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