VII.

Incantations and Books of Magic

347

Urbach, E. E., The Sages: Their Concepts and Beliefs I (1975), p p . 97-183 ['Magic a n d
Miracle' / ' T h e Power of t h e Divine N a m e ' / ' T h e Celestial R e t i n u e ' ] .
Maier, J., 'Geister ( D a m o n e n ) ' , R A C I X (1976), cols. 579-85, 626-39, 668-88.
(ioldin, J., 'The Magic of M a g i c a n d Superstition', in E . S. Fiorenza (ed.), Aspects of
Religious Propaganda in Judaism and Early Christianity (1976), p p . 115-47.
Hurwitz, H . , Lilith, die erste Eva (1980).
For some further bibliography see
(J. Delling and M . Maser, Bibliographie zur jiidisch-hellenistischen und intertestamentarischen
Literatur igoo-igyo, T U 106 ( 1975), pp. 177 f [ ' Z a u b e r t e x t e ' ] .

/. Sefer ha-Razim

( The Book of Mysteries

ShR)

T h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t e a r l y J e w i s h b o o k of m a g i c is t h e t r e a t i s e k n o w n as
Sefer ha-Razim.
As r e c o n s t r u c t e d b y M . M a r g a l i o t h from diverse
m e d i a e v a l f r a g m e n t s , it h a s a c l e a r , l o g i c a l s t r u c t u r e . T h e i n t r o d u c t i o n
tells h o w the b o o k w a s r e v e a l e d b y t h e a n g e l R a z i e l to N o a h , lists t h e
benefits t o b e d e r i v e d f r o m s t u d y i n g i t , a n d e s t a b l i s h e s a c h a i n of
t r a d i t i o n (similar t o t h a t in m A b . i ) b y w h i c h it was p a s s e d d o w n
t h r o u g h t h e a g e s . T h e n follow s e v e n s e c t i o n s d e v o t e d i n a s c e n d i n g
o r d e r to t h e s e v e n h e a v e n s . T h e w h o l e is b r o u g h t to a fitting c l i m a x b y
a l o n g a n d s o l e m n d o x o l o g y t o ' t h e O n e w h o sits u p o n t h e T h r o n e of
G l o r y ' ( 7 . 7 - 4 0 ) . S h R c l e a r l y consists of two d i s t i n c t e l e m e n t s : ( i ) a
f r a m e w o r k c o m p r i s i n g t h e d e s c r i p t i o n s o f the s e v e n h e a v e n s , p l u s t h e
c o n c l u d i n g d o x o l o g y (this s t r a t u m o f m a t e r i a l c o n t a i n s m a n y p a r a l l e l s
to t h e H e k h a l o t h t e r a t u r e ) ; (2) a series o f i n c a n t a t i o n s w o v e n i n t o t h i s
f r a m e w o r k , d i r e c t e d t o w a r d s c u r i n g sickness, h a r m i n g e n e m i e s ,
foretelling t h e f u t u r e , i n f l u e n c i n g t h e a u t h o r i t i e s , i n t e r p r e t i n g d r e a m s ,
a n d so f o r t h . A t first s i g h t it is t e m p t i n g t o identify these t w o e l e m e n t s
w i t h l i t e r a r y s o u r c e s a n d to s u p p o s e t h a t S h R h a s b e e n f o r m e d b y
c o m b i n i n g a M e r k a b a h t r a c t w i t h a collection of m a g i c a l recipies. B u t
this h y p o t h e s i s d o e s n o t r e a l l y s t a n d u p t o close a n a l y s i s . S h R
i n c o r p o r a t e s d i v e r s e m a t e r i a l s , b u t w h a t is r e m a r k a b l e is not its
diversity b u t i t s u n i t y . T h e g e n e r a l style of t h e w o r k is u n i f o r m a n d
d i s t i n c t i v e , t h e d e s c r i p t i o n s o f t h e v a r i o u s h e a v e n s are all similar in
s t r u c t u r e , a n d t h e i n c a n t a t i o n s e c t i o n s follow a c o m m o n p a t t e r n
t h r o u g h o u t . T h e i n t e r w e a v i n g of t h e t w o s t r a t a is s h o w n most p l a i n l y
by t h e fact t h a t the a n g e l s n a m e d i n t h e h i e r a r c h i e s o f t h e c o s m o l o g i c a l
framework are the same as those invoked i n the incantations.
T h e f o l l o w i n g p a s s a g e is t y p i c a l ( 2 . 5 7 - 7 2 ) :
A. ' U p o n t h e f o u r t h step s t a n d t h e s e : S G R Y ' L , M L K Y ' L , ' W N B Y B ,
PGRY'L, 'NNY'L, KLNMYY', 'WMY'L, M P N W R , KWZZYB',
'LPY'L, PRYBY'L, SX^MYH, K D W M Y ' L , 'SMD', H W D Y H ,
Y H Z Y ' L . A s for these, t h e i r s t a t i o n is o n t h e f o u r t h s t e p .
B. T h e y are g i r d e d w i t h s t o r m a n d the s o u n d of t h e i r steps is as t h e
s o u n d of b r o n z e . T h e y fly from the east a n d t u r n f r o m t h e w e s t

