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