Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic: (189 Religions in the Graeco-Roman World)

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, Véronique 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  Véronique Dasen and Árpád 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

About the Author :
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.

Review :
"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).