Ancient Jewish magic

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Ancient Jewish magic refers to a range of magical practices and techniques employed by Jews from the Second Temple period through the Rabbinic period. These practices are known through both textual and material evidence, including magical papyri, inscriptions, amulets, and incantation bowls, which illuminate aspects of popular religion that are only partially reflected in normative rabbinic literature. Ancient Jewish magic was closely connected to Jewish mysticism and it functioned alongside emerging rabbinic traditions rather than entirely outside them. The evidence for ancient Jewish magic comes chiefly from the Land of Israel (Judaea/Palaestina) and Mesopotamia (or in Jewish terms, Babylonia). Magical texts appear in multiple languages used by Jewish communities, including Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and were written on diverse media such as papyrus, metal sheets, ceramic sherds, stone, and clay bowls. These texts were typically produced for specific individuals and addressed practical...

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