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Astral Magic
in Medieval Jewish Thought
by Dov Schwartz
This study of the Magic-Astralic model reveals how the hermetic tradition of magic was
absorbed into the literary corpus of Jewish philosophy. The pairing of astrology and
magic, with its emphasis on the utilization of astral bounties for earthly purposes such as
healing and protection, shaped a new form of divine worship, and left its mark on both
secular and Jewish philosophy.
The author leads us on a fascinating, scholarly study of the evolution of the MagicAstralic model in Jewish theology: its expression in the works of Yehuda Halevy and Ibn
Ezra; the fierce opposition it engendered in the writing of Maimonides, whose polemics
against the influence of this model on Jewish thought caused its temporary disappearance;
its resurgence among such Kabbalists as Nachmanides, and again in the 14th century,
arousing further polemic.
This original work, through its study of the history of astral magic, sheds new light on the
rationalistic Jewish philosophy of the Middle Ages.
The book should prove of value to scholars of philosophy in general, of Jewish philosophy in
particular, and of astrology; and to laypersons interested in these fields.
396 pp. Hebrew. Hardcover. 1999.