Class Insights: Jewish Magic Texts
Mishnah:
Desire for learning Torah and Mishnah better
Specific rules
Assumes you know the context
Invocation of rabbis as authority figures
Gnostic:
Need for passwords or "seals"
Secret knowledge
Angelic figures
female divine figure: Sophia, Norea
Hellenistic Piety:
Figure of Asclepius
Ritual instructions
Female divine figure: Isis, Fortuna