David Frankfurter ed., "Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic" (Brill, 2019)

Feb 19, 2026

David Frankfurter, a Boston University scholar of ancient Mediterranean religions and magical texts, discusses the Brill guide he edited. They explore how ancient cultures labeled ambiguous rituals, the range of texts and artifacts treated as magical, and material and social contexts that shape perceptions of ritual power. Short, clear, and provocative conversations about terminology, sources, and why magic still fascinates.

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INSIGHT

Magic As A Label Of Otherness

'Magic' often labels ambiguous or illegitimate rituals rather than naming a single practice across cultures.
Frankfurter frames magic as an othering term that imposes exotic, dangerous overtones on diverse rituals.

INSIGHT

Language Shows Boundary-Making

Ancient Israel used terms like keshav to mark practices as illegitimate and impure rather than to catalog specific rites.
Words of rejection tell us more about social boundaries than about uniform magical behavior.

INSIGHT

Roman Terms Carry Bias

Roman terms like superstitio and magia carried ethnic and emotional judgments, tying magic to foreign or excessive religiosity.
Roman literary caricatures (especially of female witches) reveal cultural stereotypes more than actual practices.

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In the midst of academic debates about the utility of the term “magic” and the cultural meaning of ancient words like mageia or khesheph, this Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic seeks to advance the discussion by separating out three topics essential to the very idea of magic. The three major sections of this volume address (1) indigenous terminologies for ambiguous or illicit ritual in antiquity; (2) the ancient texts, manuals, and artifacts commonly designated “magical” or used to represent ancient magic; and (3) a series of contexts, from the written word to materiality itself, to which the term “magic” might usefully pertain.
The individual essays in this volume cover most of Mediterranean and Near Eastern antiquity, with essays by both established and emergent scholars of ancient religions.
In a burgeoning field of “magic studies” trying both to preserve and to justify critically the category itself, this volume brings new clarity and provocative insights. This will be an indispensable resource to all interested in magic in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, ancient Greece and Rome, Early Christianity and Judaism, Egypt through the Christian period, and also comparative and critical theory.
Contributors are: Magali Bailliot, Gideon Bohak, Véronique Dasen, Albert de Jong, Jacco Dieleman, Esther Eidinow, David Frankfurter, Fritz Graf, Yuval Harari, Naomi Janowitz, Sarah Iles Johnston, Roy D. Kotansky, Arpad M. Nagy, Daniel Schwemer, Joseph E. Sanzo, Jacques van der Vliet, Andrew Wilburn.

David Frankfurter holds the William Goodwin Aurelio Chair of the Appreciation of Scripture at Boston University. He joined the faculty of B.U. in the fall of 2010. A scholar of ancient Mediterranean religions with specialties in Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature, magical texts, popular religion, and Egypt in the Roman and late antique periods, Frankfurter’s particular interests revolve around theoretical issues like the place of magic in religion, the relationship of religion and violence, the nature of Christianization, and the representation of evil in culture.

Caleb Zakarin is CEO and Publisher of the New Books Network.

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