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Guide to the Study of Ancient MagicSeries: Religions in the Graeco-Roman World, Volume: 189Editor: David Frankfurter, 2019&#160;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.&#160;Contents:&#160;IntroductionAncient Magic in a New Key: Refining an Exotic Discipline in the History of Religions - David FrankfurterThe Plan of This Volume - David FrankfurterCultural Constructions of Ambiguous, Unsanctioned, or Illegitimate Ritual - David FrankfurterMesopotamia - Daniel SchwemerIran - Albert de JongEgypt - Jacco DielemanGreece - Fritz GrafAncient Israel and Early Judaism - Yuval HarariRome and the Roman Empire - Magali BailliotEarly Christianity - Joseph E. SanzoRoman and Byzantine Egypt - Jacques van der VlietThe Materials of Ancient Magic - David FrankfurterThe Greco-Egyptian Magical Papyri - Jacco DielemanChristian Spells and Manuals from Egypt - Jacques van der VlietBinding Spells on Tablets and Papyri - Esther EidinowJewish Amulets, Magic Bowls, and Manuals in Aramaic and Hebrew - Gideon BohakGems - Véronique Dasen and Árpád M. NagyFigurines, Images, and Representations Used in Ritual Practices - Andrew T. WilburnTextual Amulets and Writing Traditions in the Ancient World - Roy D. KotanskyBuilding Ritual Agency: Foundations, Floors, Doors, and Walls - Andrew T. WilburnDimensions of a Category Magic - David FrankfurterSpell and Speech Act: The Magic of the Spoken Word - David FrankfurterThe Magic of Writing in Mediterranean Antiquity - David FrankfurterMagic and the Forces of Materiality - David FrankfurterThe Magical Elements of Mysticism: Ritual Strategies for Encountering Divinity - Naomi JanowitzMagic and Theurgy - Sarah Iles JohnstonMagic as the Local Application of Authoritative Tradition - David FrankfurterMagic and Social Tension - Esther Eidinow