Jewish Magic and Superstition - A Study in Folk Religion (Paperback)

Jewish Magic and Superstition A Study in Folk Religion Joshua Trachtenberg. Foreword by Moshe Idel Alongside the formal development of Judaism from the eleventh through the sixteenth centuries, a robust Jewish folk religion flourished--ideas and practices that never met with wholehearted approval by religious leaders yet enjoyed such wide popularity that they could not be altogether excluded from the religion. According to Joshua Trachtenberg, it is not possible truly to understand the experience and history of the Jewish people without attempting to recover their folklife and beliefs from centuries past. Jewish Magic and Superstition is a masterful and utterly fascinating exploration of religious forms that have all but disappeared yet persist in the imagination. The volume begins with legends of Jewish sorcery and proceeds to discuss beliefs about the evil eye, spirits of the dead, powers of good, the famous legend of the golem, procedures for casting spells, the use of gems and amulets, how to battle spirits, the ritual of circumcision, herbal folk remedies, fortune telling, astrology, and the interpretation of dreams. First published more than sixty years ago, Trachtenberg's study remains the foundational scholarship on magical practices in the Jewish world and offers an understanding of folk beliefs that expressed most eloquently the everyday religion of the Jewish people. Joshua Trachtenberg (1904-59) served in the American rabbinate for nearly three decades. He is the author of The Devil and the Jews. Moshe Idel is Professor of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His numerous publications include Kabbalah: New Perspectives, Messianic Mystics and Hasidism: Between Ecstasy and Magic. He received the Israel Prize for excellence in the field of Jewish philosophy in 1999. 2004 392 pages 6 x 9 illus. ISBN 978-0-8122-1862-6 Paper $24.95s 16.50 World Rights Religion, Anthropology Short copy: A classic treatise, available now for the first time in paperback, on the folk beliefs of the Jews, with a new introduction by arguably the most important contemporary scholar of Jewish mysticism.

General

Imprint:	University of PennsylvaniaPress
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	February 2004
First published:	2004
Authors:	Joshua Trachtenberg
Contributors:	Moshe Idel
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 27mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	392
ISBN-13:	978-0-8122-1862-6
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Ethnic studies > Jewish studies Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Judaism > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social institutions > Customs & folklore > Customs Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian religions > Judaism > General Promotions
LSN:	0-8122-1862-0
Barcode:	9780812218626

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!