Subject: [agade] eREVIEWS: Jewish Magic through the Ages, at the BLM
From <http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=37838>:
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ArtDaily
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Exhibition at the Bible Lands Museum Looks at Jewish Magic through the Ages
JERUSALEM.- Magic permeates our daily (Jewish) lives to such a degree
that life without magic is close to impossible. An interesting fact is
that most individuals are unaware that many items in their daily life
and many daily actions and beliefs are magical in nature. Examples of
this are endless: knocking on wood, tfu tfu tfu, Evil Eye (בלי עין
הרע), not naming a child before birth, the amuletic power of the
mezuzah, red ribbon bracelet, khamsas, jinxes… These and many more
practices have ancient sources. Some have lost their meaning even
though they are still used, for example, the magical formula
ABRACADABRA, has its roots in the 3rd century CE, and is continuously
used even today.
In this exhibition visitors examine the origins and development of
magic in Judaism from the First Temple period to the present day by
focusing on beliefs, customs and, particularly, the practical use of
magic objects in daily Jewish life.
Belief that the world was filled with supernatural beings and forces
such as angels, demons, spirits and the evil eye was common in the
ancient world and, indeed, many people today hold to that conviction.
These forces were attributed with many powers and were thought to be
responsible for many of the good, but especially the bad things
occurring to people on a daily basis. It was (and is) generally
believed that such forces can be coerced into acting on behalf of the
applicant. Depending on whether the goal of this coercion was for evil
or good, we can distinguish between witchcraft (black magic) and magic
(protective magic, or white magic).
Biblical laws strictly forbid the Jewish people from having anything
to do with witchcraft (black magic):
"You shall not allow a sorceress to live". (Exodus 22:17)
“There must not be found among you anyone that … uses divination, a
soothsayer, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a medium, or
a wizard, or a necromancer". (Deuteronomy 18:10-11)
However, (white) magic - i.e. defense against the dark arts, the
forces of evil and the damage they cause - was not forbidden in
Judaism. This is clear both from biblical and rabbinical writings and
from many of the preserved.
The exhibition is enhanced by artifacts on loan from the Golan
Archaeological Museum, The Institute of Archaeology of The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, The Israel Antiquities Authority and private
collectors.
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