Guide to the study of ancient magic

Author(s)

• Frankfurter, David

Bibliographic Information

Guide to the study of ancient magic

edited by David Frankfurter

（Religions in the Graeco-Roman world, v. 189）

Brill, c2019

• : hardback

Note

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Description and Table of Contents

Description

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, Veronique 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.

Table of Contents

Preface List of Illustrations Abbreviations Notes on Contributors Part 1: Introduction 1 Ancient Magic in a New Key: Refining an Exotic Discipline in the History of Religions David Frankfurter 2 The Plan of This Volume David Frankfurter Part 2: Cultural Constructions of Ambiguous, Unsanctioned, or Illegitimate Ritual 3 Introduction David Frankfurter 4 Mesopotamia Daniel Schwemer 5 Iran Albert de Jong 6 Egypt Jacco Dieleman 7 Greece Fritz Graf 8 Ancient Israel and Early Judaism: Wonders, Power, and Social Order Yuval Harari 9 Rome and the Roman Empire Magali Bailliot 10 Early Christianity Joseph E. Sanzo 11 Roman and Byzantine Egypt Jacques van der Vliet Part 3: The Materials of Ancient Magic 12 Introduction David Frankfurter 13 The Greco-Egyptian Magical Papyri Jacco Dieleman 14 Christian Spells and Manuals from Egypt Jacques van der Vliet 15 Binding Spells on Tablets and Papyri Esther Eidinow 16 Jewish Amulets, Magic Bowls, and Manuals in Aramaic and Hebrew Gideon Bohak 17 Gems Veronique Dasen and Arpad M. Nagy 18 Figurines, Images, and Representations Used in Ritual Practices Andrew Wilburn 19 Textual Amulets and Writing Traditions in the Ancient World Roy D. Kotansky 20 Building Ritual Agency: Foundations, Floors, Doors, and Walls Andrew Wilburn Part 4: Dimensions of a Category Magic 21 Introduction David Frankfurter 22 Spell and Speech Act: The Magic of the Spoken Word David Frankfurter 23 The Magic of Writing in Mediterranean Antiquity David Frankfurter 24 Magic and the Forces of Materiality David Frankfurter 25 The Magical Elements of Mysticism: Ritual Strategies for Encountering Divinity Naomi Janowitz 26 Magic and Theurgy Sarah Iles Johnston 27 Magic as the Local Application of Authoritative Tradition David Frankfurter 28 Magic and Social Tension Esther Eidinow Index

by "Nielsen BookData"

Details

• NCID: BB28321522
• ISBN:
  • 9789004171572
• LCCN: 2018056074
• Country Code: ne
• Title Language Code: eng
• Text Language Code: eng
• Place of Publication: Leiden
• Pages/Volumes: xix, 797 p.
• Size: 25 cm
• Classification:
  • LCC : BF1591
  • DC23 : 133.4/3
• Subject Headings:
  • LCSH : Magic, Ancient -- History
• Parent Bibliography ID:
  • BA20829843