Description
Book SynopsisIn exploring the social background of early Jewish mysticism, Scholastic Magic tells the story of how imagination and magic were made to serve memory and scholasticism. In the visionary literature that circulated between the fifth and ninth centuries, there are strange tales of ancient rabbis conjuring the angel known as Sar-Torah, the "Prince of t
Trade Review"[Swartz's] translation... and commentary on the main texts of the 'Prince of the Torah' tradition... are especially valuable and provide nonexperts with access to the important mystical-magical material under analysis. Especially significant is his emphasis on the ritual and ritual procedures outlined in these texts."--Choice
Table of ContentsPrefaceList of AbbreviationsCh. 1Mentalities of Ancient Judaism3Ch. 2Memory, Torah, and Magic33Ch. 3The Texts53Ch. 4Sar-Torah Narratives: Translation and Analysis62Ch. 5Sar-Torah Rituals and Related Texts109Ch. 6Ritual and Purity153Ch. 7Tradition and Authority173Ch. 8Scholastic Magic209Bibliography231Source Index249General Index257
