Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic

David Frankfurter, Ph.D. (1990) Princeton University, is Professor of Religion at Boston University. A scholar of ancient religions, Frankfurter is the author of Religion in Roman Egypt (Princeton, 1998); and Christianizing Egypt (Princeton, 2017), as well as many articles on magic and popular devotion.

"This volume deserves a wide readership, and, far more than most edited collections, it repays being read from start to finish (...) the volume as a whole develops an argument of considerable sophistication, guided by a strong framework and editorial vision." - Michael D. Bailey, Iowa State University, Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft 15:1, 2020."I enjoin you to get access to the Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic. […] a guide to magic and more—to material culture, to ritual, to the negative space that produces a definition of religion. The book is an evident labor of love from the editor; it is a tour de force, a treasury and treasure." - Laura Nasrallah, Yale Divinity School, Review of Biblical Literature, 22 May 2020"Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic analyzes magic expansively, including a wide range of traditions and methodologies (...) Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic is an excellent volume for a detailed overview of studies of magic in the ancient world." - William Brown, in: The Biblical Review, July 2019"The Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic works well as a reference volume, and this is particularly evident in its three-part structure (...)" [it] is yet a critical resource for its efforts at suggesting what magic could be, yes, but more importantly, for highlighting what ancient magic certainly was not." - Shaily Shashikant Patel, Virginia Tech, in: Journal of the American Academy of Religion 87.4, 2019"Few collections can boast such a number of authorities as the copious Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic (...) Provided that one accepts a wider definition of magic, there is a great deal to learn from this book, which will be particularly useful to expert readers who are already familiar with the topic." - Leonardo Constantini, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, in: The Classical Review 1-3, 2019"The book will perfectly serve as a general introduction to the field and can be recommended due to the fast scope of covered material." - Pavel Horák, Czech Academy of Sciences, in: Religious Studies Review 45, 4. December 2019"Die Kombination von historischer, philologischer und archäologischer Perspektive erlaubt verschiedene Zugänge zur antiken Magie, während der vierte Teil des Guides konzeptuelle Fragen aufwirft und zu weiteren Studien anregen wird." - Daniel Vaucher, Universität Bern, in: Vigiliae Christianae 74.1, 2020"Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic analyseert magie uitgebreid, inclusief een breed scala aan tradities en methoden (...) een zeer goed en leesbaar boek over magie in de Oudheid." - Mark Beumer, in: Kleio-Hiostoria 11, 2020"This volume contains numerous valuable insights, and the editor, David Frankfurter, deserves much credit for gathering so many informative essays on this provocative topic." - Markham J. Geller, University College London, in: Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2020.03.37"Der umfangreiche band kann als ein sehr hilfreiches Arbeitsinstrument für das Studium auf dem weiten und umstrittenen Feld der Magie dienen. Vor allem die beiden stärker empirisch ausgerichteten Teile 2 und 3, wo wesentliche Bereiche des einschlägigen Materials abgedeckt und eine Fülle von wichtigen Informationen und instruktiven Erkenntnissen zusammengetragen sind, können einen geeigneten Ausgangspunkt für das zukünftige Forschungsgespräch bieten. Aber auch im letzten Teil finden sich wertvolle Beobachtungen. (...) Und Register erhöhen die Brauchbarkeit dieses umfassenden Werkes." - Dietmar Wyrwa, in: Theologische Literaturzeitung 146 (2021) 4"(...) those engaged in Jewish Studies will find points of interest throughout this volume. (...) Overall, therefore, the volume is well conceived and should prove to be very useful, both for research and especially for teaching at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels." - Siam Bhayro, University of Exeter, in: Journal of Jewish Studies 71.1 (2020).

• PrefaceList of IllustrationsAbbreviationsNotes on ContributorsPart 1: Introduction1 Ancient Magic in a New Key: Refining an Exotic Discipline in the History of ReligionsDavid Frankfurter2 The Plan of This VolumeDavid FrankfurterPart 2: Cultural Constructions of Ambiguous, Unsanctioned, or Illegitimate Ritual3 IntroductionDavid Frankfurter4 MesopotamiaDaniel Schwemer5 IranAlbert de Jong6 EgyptJacco Dieleman7 GreeceFritz Graf8 Ancient Israel and Early Judaism: Wonders, Power, and Social OrderYuval Harari9 Rome and the Roman EmpireMagali Bailliot10 Early ChristianityJoseph E. Sanzo11 Roman and Byzantine EgyptJacques van der VlietPart 3: The Materials of Ancient Magic12 IntroductionDavid Frankfurter13 The Greco-Egyptian Magical PapyriJacco Dieleman14 Christian Spells and Manuals from EgyptJacques van der Vliet15 Binding Spells on Tablets and PapyriEsther Eidinow16 Jewish Amulets, Magic Bowls, and Manuals in Aramaic and HebrewGideon Bohak17 GemsVéronique Dasen and Árpád M. Nagy18 Figurines, Images, and Representations Used in Ritual PracticesAndrew Wilburn19 Textual Amulets and Writing Traditions in the Ancient WorldRoy D. Kotansky20 Building Ritual Agency: Foundations, Floors, Doors, and WallsAndrew WilburnPart 4: Dimensions of a Category Magic21 IntroductionDavid Frankfurter22 Spell and Speech Act: The Magic of the Spoken WordDavid Frankfurter23 The Magic of Writing in Mediterranean AntiquityDavid Frankfurter24 Magic and the Forces of MaterialityDavid Frankfurter25 The Magical Elements of Mysticism: Ritual Strategies for Encountering DivinityNaomi Janowitz26 Magic and TheurgySarah Iles Johnston27 Magic as the Local Application of Authoritative TraditionDavid Frankfurter28 Magic and Social TensionEsther EidinowIndex