The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells, Volume 1

Front Cover
Hans Dieter Betz
University of Chicago Press, 1986 - Body, Mind & Spirit - 411 pages
"The Greek magical papyri" is a collection of magical spells and formulas, hymns, and rituals from Greco-Roman Egypt, dating from the second century B.C. to the fifth century A.D. Containing a fresh translation of the Greek papyri, as well as Coptic and Demotic texts, this new translation has been brought up to date and is now the most comprehensive collection of this literature, and the first ever in English.

The Greek Magical Papyri in Transition is an invaluable resource for scholars in a wide variety of fields, from the history of religions to the classical languages and literatures, and it will fascinate those with a general interest in the occult and the history of magic.

"One of the major achievements of classical and related scholarship over the last decade."—Ioan P. Culianu, Journal for the Study of Judaism

"The enormous value of this new volume lies in the fact that these texts will now be available to a much wider audience of readers, including historians or religion, anthropologists, and psychologists."—John G. Gager, Journal of Religion

"[This book] shows care, skill and zest. . . . Any worker in the field will welcome this sterling performance."—Peter Parsons, Times Literary Supplement
 

Contents

Preface to the Second Edition
ix
List of Papyri in Preisendanz
xxiii
Abbreviations of Major Titles Used in This Volume
xxxvii
Introduction to the Demotic Magical Papyri
lv
Translations with Notes 3
136
Glossary
331
Copyright

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About the author (1986)

Hans Dieter Betz is the Shailer Mathews Professor Emeritus of New Testament in the Divinity School at the University of Chicago.

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