JDS 685SEM - Jewish Magic

Reading and writing are powerful in Judaism. Writing is a divine act in the Jewish story of the writing of the Torah, and when humans write, we both imitate divine power and invoke it. So too, are the acts of reading and storytelling. In medieval Judaism, the act of reading is one of the uncovering and participating in divine power and knowledge, while storytelling performs this power. Jewish magic also has a context in the late antique Middle East and medieval Europe, with strong influences from Greek and Egyptian sources, and Byzantine and European Christian traditions. This course is an exploration of Jewish magic with a focus on the power of reading, writing, storytelling, and performance. With this in mind, we will be studying Midrash, magical text, liturgical poems, Bible commentary, mystical works, and works on secular themes written for purposes of entertainment. This includes literature from Byzantine Palestine, Islamic Iraq, Islamic Spain, Christian Spain, Germany, France and Italy. We will situate these materials in the writings on the ritual theory, performance studies, theory of religion, and the history of magic. Credits: 3