Mining Angels in Jewish and Coptic Magic Texts

Abstract

Jewish and Christian magical literature abound in references to angels, who are beseeched or adjured to assist in achieving the aim of the magical act. This paper focuses on angels that appear in Jewish and Coptic magical texts from late-antique and medieval Egypt. Its proposed method, however, can be applied further to other historical contexts. The paper is part of a larger research project that employs digital methods to analyze angelic nomenclature in Jewish magic and the magic of related cultures.