348

32. Jewish Literature in Hebrew or Aramaic

t o w a r d s the g a t e {rrvXatv). T h e y a r e swift as h g h t n i n g a n d fire is

r o u n d a b o u t t h e m . T h e y w i t h h o l d sleep from m e n a n d h a v e t h e
p o w e r t o d o g o o d o r ill.
C . If y o u wish t o d e p r i v e y o u r e n e m y o f sleep, t a k e t h e h e a d of a b l a c k
d o g t h a t h a s b e e n b h n d from b i r t h a n d t a k e a strip of l e a d f r o m a
w a t e r - p i p e (pilDIDIDD
= iriraXov
ifjvxpo<j>6pov^^) a n d w r i t e
u p o n it [ t h e n a m e s of] t h e s e a n g e l s , a n d s a y t h u s :
D . I hand over to you, angels of disquiet who stand upon the fourth step, the life,
soul and spirit of N son of JV so that you may fetter him with chains of iron
and bind him with bars of bronze. Do not grant sleep to his eyelids, nor
slumber, nor drowsiness. Let him weep and cry like a woman in travail and do
not permit anyone to release him [from this spell].
E . W r i t e t h u s a n d p u t [the lead s t r i p ] i n t h e m o u t h of t h e d o g ' s h e a d .
P u t w a x on its m o u t h a n d seal i t w i t h a r i n g w h i c h h a s a l i o n
[ e n g r a v e d ] u p o n i t . T h e n go a n d c o n c e a l it b e h i n d his h o u s e , o r i n
t h e p l a c e w h e r e h e goes o u t a n d in.
F . If y o u wish t o release h i m , b r i n g u p [ t h e d o g ' s h e a d ] from t h e p l a c e
w h e r e i t is c o n c e a l e d , r e m o v e its seal, w i t h d r a w t h e text a n d t h r o w
it i n t o a fire. A t o n c e h e wiU fall a s l e e p . D o t h i s w i t h h u m i l i t y a n d
y o u will b e successful.'
A - B b e l o n g to t h e c o s m o l o g i c a l f r a m e w o r k , C - E to t h e c o l l e c t i o n o f
m a g i c a l recipes. B u t n o t e h o w C refers b a c k t o A , thus l o c k i n g t h e t w o
e l e m e n t s t o g e t h e r . A n a m e s t h e a n g e l s , B describes t h e i r g e n e r a l
a p p e a r a n c e a n d p o w e r s , as well a s the p u r p o s e s for w h i c h t h e y m a y b e
i n v o k e d . C illustrates t h e baqqashah-formula. w h i c h is c o m m o n in S h R :
T f y o u wish to d o such a n d such . . . t a k e s u c h a n d s u c h ' ( . . . fltt^pS DK
n p . . . inf +
. Cf. t h e idv 8e dcXrjs f o r m u l a of t h e G r e e k p a p y r i , e.g. P G M
I V 7 7 3 : dv 8e dXXip diXrjs Seinvveiv, e^e KrX. T h e p r a x i s ( C - E ) involves a
n u m b e r of s t e p s : t h e p r e p a r a t i o n a n d w r i t i n g of the a m u l e t ( C ) , t h e
i n v o c a t i o n of t h e a n g e l s a n d t h e n a m i n g of t h e v i c t i m ( D ) , t h e
d e p o s i t i n g o f t h e a m u l e t in a n a p p r o p r i a t e p l a c e ( E ) . F i n a l l y ( a t F) a
f o r m u l a is g i v e n for r e v e r s i n g the spell.
O n l y one d a t a b l e reference occurs in the text, viz. 1 . 2 7 - 8 : ' T h e s e a r e
t h e angels w h o a r e o b e d i e n t in e v e r y m a t t e r d u r i n g the first a n d s e c o n d
y e a r s o f t h e fifteen y e a r cycle of t h e r e c k o n i n g of t h e G r e e k k i n g s . ' T h i s
is a n allusion to t h e fifteen y e a r i n d i c t i o n - c y c l e w h i c h b e g a n in A . D .
3 1 2 . ' ^ S h R c a n n o t , t h e n , h a v e b e e n c o m p o s e d before A . D . 3 1 2 . O n t h e
14. Cf. A. Audollent, Defixiomm Tabellae (1904), no. 155, A.28, B.23.
15. T h e discussion in M . Margalioth, Sepher Ha-Razim (1966), p p . 245, requires
supplementation. T h e r e seems to be little d o u b t that the fifteen year indiction-cycle
began in 312. A five year indiction-cycle m a y h a v e been instituted i n Egypt as early as
A.D. 287. See O . Seeck, 'Die Entstehung dps Indictionen-cyclus', Deutsche Zeitschrift fiir
Geschichtswissenschaft 12 (1894-5), PP- 279 ff.; E . H. Kase, A Papyrus Roll in the Princeton
Collection (1933), p p . 25-31 ; L. Amundsen, Ostraca Osloensia (1933), p p . 6 4 - 8 ; U .

