Solomonic Magic
Methodology, Texts, and Histories
Published on 12. June 2025
Book
Hardback
376 pages
978-90-04-54677-6 (ISBN)
Description
Solomonic magic has captivated imaginations for centuries, yet its definition remains elusive. Is it a specialized branch linked to King Solomon, or a broader classification of practices attributed to him? This book explores the mysterious world of demon subjugation, examining previously unknown texts in multiple languages (Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and more) to reveal the historical evolution of this magical tradition. Divided into three parts, the book presents analyses of key manuscripts and examines the historical influence of Hebrew texts on later traditions. Featuring many unpublished manuscripts, this book challenges previous scholarly assumptions and offers a new perspective on the textual network that shaped medieval and early modern magical works.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Leiden
Netherlands
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
685 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-04-54677-6 (9789004546776)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Gal Sofer, MD, PhD, is a senior lecturer in the Department of the Arts at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He has studied medieval and early modern magic and Kabbalah, focusing on knowledge transmission and transformation across linguistic boundaries.
Content
Preface
List of Figures and Tables
A Note on Hebrew Transliteration
Part 1 Methodology
1 Philology
?1?Genes and Scale Shifting
?2?Textual Networks
2 Solomonic Magic: A Term in Flux or a Distinct Tradition?
?1?Defining through Polemical Discourses
?2?The Anatomical Anomaly of "Solomonic Magic"
3 From Micro(s) to Macro: Multi-Sources and Scribal Strategies
?1?Practitioners' Confessions
?2?Genesis Narratives
Part 1: Summary
Part 2 Texts
Clusters and Nodes: A Brief Introduction
4 Liber Bileth (LB)
?1?Liber Bileth: Fusing Two Texts into One
?2?The Book of Spirits
?3?The Marvelous Ring
?4?Liber Bileth: Preliminary Intra-Clusteric Genetic Analysis
5 Clavicula Salomonis (CS)
?1?Italian and Latin Claviculae: The Clavicula's Ritual and Six Methods
?2?An English Clavicula: The Return of Bileth Son of Aned
?3?French Clavicula
?4?Hebrew Claviculae
?5?Clavicula Salomonis: Preliminary Intra-Clusteric Genetic Analysis
6 Sapientia Salomonis (SP)
?1?A Consecrated Catalog of Demons
?2?Liber consecrationum
?3??okhmat Shlomo: The Hebrew SP?s
?4?Sapientia Salomonis: Preliminary Intra-Clusteric Genetic Analysis
?5?Liber centum regum
?6?Intra- and Inter-Clusteric Analysis
Part 2: Summary
Part 3 Histories
Introduction: Beyond the Solomonic Veil
7 The Babylonian Background
?1??over ?aver-The Reception of a Biblical Term
?2?Babylonian Jews and Demons-Expelling or Gathering?
8 Sefer Haqqevitza
?1?Gathering Demons in Fustat-Sefer Haqqevitza and the Four Elements
?2?Sefer Haqqevitza-A Babylonian Component of the Solomonic Network
?3?Solomonic Attribution
?4?Where Are You, Arabic Sources? Some Short Notes on a Great Lacuna
9 Binding Demons in Medieval Ashkenaz and Provence
?1?Ashkenazic ?asidim and Sefer Haqqevitza
?2?The Chiefs of the Teli
?3?The Demonology of the Kohen Brothers
10 Binding Demons in Medieval Spain-The Astral Turn
?1?Moses of Burgos and Nachmanides
?2?Liber Razielis
?3?Berit Menu?a
11 Berengar Ganell and Liber Theysolius
?1?The Magisterium and the Summa
?2?Repositories of Names: The Case of Liber Theysolius
12 The Age of the Clavicula
?1?Clavicula Salomonis: An Italian Reaction to Information Overload
?2?SQR Genes in the Early Modern Period
?3?Abraham Colorni and the Untold Story of the Hebrew Claviculae
13 Curating Wisdom-The Art of Knowledge Cataloging
?1?Making Catalogs I: Demons
?2?Making Catalogs II: Pentacles
14 The Greek Myth
?1?Rethinking the Hygromanteia Hypothesis
?2?Catoptromancy and the Solomonic Network
Part 3: Summary
Solomonic Magic: Final Thoughts
Bibliography
Index
List of Figures and Tables
A Note on Hebrew Transliteration
Part 1 Methodology
1 Philology
?1?Genes and Scale Shifting
?2?Textual Networks
2 Solomonic Magic: A Term in Flux or a Distinct Tradition?
?1?Defining through Polemical Discourses
?2?The Anatomical Anomaly of "Solomonic Magic"
3 From Micro(s) to Macro: Multi-Sources and Scribal Strategies
?1?Practitioners' Confessions
?2?Genesis Narratives
Part 1: Summary
Part 2 Texts
Clusters and Nodes: A Brief Introduction
4 Liber Bileth (LB)
?1?Liber Bileth: Fusing Two Texts into One
?2?The Book of Spirits
?3?The Marvelous Ring
?4?Liber Bileth: Preliminary Intra-Clusteric Genetic Analysis
5 Clavicula Salomonis (CS)
?1?Italian and Latin Claviculae: The Clavicula's Ritual and Six Methods
?2?An English Clavicula: The Return of Bileth Son of Aned
?3?French Clavicula
?4?Hebrew Claviculae
?5?Clavicula Salomonis: Preliminary Intra-Clusteric Genetic Analysis
6 Sapientia Salomonis (SP)
?1?A Consecrated Catalog of Demons
?2?Liber consecrationum
?3??okhmat Shlomo: The Hebrew SP?s
?4?Sapientia Salomonis: Preliminary Intra-Clusteric Genetic Analysis
?5?Liber centum regum
?6?Intra- and Inter-Clusteric Analysis
Part 2: Summary
Part 3 Histories
Introduction: Beyond the Solomonic Veil
7 The Babylonian Background
?1??over ?aver-The Reception of a Biblical Term
?2?Babylonian Jews and Demons-Expelling or Gathering?
8 Sefer Haqqevitza
?1?Gathering Demons in Fustat-Sefer Haqqevitza and the Four Elements
?2?Sefer Haqqevitza-A Babylonian Component of the Solomonic Network
?3?Solomonic Attribution
?4?Where Are You, Arabic Sources? Some Short Notes on a Great Lacuna
9 Binding Demons in Medieval Ashkenaz and Provence
?1?Ashkenazic ?asidim and Sefer Haqqevitza
?2?The Chiefs of the Teli
?3?The Demonology of the Kohen Brothers
10 Binding Demons in Medieval Spain-The Astral Turn
?1?Moses of Burgos and Nachmanides
?2?Liber Razielis
?3?Berit Menu?a
11 Berengar Ganell and Liber Theysolius
?1?The Magisterium and the Summa
?2?Repositories of Names: The Case of Liber Theysolius
12 The Age of the Clavicula
?1?Clavicula Salomonis: An Italian Reaction to Information Overload
?2?SQR Genes in the Early Modern Period
?3?Abraham Colorni and the Untold Story of the Hebrew Claviculae
13 Curating Wisdom-The Art of Knowledge Cataloging
?1?Making Catalogs I: Demons
?2?Making Catalogs II: Pentacles
14 The Greek Myth
?1?Rethinking the Hygromanteia Hypothesis
?2?Catoptromancy and the Solomonic Network
Part 3: Summary
Solomonic Magic: Final Thoughts
Bibliography
Index