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Ancient Jewish magic : a history / Gideon Bohak.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2008Description: 1 online resource (ix, 483 pages) : illustrationsContent type:
Media type:
Carrier type:
ISBN:
  • 9781316342749
  • 1316342743
  • 9781316341940
  • 1316341941
Subject(s): Genre/Form: Additional physical formats: Print version:: Ancient Jewish magic.DDC classification:
  • 133.4/3089924 22
LOC classification:
  • BF1622.J45 B64 2008eb
Other classification:
  • online - EBSCO
Online resources:
Contents:
Jewish magic : a contradiction in terms? -- Jewish magic in the Second Temple period -- Jewish magic in late antiquity : the "insider" evidence -- Non-Jewish elements in late-antique Jewish magic -- How "Jewish" was ancient Jewish magic? -- Magic and magicians in rabbinic literature.
Summary: Gideon Bohak gives an account of the broad history of ancient Jewish magic, from the Second Temple to the rabbinic period. It is based both on ancient magicians' own compositions and products in Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek, and on the descriptions and prescriptions of non-magicians. The main focus is on the cultural make-up of ancient Jewish magic, and special attention is paid to the processes of cross-cultural contacts and borrowings between Jews and non-Jews, as well as to inner-Jewish creativity. Other major issues explored include the place of magic within Jewish society, contemporary Jewish attitudes to magic, and the identity of its practitioners. --From publisher's description.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 435-479) and index.

Jewish magic : a contradiction in terms? -- Jewish magic in the Second Temple period -- Jewish magic in late antiquity : the "insider" evidence -- Non-Jewish elements in late-antique Jewish magic -- How "Jewish" was ancient Jewish magic? -- Magic and magicians in rabbinic literature.

Gideon Bohak gives an account of the broad history of ancient Jewish magic, from the Second Temple to the rabbinic period. It is based both on ancient magicians' own compositions and products in Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek, and on the descriptions and prescriptions of non-magicians. The main focus is on the cultural make-up of ancient Jewish magic, and special attention is paid to the processes of cross-cultural contacts and borrowings between Jews and non-Jews, as well as to inner-Jewish creativity. Other major issues explored include the place of magic within Jewish society, contemporary Jewish attitudes to magic, and the identity of its practitioners. --From publisher's description.

Print version record.