| Summary: | This study investigates the ongoing debate about whether the term magic should continue to be used in academia. Amongst scholars, the term has become a subject of controversy primarily because of its negative historical associations and its lack of precision. As a result, in the last decade, a notable trend has emerged among scholars advocating for the disaggregation of the concept of magic. Their hope is by disaggregating the term magic, they are able to utilise a more nuanced and insightful approach. This paper takes a different stance and rebuts the idea of abandoning the term magic. Instead, it argues for the continued use of the term magic as a valuable heuristic tool. This objective is achieved by exploring the development of magic in the ancient world, with a specific emphasis on the different societies and cultures that inhabited Egypt until the Christian period. Through this analysis, this study showcases the feasibility of a working heuristic definition for magic, along with a system for the proper classification of magical materials.
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