Jewish Magic and Superstition

A Study in Folk Religion

Joshua Trachtenberg, Moshe Idel

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English

Pennsylvania Univ. Press
13 February 2004

Religion & beliefs; Judaism; Jewish studies; Sociology: customs & traditions

Alongside the formal development of Judaism from the eleventh through the sixteenth centuries, a robust Jewish folk religion flourished-ideas and practices that never met with wholehearted approval by religious leaders yet enjoyed such wide popularity that they could not be altogether excluded from the religion. According to Joshua Trachtenberg, it is not possible truly to understand the experience and history of the Jewish people without attempting to recover their folklife and beliefs from centuries past.

Jewish Magic and Superstition is a masterful and utterly fascinating exploration of religious forms that have all but disappeared yet persist in the imagination. The volume begins with legends of Jewish sorcery and proceeds to discuss beliefs about the evil eye, spirits of the dead, powers of good, the famous legend of the golem, procedures for casting spells, the use of gems and amulets, how to battle spirits, the ritual of circumcision, herbal folk remedies, fortune telling, astrology, and the interpretation of dreams.

First published more than sixty years ago, Trachtenberg's study remains the foundational scholarship on magical practices in the Jewish world and offers an understanding of folk beliefs that expressed most eloquently the everyday religion of the Jewish people.

By: Joshua Trachtenberg
Contributions by: Moshe Idel
Imprint: Pennsylvania Univ. Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 574g
ISBN: 9780812218626
ISBN 10: 0812218620
Publication Date: 13 February 2004
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

"Foreword by Moshe Idel Preface I. the Legend of Jewish Sorcery II. The Truth Behind the Legend III. The Powers of Evil IV. Man and the Demons V. The Spirits of the Dead VI. The Powers of Good VII. ""In the Nature of . . ."" VIII. The Bible in Magic IX. The Magical Procedure X. Amulets XI. The War with the Spirits XII. Nature and Man XIII. Medicine XIV. Divination XV. Dreams XVI. Astrology Appendix I. The Formation of Magical Names Appendix II. Ms Sefer Gematriaot on Gems Abbreviations and Hebrew Titles Notes Bibliography Glossary of Hebrew Terms Index"