The Penguin Book of Exorcisms by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2020-09-08T00:00:00+00:00

S. N.

Yatton, June 21, 1788.

JEWISH TRADITIONS OF EXORCISM

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS, ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS1

94 CE

Titus Flavius Josephus was a Jew born in Jerusalem in 37 CE. He initially participated in the Jewish revolt against Roman rule that led to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem; however, he surrendered to Vespasian, becoming his slave and interpreter. He served as an adviser to the Romans and was granted citizenship. Josephus became a historian, explaining Jewish history and traditions to a Greek and Roman audience. His accounts of first-century Judaism are invaluable to modern classicists and religion scholars. Antiquities of the Jews is a twenty-volume work, completed in either 93 or 94 CE.

A passage describing Jewish exorcism attributes the knowledge of casting out demons to King Solomon. Josephus then describes witnessing a Jew named Eleazar performing an exorcism by using an enchanted ring. Josephus’s account emphasizes empirical evidence, noting that the exorcism was witnessed by not only him but also the emperor Vespasian and his army. He describes cups of water that were inexplicably knocked over and cited as evidence that a spirit had departed. He also frames exorcism as a gift from the Jews to the rest of the world, including the Romans.

Over time, King Solomon became an increasingly important figure in demonological lore. The Testament of Solomon, most likely composed during the Middle Ages, describes in detail how Solomon used a magical ring not only to bind various demons but also to use them as slave labor to construct his temple.

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