Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World, 189)

This volume advances the study of ancient magic through separate discussions of ancient terminologies for ambiguous or illicit ritual like__mageia__or__khesheph__, the ancient texts and artifacts commonly designated as magical, such as PGM, and contexts in which the term 'magic' may be used in a descriptive way, as in 'the magic of the written word'.Beginning with an overview of problems posed by the term 'magic', the volume is organized in three sections covering most of Mediterranean and Near Eastern antiquity, with essays by both renowned and emergent scholars of ancient religions.In a burgeoning field of magic studies trying to negotiate critical discussions of the category, this volume brings new clarity to the field. This will be an indispensable resource to all interested in magic in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, ancient Greece and Rome, Early Christianity and Judaism, Egypt through the Christian period, and also comparative and critical theory. Contents 8 Preface 12 Illustrations 14 Abbreviations 17 Notes on Contributors 19 Part 1 Introduction 22 Chapter 1 Ancient Magic in a New Key: Refining an Exotic Discipline in the History of Religions 24 Chapter 2 The Plan of This Volume 42 Part 2 Cultural Constructions of Ambiguous, Unsanctioned, or Illegitimate Ritual 48 Chapter 3 Introduction 50 Chapter 4 Mesopotamia 57 Chapter 5 Iran 86 Chapter 6 Egypt 108 Chapter 7 Greece 136 Chapter 8 Ancient Israel and Early Judaism 160 Chapter 9 Rome and the Roman Empire 196 Chapter 10 Early Christianity 219 Chapter 11 Roman and Byzantine Egypt 261 Part 3 The Materials of Ancient Magic 298 Chapter 12 Introduction 300 Chapter 13 The Greco-Egyptian Magical Papyri 304 Chapter 14 Christian Spells and Manuals from Egypt 343 Chapter 15 Binding Spells on Tablets and Papyri 372 Chapter 16 Jewish Amulets, Magic Bowls, and Manuals in Aramaic and Hebrew 409 Chapter 17 Gem 437 Chapter 18 Figurines, Images, and Representations Used in Ritual Practices 477 Chapter 19 Textual Amulets and Writing Traditions in the Ancient World 528 Chapter 20 Building Ritual Agency: Foundations, Floors, Doors, and Walls 576 Part 4 Dimensions of a Category Magic 624 Chapter 21 Introduction 626 Chapter 22 Spell and Speech Act: The Magic of the Spoken Word 629 Chapter 23 The Magic of Writing in Mediterranean Antiquity 647 Chapter 24 Magic and the Forces of Materiality 680 Chapter 25 The Magical Elements of Mysticism: Ritual Strategies for Encountering Divinity 699 Chapter 26 Magic and Theurgy 715 Chapter 27 Magic as the Local Application of AuthoritativeTradition 741 Chapter 28 Magic and Social Tension 767 Index of Ancient Sources and Texts 796 Index of Modern Authors 803 Subject Index 805 In the midst of academic debates about the utility of the term “magic” and the cultural meaning of ancient words like mageia or khesheph, this Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic seeks to advance the discussion by separating out three topics essential to the very idea of magic. The three major sections of this volume address (1) indigenous terminologies for ambiguous or illicit ritual in antiquity; (2) the ancient texts, manuals, and artifacts commonly designated “magical” or used to represent ancient magic; and (3) a series of contexts, from the written word to materiality itself, to which the term “magic” might usefully pertain. The individual essays in this volume cover most of Mediterranean and Near Eastern antiquity, with essays by both established and emergent scholars of ancient religions. In a burgeoning field of “magic studies” trying both to preserve and to justify critically the category itself, this volume brings new clarity and provocative insights. This will be an indispensable resource to all interested in magic in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, ancient Greece and Rome, Early Christianity and Judaism, Egypt through the Christian period, and also comparative and critical theory. Contributors are: Magali Bailliot, Gideon Bohak, Véronique Dasen, Albert de Jong, Jacco Dieleman, Esther Eidinow, David Frankfurter, Fritz Graf, Yuval Harari, Naomi Janowitz, Sarah Iles Johnston, Roy D. Kotansky, Arpad M. Nagy, Daniel Schwemer, Joseph E. Sanzo, Jacques van der Vliet, Andrew Wilburn. "In the midst of academic debates about the utility of the term "magic" and the cultural meaning of ancient words like mageia or khesheph, this Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic seeks to advance the discussion by separating out three topics essential to the very idea of magic. The three major sections of this volume address (1) indigenous terminologies for ambiguous or illicit ritual in antiquity; (2) the ancient texts, manuals, and artifacts commonly designated "magical" or used to represent ancient magic; and (3) a series of contexts, from the written word to materiality itself, to which the term "magic" might usefully pertain. The individual essays in this volume cover most of Mediterranean and Near Eastern antiquity, with essays by both established and emergent scholars of ancient religions. In a burgeoning field of "magic studies" trying both to preserve and to justify critically the category itself, this volume brings new clarity and provocative insights. This will be an indispensable resource to all interested in magic in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, ancient Greece and Rome, Early Christianity and Judaism, Egypt through the Christian period, and also comparative and critical theory"-- Publisher's website In the midst of academic debates about the utility of the term "magic" and the cultural meaning of ancient words like "mageia" or "khesheph", this 'Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic' seeks to advance the discussion by separating out three topics essential to the very idea of magic. The three major sections of this volume address (1) indigenous terminologies for ambiguous or illicit ritual in antiquity; (2) the ancient texts, manuals, and artifacts commonly designated "magical" or used to represent ancient magic; and (3) a series of contexts, from the written word to materiality itself, to which the term "magic" might usefully pertain.0The individual essays in this volume cover most of Mediterranean and Near Eastern antiquity, with essays by both established and emergent scholars of ancient religions.0In a burgeoning field of "magic studies" trying both to preserve and to justify critically the category itself, this volume brings new clarity and provocative insights This volume advances the study of ancient magic through separate discussions of ancient terminologies for ambiguous or illicit ritual like mageia or khesheph , the ancient texts and artifacts commonly designated as magical, such as PGM, and contexts in which the term 'magic' may be used in a descriptive way, as in 'the magic of the written word'. Beginning with an overview of problems posed by the term 'magic', the volume is organized in three sections covering most of Mediterranean and Near Eastern antiquity, with essays by both renowned and emergent scholars of ancient religions. In a burgeoning field of magic studies trying to negotiate critical discussions of the category, this volume brings new clarity to the field. This will be an indispensable resource to all interested in magic in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, ancient Greece and Rome, Early Christianity and Judaism, Egypt through the Christian period, and also comparative and critical theory.