Jewish Magic before the Rise of Kabbalah

by Yuval Harari, Batya Stein

Overview

A comprehensive study of Jewish magic in the late antiquity and the early Islamic period—the phenomenon, the sources, and method for its research, and the history of scholarly investigation into its nature and origin.

"Magic culture is certainly fascinating. But what is it? What, in fact, are magic writings, magic artifacts?" Originally published in Hebrew in 2010, Jewish Magic Before the Rise of Kabbalah is a comprehensive study of early Jewish magic focusing on three major topics: Jewish magic inventiveness, the conflict with the culture it reflects, and the scientific study of both.

The first part of the book analyzes the essence of magic in general and Jewish magic in particular. The book begins with theories addressing the relationship of magic and religion in fields like comparative study of religion, sociology of religion, history, and cultural anthropology, and considers the implications of the paradigm shift in the interdisciplinary understanding of magic for the study of Jewish magic. The second part of the book focuses on Jewish magic culture in late antiquity and in the early Islamic period. This section highlights the artifacts left behind by the magic practitioners—amulets, bowls, precious stones, and human skulls—as well as manuals that include hundreds of recipes. Jewish Magic before the Rise of Kabbalah also reports on the culture that is reflected in the magic evidence from the perspective of external non-magic contemporary Jewish sources.

Issues of magic and religion, magical mysticism, and magic and social power are dealt with in length in this thorough investigation. Scholars interested in early Jewish history and comparative religions will find great value in this text.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814336304
Publisher:	Wayne State University Press
Publication date:	02/06/2017
Series:	Raphael Patai Series in Jewish Folklore and Anthropology
Pages:	604
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Yuval Harari is a professor of Jewish Thought and Folklore at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. His cultural and textual studies cover a broad range of phenomena in the field of magic and practical Kabbalah in Judaism from Antiquity to our day. He is also the author of The Sword of Moses: A New Translation and Study.

What People are Saying About This

Professor of the History of Arabic/Islamic Influence in Europe at the Warburg Institute at University of London - Charles Burnett

The author brings to bear an impressively wide range of theoretical perspectives on the artifacts, words, and ceremonies of magic, and with these he builds up a picture of early Jewish magic as a culture that can be viewed from within (the surviving gems, adjuration bowls, spell skulls, magic recipes, etc.) and without (the contemporary accounts of magic by historians and theologians).

Schwarzmann University Professor Emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Shaul Shaked

This is a book that can serve as both an introduction to and a summary of a fascinating topic. It is highly recommended as a charming guidebook to the realm of magic.

Editorial Reviews

The work represents an excellent critical introduction to the scholarly study of magical practices in general, from which anybody tackling the issue either anthropologically, historically, or philologically could benefit. Jewish Magic before the Rise of Kabbalah complements all the other case syntheses on individual Jewish magical texts and demonstrates the complexity of the field of study.

Reviews of Enoch Seminar (RES) - Miruna Belea

Jewish Magic Before the Rise of Kabbalah serves as an excellent introduction to the [academic study of Jewish magic].

Association of Jewish Libraries - Daniel Scheide

What do we mean by ‘Jewish magic’? In this wide-ranging and richly documented book, Yuval Harari captures generations of scholars wrestling with this question while offering some important observations himself on the power of language, the nature of magical texts, Jewish traditions of sorcery, and the shared ‘magical culture’ of the late antique Near East.

Boston University - David Frankfurter

Jewish Magic Before the Rise of Kabbalah serves as an excellent introduction to the [academic study of Jewish magic].--Daniel Scheide "Association of Jewish Libraries" (5/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)

Harari's book is a scholarly tour de force. It constitutes the most comprehensive and incisive presentation and analysis of a topic long ignored in studies of ancient and early medieval Judaism.--Moshe Idel "professor emeritus at Hebrew University" (10/12/2016 12:00:00 AM)

Harari's combination of textual skills and theoretical sophistication make this book an outstanding contribution to the study of early Jewish magic, ritual studies, and Greco-Roman culture. It includes a valuable discussion of theories and methods in the study of magic and the relevance of Jewish magic for the history of religions.--Michael Swartz "professor of Hebrew and religious studies at the Ohio State University" (9/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

In its excellent account of the historical treatment of the subject and its persuasive apology for a family resemblance approach to defining and understanding the relationships between the categories of magic and religion, Harari's work is a significant contribution to the field and will be an important catalyst for many developments in the future.--Harriet Walker "Folklore" (8/12/2019 12:00:00 AM)

The author brings to bear an impressively wide range of theoretical perspectives on the artifacts, words, and ceremonies of magic, and with these he builds up a picture of early Jewish magic as a culture that can be viewed from within (the surviving gems, adjuration bowls, spell skulls, magic recipes, etc.) and without (the contemporary accounts of magic by historians and theologians).--Charles Burnett "professor of the history of Arabic/Islamic influence in Europe at the Warburg Institute at University of London" (9/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

The work represents an excellent critical introduction to the scholarly study of magical practices in general, from which anybody tackling the issue either anthropologically, historically, or philologically could benefit. Jewish Magic before the Rise of Kabbalah complements all the other case syntheses on individual Jewish magical texts and demonstrates the complexity of the field of study.--Miruna Belea "Reviews of Enoch Seminar (RES)" (8/8/2019 12:00:00 AM)

This is a book that can serve as both an introduction to and a summary of a fascinating topic. It is highly recommended as a charming guidebook to the realm of magic.--Shaul Shaked "Schwarzmann University professor emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem" (9/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

What do we mean by 'Jewish magic'? In this wide-ranging and richly documented book, Yuval Harari captures generations of scholars wrestling with this question while offering some important observations himself on the power of language, the nature of magical texts, Jewish traditions of sorcery, and the shared 'magical culture' of the late antique Near East.--David Frankfurter "Boston University" (9/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

From the Publisher

The author brings to bear an impressively wide range of theoretical perspectives on the artifacts, words, and ceremonies of magic, and with these he builds up a picture of early Jewish magic as a culture that can be viewed from within (the surviving gems, adjuration bowls, spell skulls, magic recipes, etc.) and without (the contemporary accounts of magic by historians and theologians).

professor of the history of Arabic/Islamic influence in Europe at the Warburg Institute at University of London - Charles Burnett

Harari's book is a scholarly tour de force. It constitutes the most comprehensive and incisive presentation and analysis of a topic long ignored in studies of ancient and early medieval Judaism.

professor emeritus at Hebrew University - Moshe Idel

Harari’s combination of textual skills and theoretical sophistication make this book an outstanding contribution to the study of early Jewish magic, ritual studies, and Greco-Roman culture. It includes a valuable discussion of theories and methods in the study of magic and the relevance of Jewish magic for the history of religions.

professor of Hebrew and religious studies at the Ohio State University - Michael Swartz

This is a book that can serve as both an introduction to and a summary of a fascinating topic. It is highly recommended as a charming guidebook to the realm of magic.

Schwarzmann University professor emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Shaul Shaked