Magic in the Roman World: Pagans, Jews and Christians (Religion in the First Christian Centuries) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The origin of our term "magic" is filled with irony and imagination..." (more)
Key Phrases: rabbinic anecdotes, love rites, gaining immortality, The Book of Secrets, Sacred Art, Hebrew Scriptures (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is an entertaining and scholarly introduction to magical beliefs and practices in the early centuries of the Christian era ... This book will be required reading for students and researchers of ancient magic.' - R.J.Clare University of Leeds

'[Janowitz's] book will help serve as an introduction to the fascinating study of ancient magic for the non-specialist ...' - Journal of Roman Studies

 

This is an entertaining and scholarly introduction to magical beliefs and practices in the early centuries of the Christian era ... This book will be required reading for students and researchers of ancient magic. - R.J. Clare University of Leeds

Product Description

Using in-depth examples of "magical" practice such as exorcisms, love rites, alchemy and the transformation of humans into divine beings, this lively volume demonstrates that the word 'magic' was used widely in late antique texts as part of polemics against enemies and sometimes merely as a term for other people's rituals. Professor Janowitz shows that "magical" activities were integral to late antique religious practice, and that they must be understood from the perspective of those who employed them.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (July 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 041520206X
• ISBN-13: 978-0415202060
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,308,323 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Innovative and compelling treament of magic ritual, January 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Magic in the Roman World: Pagans, Jews and Christians (Religion in the First Christian Centuries) (Paperback)

The latest work by Naomi Janowitz of UC Davis and Hebrew University is a fast-paced and well-organized treatment of "magic" in the first three centuries. "Magic", as Janowitz shows, was at this time very much defined by those who were hoping to discredit a ritual or practice of another party, and was in most cases merely an adjective of disparagement used by the competition. To those using it, magic wasn't magic at all, rather magic was power and efficacy steeped in ritual. Discussions include Greco-Roman, Christian, and Jewish concepts of magic, theories on daemons and angels, cursing and binding spells, practices of divination and deification, and a focus on the gender bias against women in the practice of magic throughout the period.
I found the book a breath of fresh air, and an enormous step forward, not least of which in the portions dealing with women's issues, which should prove a major contribution to women's studies in late antiquity. But also the bibliography alone is worth noting as it is extensive and reveals the wide range of sources brought to the topic, and is alone worth the price of the text. The book is not long and can be easily read, even by a newcomer to the topic, in one or two sittings.