VII. Incantations and Books of Magic

349

o t h e r h a n d , i t is u n h k e l y to h a v e b e e n w r i t t e n close to t h a t d a t e . T h e
i n d i c t i o n - c y c l e o r i g i n a l l y h a d to d o w i t h i m p e r i a l t a x a t i o n a n d w a s
u s e d o n l y in t a x m a t t e r s . A p p a r e n t l y it w a s n o t u n t i l t h e second h a l f of
t h e f o u r t h c e n t u r y t h a t it b e g a n t o b e u s e d (as i n S h R 1 . 2 7 - 8 ) for
d a t i n g i n non-fiscal c o n t e x t s . ' ^ S o S h R c a n h a r d l y h a v e b e e n p u t
t o g e t h e r before t h e e n d of t h e f o u r t h c e n t u r y . I t is i m p o s s i b l e t o be
m o r e precise b e c a u s e i n d i c t i o n - r e c k o n i n g r e m a i n e d in u s e t h r o u g h o u t
t h e B y z a n t i n e e r a ( a n d , i n d e e d , d o w n to the m i d d l e a g e s ) . T h e
p r o f u s i o n of G r e e k l o a n w o r d s , t h e m a n y e x a c t p a r a l l e l s to t h e G r e e k
m a g i c a l p a p y r i , t a k e n w i t h a terminus a quo o f c. A . D . 3 5 0 , p o i n t to t h e
o r i g i n o f the w o r k in t h e B y z a n t i n e e r a . T h e n a t u r e of its H e b r e w , as
well as its G r e e k affinities, s u g g e s t S h R was c o m p o s e d i n P a l e s t i n e or
(possibly) E g y p t .
S h R c o n t a i n s m a n y s u r p r i s e s w h i c h raise a c u t e l y t h e q u e s t i o n o f its
o r t h o d o x y . A t 4 . 6 1 - 3 it gives a G r e e k p r a y e r to H e l i o s , t r a n s h t e r a t e d
i n t o H e b r e w . At 1 . 1 2 6 A p h r o d i t e is i n v o k e d as t h e e v e n i n g s t a r ; at
1. 1 7 8 H e r m e s is i n v o k e d u n d e r his n a m e Kpio<l)6pos, ' t h e r a m - b e a r e r ' ;
a n d at 2 . 5 0 - 4 a n d 2.16671 t h e m o o n is i n v o k e d , i .17685 gives a spell
for n e c r o m a n c y , a f o r m of d i v i n a t i o n expressly c o n d e m n e d in t h e
T o r a h ( D e u t . 1 8 : 1 0 - 1 1 ; L e v . 1 9 : 3 1 ) . A t 3 3 5 - 4 3 t h e r e is a spell for
success a t t h e c h a r i o t r a c e s . T o p r e v e n t a r i v e r o r the sea f l o o d i n g a
t o w n , 2 . I I 4 1 7 p r e s c r i b e s m a k i n g a n i m a g e of a t y p e a p p a r e n t l y
f o r b i d d e n in m A Z 3 : 1 . M a r g a h o t h w a s c o n v i n c e d t h a t the a u t h o r of
S h R w a s h e r e t i c a l a n d t h a t t h e w o r k e m a n a t e d f r o m t h e circles of t h e
e a r l y minim,^^ b u t such a c o n c l u s i o n s h o u l d n o t be j u m p e d at too
quickly. Doubtless, some early R a b b i n i c authorities would h a v e
