From the editor: Semitic Magic is a study of the magical practices -the spells, rituals, and incantations-of ancient Western Asia, the birthplace of Western civilization. Using knowledge preserved in cuneiform tablets from Assyria, and aided by the various stepping-stones offered in Rabbinic tradition, Syriac monkish writings, and Arabic tales, R. Campbell Thompson traces the growth and decadence of early magical practices through three thousand years to its lingering influence in contemporary society. He shows coincident parallels in Aryan and Hamitic magical practice, which were independently and spontaneously developed in each nation.

Thompson outlines the magical history of the Semites and throws new light on biblical history. For example, the origins of Semitic magic were founded on the assumption that evil spirits existed in proximity with humanity, that they could inflict bodily harm; spirits and humans were so closely related that they might even marry, with semi-divine or semi-demonic offspring as a result. Taboos (or tabus) on certain sexual functions developed from this belief. In spite of the care taken to avoid all things taboo, a person might unwittingly break one. The resulting illness would be cured by an exorcism administered by a priest. This exorcism involved transferring the possessing entity to a wax figure (or to a slaughtered goat) that the priest could destroy. This seems to be the basis of the atonement principle, clearly a civilized progression from the original, primitive practice of using a child or tribesman as a sacrificial offering, and even further away from ancient forms of cannibalism.

These teachings throw light on the origins of many practices described in the religious texts of the Western world. Thompson's study also reveals the ancient foundations of the contemporary Western magical tradition, and includes direct translations of spells and incantations from some of the Western world's oldest written records. This work is a valuable aid to students of magic, early religious practices, and the history of the Middle East.

Pages: 283 Hardcover, First Edition, Very Limited
Special Interest: Magick, Occult, Collectors, Bibliophile, Ritual, Necromancy, Semitic, Antiquity, Sorcery.