study of the art, production and social functions of Late Antique ritual artefacts. Utilising case studies from the Graeco-Egyptian magical papyri and the Heidelberg archive it establishes new approaches, provides a holistic understanding of the multi-sensory aspects of ritual practice, and explores the transmission of knowledge traditions across faiths.--provided by publisher Acknowledgments 5 Contents 7 List of Figures 9 List of Plates 13 Abbreviations 15 Introduction 17 1 ‘Magical Images:’ An Esoteric Aesthetics of Engagement 23 2 Evoking the Supernatural: Text and Image in Graeco-Egyptian Magical Papyri 45 3 The Heidelberg Magical Archive: A Discussion of its Origins, Context and Purpose 61 4 An Archive of Coptic Handbooks and Exemplars for the Making of Amulets and the Enacting of Ritual Power from the Tenth Century (P. Heid. Inv. Kopt. 680–683 and 685–686) 89 5 Two Body Problems: Binding Effigies in Christian Egypt and Elsewhere 151 6 Image Play: On Angels and Insects 201 Plates 225 Contributors 255 Bibliography 257 General Index 281 Manuscript Index 285 This Is The First Holistic Study Of The Art, Production, And Social Function Of Magical Papyri And Ritual Artefacts In Christian, Gnostic, Jewish, And Mandaean Communities In Late Antiquity. It Pioneers A New Methodology; Provides A Holistic Understanding Of The Role Of Visual, Oral, And Aural Aspects Of Ritual Practice; And Explores The Transmission Of Traditions Of Knowledge And The Commonality Of Practice Between Religious Communities.