SYNCRETISM AND JEWISH INFLUENCE IN THE GREEK MAGICAL PAPYRI: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.

This article examines the presence of Jewish elements in selected texts from the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM), including the Prayer of Jacob, Charm of Pibechis, Eighth book of Moses, and A love spell of attraction. Through textual and comparative analysis, it argues that Jewish divine names, biblical...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Akroterion Vol. 70; pp. 85 - 109
Autor principal: Khumalo, Sihe
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Akroterion 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=193036302&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: hlh
    uiTerm: 193036302
    longDbName: Humanities International Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        03031896
        TH4
      jtl: Akroterion
      issn: 03031896
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: 2025
      vid: 70
      pid: 20757
      pub: Akroterion
    artinfo:
      ui: 193036302
      ppf: 85
      ppct: 24
      formats:
        fmt:
          @attributes:
            type: P
            size: 3.2MB
      tig:
        atl: SYNCRETISM AND JEWISH INFLUENCE IN THE GREEK MAGICAL PAPYRI: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.
      aug:
        au: Khumalo, Sihe
        affil: University of Pretoria
      su:
        Ritual
        Judaism
        Cultural fusion
        Ancient history
        Manuscripts
        Ritualism
      sug:
        subj:
          Ritual
          Judaism
          Cultural fusion
          Ancient history
          Manuscripts
          Ritualism
      keyword:
        ancient magic
        Greek Magical Papyri (PGM)
        Jewish
        religion
        syncretism
      ab: This article examines the presence of Jewish elements in selected texts from the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM), including the Prayer of Jacob, Charm of Pibechis, Eighth book of Moses, and A love spell of attraction. Through textual and comparative analysis, it argues that Jewish divine names, biblical figures, and ritual registers operate not as markers of Jewish authorship or confessional identity, but as adaptable sources of ritual authority within a broader syncretic repertoire. Hebrew-associated names such as Iaō, Sabaōth, and Adōnai are shown to circulate alongside Egyptian, Greco-Roman, and early Christian elements in efficacy-driven ritual collections shaped by performance, technical competence, and persuasive power. By situating these texts against both Greco-Egyptian magical traditions and materially attested Jewish magical corpora, the study demonstrates that syncretism in the PGM reflects pragmatic strategies of ritual authentication rather than the fusion of coherent belief systems. The article, therefore, contributes to ongoing debates on syncretism, authority, and religious interaction in Late Antiquity by foregrounding practice, transmission, and ritual expertise over rigid notions of religious identity.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: Y
      custom: Copyright of Akroterion is the property of Akroterion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
      item: Akroterion
      holder: Akroterion
      dt:
        @attributes:
          year: 2025
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N