Abstract
In this paper I aim to explore the magical technical term “sword” as used to designate the holy names at the core of incantations, and its relationship to Moses. Both “sword” and the figure of Moses lie at the heart of the magical conception and praxis of the treatise known as The Sword of Moses ( חרבא דמשה ), and of a broad fragmentary stratum – the magical sword literature, as I have chosen to call it. A brief presentation of a few of the more relevant conclusions of my recent study on The Sword of Moses 1 will be followed by an examination of rabbinical tradi- tions that may serve as evidence for the Jewish cultural background for the development of the magical concept of the sword of Moses. The discussion concludes with a consideration of the image of Moses in The Sword of Moses , and its rabbinical and mystical parallels.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 293 - 329 |
| Journal | Jewish studies quarterly |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2005 |
Keywords
- Moses
- (Biblical leader)
- Swords -- Religious aspects
- Incantations
- Magic and religion
- Mysticism -- Judaism
- Hebrew language -- Terms -- DBR (Root)