c o n d e m n e d t h e s u b j e c t - m a t t e r o f S h R as minut, b u t t h e r e is g o o d
e v i d e n c e to s u g g e s t t h a t s u c h m a t e r i a l c i r c u l a t e d a t t h e v e r y h e a r t of
R a b b i n i c society. T h e a u t h o r of S h R was c e r t a i n l y n o i g n o r a m u s .
A l t h o u g h his w o r k m a y reflect p o p u l a r belief a n d p r a c t i c e , h e w r i t e s
g o o d H e b r e w a n d w a s p a t e n t l y a m a n of s o m e l e a r n i n g .
Bibliography
T h e Hebrew text of ShR is printed in M . M a r g a l i o t h , Sepher Ha-Razim: A Newly
Discovered Book of Magic from the Talmudic Period (1966). Margalioth's introducdon and
notes are useful. Editorially, Margalioth exercised a very heavy h a n d and produced a
highly eclecdc, heavily corrected text. H i s variae lectiones at the back should n o t be
ignored. However, he d i d not invent S h R : there is every reason to believe t h a t a work of
the form he postulates did once exist. M . A. M o r g a n , Sepher Ha-Razim: The Book of
Mysteries (1983), gives a n English version of Margalioth's text. O n ShR see further:
M e r c h a v y a , Ch., Review of Margalioth, Sepher Ha-Razim, Kirjath Sepher 42 (19667),
PP- 297-303 [ H e b r e w ] .
Wilcken, Archiv fiir Papyrusforschung 11 (1955), p p . 313-14.
16. E . J . Bickerman, Chronology of the Ancient World (^1980), p. 78.
17. M a r g a h o t h , Sepher Ha-Razim (1966), p p . X V - X V l .

350

32. Jewish Literature in Hebrew or Aramaic

Kasher, M . M., Torah Shelemah X X I I (1967), pp. 188-92 [Hebrew].

D a n , J., Review of Margalioth, Sepher Ha-Razim, Tarbiz 37 (1967-8), p p . 208-14
[Hebrew].
Maier, J . , 'Das Buch d e r Geheimnisse', J u d a i c a 24 (1968), pp. 98-111.
Maier, J . , 'Poedsch-liturgische Stiicke aus dem "Buch der Geheimnisse'", J u d a i c a 24
(1968), pp. 172-81.
M e r c h a v y a , Ch., 'Sefer H a - R a z i m ' , E n c . J u d . X I I I (1971), cols. 1594-5.
Sed, N., 'Le Sefer h a - R a z i m et la methode de "combinaison des lettres"', R E J 130
(1971), p p . 295-304.
Niggemeyer, J. H . , Beschworungsformeln aus dem 'Buch der Geheimnisse' (1975).
Gruenwald, I., Apocalyptic and Merkavah Mysticism (1980), p p . 225-34 ['Sefer H a - R a z i m ' ] .
F o r fragments of mediaeval books of magical recipes from the Cairo Genizah s e e :
R . Gottheil and W. H . Worrell, Fragments from the Cairo Genizah in the Freer Collection
(1927), no. X V ( p p . 76-81), a n d no. X X I V (pp. 106-7) i J - M a n n , Texts and Studies
II (1972), p p . 904; P. Schafer, Geniza-Fragmente zur Hekhalot-Literatur (1984), n o . 20;
J. Naveh a n d S. Shaked, Amulets and Magic Bowls (1985), p p . 224-36.

