Therapeutic Incantations in the Ancient Mediterranean: A Philological and Ritual Study from the Hellenistic World to Byzantium (English Edition)

Description

Therapeutic Incantations in the Ancient Mediterranean is a groundbreaking study of healing incantations from the ancient Mediterranean world, spanning over 1,700 years of ritual, language, and religious transformation. This comprehensive edition brings together Greek, Coptic, Aramaic/Judeo‑Aramaic, and Latin healing texts, revealing how words, symbols, and material practices shaped the lived experience of illness and cure from the Hellenistic era through Byzantium.This study offers the first large‑scale, comparative exploration of healing spells, amulets, exorcisms, and ritual formulas across the cultures of the eastern Mediterranean. Covering the period from the 3rd century BCE to the 15th century CE, this study traces the extraordinary continuity of healing traditions across pagan, Jewish, and Christian worlds.Drawing from publicly available scholarly sources, the book assembles a multilingual corpus of ritual texts preserved on gold lamellae, papyrus amulets, gemstones, rings, liturgical books, and relic‑based healing devices. Each text is presented with philological commentary, translation, and contextual analysis, allowing readers to understand not only what these incantations say, but how they worked, who performed them, and why they endured.Key Features• Multilingual texts in Greek, Coptic, Aramaic/Judeo‑Aramaic, and Latin• Full philological commentary and translation• Historical analysis of ritual practice from Hellenistic Egypt to Byzantium• Study of material supports (lamellae, papyri, gems, relics, oils, rings)• Exploration of magical, religious, and medical intersections• Examination of continuity in healing traditions across 1,700 years Read more