Blau on Ancient Jewish Magic

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Book Notices 191

for that work, but for the Risalat al-taqrib, and still more for the quota-
tions scattered through the other writings of Abulwalid, a system of
references such as Derenbourg in his edition of Abulwalid's Opuscules
has given to the treatises of Hayyuj would have been very useful.

A few minor observations may be added. Upon what authority is
the name O^to (Da'ud) transliterated on the title-page and elsewhere
Dawud ? In the text, p. 8, "iSl'dJ"! "iSl"!"! > the doubling of yod is erro-
neous; p. 167, 1. 4 from the bottom, the reference (1 Kings 21:15) is
omitted. In the Preface, p. xvii, 1. 8, read Deut. 14:1; p. xix, 11. 5, 16,
for Seleucidian read Seleucidan; p. ix, for "Ibn Khayyuj" Sayce might
plead the example of Bacher, who has had to confess the same sin. The
printing of the volume seems in general to be very correct.

By this edition of Hayyiij Professor Jastrow has laid all students of

Hebrew grammar under obligation, and I wish for my own part thus to

convey to him my thanks and my congratulations.

George F. Moore.
Andovbe, Mass.,
December 1, 1898.

BLAU ON ANCIENT JEWISH MAGIC

The well-known scholar presents us here with an exhaustive study of
Jewish magic during the first five centuries of the Christian era. A
glance at the table of contents will show the wealth of material contained
therein. It is the following : Preface, " The Spread of Magic among the
Jews." The latter is subdivided into : spread of magic in biblical times,
in talmudic times, persons that used it, the sources of Jewish magic.
"Aims and Effects of Magic." This is subdivided into: harmful and
beneficial magic. "Magic Agencies." This is subdivided into: the
human word, amulets, their contents, two Greeco- Jewish magic formulae,
mystical names of God, influence and warding off of magical beliefs,
the evil eye, things of magical power and charms, etymological super-
stition.

A few linguistic remarks may accompany this notice. On p. 67, note 3,
the author speaks of !!<"'"i'J2^ in the sense of "days" as an "Unform."
This is not so. The plural of tX'dT occurs in Var. Lect. B. M. 28a.
On the same page, note 5, he doubts the correctness of Kasi's explanation
of ^JT or IJTl as "be strong." This explanation is undoubtedly correct.
The verb ISI is Assyrian danftnu "be strong." Since neither East nor
his authorities knew Assyrian, this explanation could not be the result of
etymologizing, but represents good tradition. The enigmatic Jt^'iyj ,
Sabb. 67a, with which the author does not know what to do (p. 76), is
^^"''113 = fT'TD , participle of HtTlfl > used with the force of an imperative.
The 'Artikh has for this form the precative perfect imc . The diflBcult

IDAS altjOdische Zaubeewesen. Von Prof. Dr. Ludwig Blau. (BeUage zum 21.
Jahresbericht der Landesrabbinerschule in Budapest.) Budapest; Strassburg; Karl J
Tr«6ner, 1898. viii + 167pp. M. 4.

192 Hebeaioa

passage Pes. 1106, quoted on p. 77, does not become clearer by the sub-
joined translation, or, rather, paraphrase. I give here the version of that
passage from the Columbia University MS. :

rrm n^a ?j3i yiirc ■'s^n rirD3"j:D n^mi irr'ic^i ^b j^n^jx

atmn ixp^^rab j^p^i rr^p^s ■'i-:bnn ninn!!* ■'Trn^ rns •'S-'iip np
^SDsni ^::mp ijb nnxn sntrn 13b i5ni!< !!<b ^JDm ^Dssmji intj-'piT

Which I would translate: "Said to me the chief of the witches: One
that happens to meet witches should say thus : ' Human excrement in
baskets full of holes be in your mouths, ye sorceresses ! Ye women ! may
your caldrons grow cold and your crumbs disappear ; may your spices
be scattered, and may the storm scatter the fresh saffron you hold. As
long as (God) was gracious unto you and me, I did not come amongst
(you) ; now that I have come amongst (you), may (God) prosper me and
be gracious unto you.'" I take rT^p to be equivalent to Hebr. n""/^!!!!)
''to cause 'to grow, sprout," hence "to prosper," or, better, as equivalent
to tT'bliiri) since v'rib'Z — TTip "breakthrough." The text quoted by
the author I should amend thus : Instead of ■'33mp I would read as
here: ""j^mp) and instead of "'STIlp "Ip I would read: ^STnp mp.
The latter can be translated in two ways : either " may your hair be torn

out;" cf. li-i.5a.D ^..,-0 ; or "may your chamber-pots be full of holes;" cf.
_ (Xs . After "ijb a genitive "'j^lnViU^ > or some like expression, must be

understood. The word was omitted on the principle of 'DlHf, TITS'' bs
'|t3'xb nS • The name of God, or a disguised form of it, may have been
also omitted by the rabbis.

This excellent book is to be recommended to all interested in the
subject of magic and superstition. q. Levias.

Hebrew Union College,
Cincinnati, O.