A (Different) Kind of Magic: The “Ways of the Amorite” according to Tosefta Shabbat 6–7

Doering Lutz

Research article (book contribution)

Abstract

This contribution discusses forbidden magical practices and their place in social space of family, house, and workplace. Unlike the “statutes of the Gentiles”, which is a wider category and not limited to magic, the “Ways of the Amorite” as addressed in tShab 6–7 are deemed forbidden due to their association with idolatry, demons, and mantic rituals. The magical practices in tShab 6–7 labelled “Ways of the Amorites” are not performed by foreign nations settling in and around Palestine, as the designation “Amorite” might suggest. They are rather practiced by the Jews themselves. As a result, the category “Ways of the Amorites” is to be considered a powerful rhetorical category with which the rabbis retained the sovereignty of interpreting magical practices in their hands.

Details zur Publikation

Publisher: Doering Lutz, Schumann Daniel
Book title: Tosefta Studies: Manuscripts, Traditions, and Topics
Release year: 2021
Publishing company: LIT
Language in which the publication is written: English
Event: Zürich