Sefer HaRazim

The text was rediscovered in the 20th century by Mordecai Margalioth, a Jewish scholar visiting Oxford in 1963, using fragments found in the Cairo Geniza. He hypothesised that several fragments of Jewish magical literature shared a common source and was certain that he could reconstruct this common source. He achieved this in 1966 when he published Sefer HaRazim. The first English translation of the book was undertaken by Michael A. Morgan in 1983; the book is now in print, as of summer 2007. A new scholarly edition of the main extant manuscript including Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic Geniza fragments and a 13th-century Latin translation was prepared by Bill Rebiger and Peter Schäfer in 2009, along with a translation and commentary in German in a separate volume. == Dating ==

Margalioth places the date of the original text to the early fourth or late third century CE. This date is almost universally accepted; a notable exception is Ithamar Gruenwald who dates the text to the sixth or seventh century. Nonetheless, it is clear that this text predates Kabbalistic texts, including the Zohar (thirteenth century), the Bahir (thirteenth century as well), and possibly the proto-Kabbalistic Sefer Yetzirah (fourth century). There are certain textual clues that point toward this early date, specifically the reference to "the Roman indictions in 1:27-28 [which] gives a clear terminus a quo of 297 CE". == Structure and content ==

The book is split into seven sections, not including a preface which details the book's reception and transmission. Each of the first six sections corresponds to one heaven (or firmament) and contains a listing of angels and instructions to perform one or more magical rites. Only the throne of God and the four hayots are in the seventh heaven. The seven firmaments, each described with lengthy lists of angel names, are as follows.) • First Firmament: 7 encampments led by the angels Aurpnial, Tigrh, Dnhl, Klmial/Hlmia, Asimur, Psbr, and Bual. • Second Firmament: 12 steps, each with about 8–20 angels. • Third Firmament: 3 angelic princes, namely Ibnial, Rhṭial, and Dlqial. • Fourth Firmament: angelic princes who lead the sun during the day and night (about 30 princes during the day, and about 30 princes during the night). • Fifth Firmament: 12 princes of glory who represent the 12 months. They are Šˁpial (month of Nisan), Rghil (month of Iyyar), Dirnaur (month of Siwan), Tˁnṣun (month of Tammuz), Tdnrgar (month of Av), Mural (month of Elul), Phrrun (month of Tishre), Ildng (month of Marḥeshwan), Anrgnur (month of Kislew), Mpnial (month of Ṭevet), Ḥšbdrum (month of Shevaṭ), and Abrkial (month of Adar). • Sixth Firmament: heads of the encampments in the east (with 28 angelic leaders and their encampments) and west (with 31 angelic leaders and their encampments). The heads of the encampments are Aparkm (in the west) and Tuqpirs (in the east). • Seventh Firmament: throne of God and 4 hayots There is an uneasy tension between the orthodox cosmogony of the book and the unorthodox praxeis embodied in these magical rites; the book has obviously been edited by a rabbinical scribe, but the "popular religion" contained in the book is more or less intact. Some of the rituals purport to facilitate healing, prophecy, an attack upon one's enemy, and gaining good fortune. The number seven, the importance of divine names, and the prevalence of sympathetic magic all have significance in the literature of Middle Eastern magic. The text demonstrates strong syncretism of Jewish and Greek traditions; an example is a prayer to the sun god Helios to invoke him at night: The prayer is preceded by instructions to call on several angels 21 times as well as the name of the sun. The reader is told to perform the ritual in white garments. The Mandaean uthra (angel or guardian) Ptahil is mentioned as Ptḥiʾl () in Sefer HaRazim, listed among other angels who stand on the ninth step of the second firmament. ==See also==