2. Harba deMosheh (The Sword of Moses =

HdM)

T h i s text, first p u b h s h e d by G a s t e r in 1896 from a m a n u s c r i p t i n his

o w n possession ( C o d . H e b r . G a s t e r 1 7 8 ) , is, h k e S h R , a m a g i c a l
c o m p e n d i u m . P a r t I ( i n H e b r e w ) p r o v i d e s a setting for t h e strictly
p r a c t i c a l sections w h i c h follow. I t o p e n s w i t h a n a n g e l i c h i e r a r c h y in
w h i c h a r e disclosed the n a m e s of t h e a n g e l s i n c h a r g e of t h e s w o r d , a n d
it e x p l a i n s h o w t h e s e a n g e l s r e v e a l e d t h e s w o r d to M o s e s . I n s t r u c t i o n s
t h e n follow c o n c e r n i n g the e l a b o r a t e p r e p a r a t i o n s to b e m a d e if t h e
a d e p t is to u s e t h e s w o r d effectively w i t h o u t d a n g e r to himself. P a r t I I
p r e s e n t s the s w o r d itself, w h i c h consists o f a l o n g list of m a g i c a l n a m e s .
T h e s e a r e for the m o s t p a r t nomina barbara of i n d e t e r m i n a t e l a n g u a g e .
A t the e n d , h o w e v e r , t h e text b r e a k s i n t o a n A r a m a i c i n v o c a t i o n of t h e
a n g e l s o f the s w o r d . T h e s w o r d is a p p a r e n t l y r e g a r d e d as a secret n a m e
of G o d (note the q u o t a t i o n from I s . 42:8 w i t h w h i c h it c o n c l u d e s : ' I a m
t h e L o r d , this is m y N a m e ' ) , b u t i t c o n t a i n s o b v i o u s a n g e l i c n a m e s as
w e l l . I t is n o t u n c o m m o n in e a r l y J e w i s h m y s t i c a l a n d m a g i c a l texts to
find t h e s a m e secret n a m e s a p p l i e d b o t h t o G o d a n d the a n g e l s . T h e use
of t h e t e r m ' s w o r d ' for a m a g i c a l c o m p o s i t i o n can b e p a r a U e l e d in t h e
G r e e k m a g i c a l p a p y r i ; c f Si^os Aaphdvov as t h e title of P G M I V 1 7 1 9
ff. T h e c h o i c e of t h e t e r m m a y also h a v e b e e n i n f l u e n c e d b y M o s e s ' final
blessing of I s r a e l i n D e u t . 33:29, ' H a p p y are y o u , O I s r a e l , w h o is like
u n t o y o u ? A p e o p l e s a v e d by t h e L o r d , t h e shield of y o u r h e l p , a n d t h a t
is t h e s w o r d o f y o u r excellency!'
P a r t I I I (in A r a m a i c ) gives i n s t r u c t i o n s as t o the specific p u r p o s e s for
w h i c h t h e s w o r d m a y b e e m p l o y e d . T h e s e a r e similar to t h e uses of t h e
spells i n S h R , It is n o t a b l e , h o w e v e r , t h a t a h i g h p r o p o r t i o n o f H d M ' s
i n c a n t a t i o n s a r e d i r e c t e d t o w a r d s h e a l i n g a n d t h a t often t h e y e m p l o y
materia medica. T h i s h n k s H d M w i t h t h e a n c i e n t p h a r m a c o l o g i c a l
t r a d i t i o n , as r e p r e s e n t e d , for e x a m p l e , b y Dioscorides, a n d entitles i t to