Magic in Middle East
The evil-eye bead, the djinn, ruqyah and the talisman, Kabbalah and Jewish amulets, and the ancient Babylonian and Persian arts. 173 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
Rome 11Jerusalem 6Meron 5Thebes 3Uruk 3Constantinople 2Damascus 2Mecca 2Paphos 2Persepolis 2Tiberias 2Abu Shudhr 1Ahvaz 1Alaca Höyük 1al-Qurnah 1Amuka 1Andaman Islands 1Arima 1Assur 1Babylon 1Bawit 1Behistun 1Beqaa Valley 1Bern 1Bethlehem 1Bibliothèque nationale de France 1Brisone River 1Carnuntum 1Cerrillos Hills 1Cilicia 1
Rites of the region
Esfand, the wild rue smokeChaharshanbe Suri fire-jumpingThe nazar boncuğu, the blue beadRuqyah recitationKapparotThe red thread and Rachel's tombWriting a Jewish amulet (kame'a)
Countries
PurposeProtectionHealingSeeing and foretellingLuck and prosperityLove and attractionCursing and harmCleansing and purificationSpeaking with spirits and the deadChange and initiationBinding and oathsPower and authorityWonder and entertainment
WhoShamansFolk healersPriests and ritual specialistsWitches, sorcerers and cunning folkDiviners and readersMediums and the possessedCeremonial magicians and alchemistsHouseholds and ordinary peopleStage magiciansScholars and sceptics
BeliefHindu and TantricBuddhistJainMuslim and SufiJewishChristianSikhZoroastrianShinto and TaoistIndigenous and shamanicAfrican and Afro-diasporicPagan and NeopaganEsoteric and occultFolk and village customSecular and stageOther traditions
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreMagi
Priests of Zoroastrianism and the figures who inspired the word for magicTradition · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Living
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreLeviathanלִוְיָתָן (Livyaṯān)
A primordial sea monster from ancient Near Eastern myth and biblical textBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreShimon bar Yochaiשמעון בר יוחאי
A second-century sage of the Land of Israel and a central figure in Kabbalistic tradition.Figure · Power and authority Historical
🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreSacred dance
Movement used in worship to honour deities, heal communities, or connect with the spirit world.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreUpsherinאָפּשערן (opshern)
A first haircut ceremony for Jewish boys, marking the start of formal study.Rite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living
🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreMagic and religion
A study of how ritual power and sacred belief overlap or separate across culturesBelief · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreGematriaגימטריה
A numeric writing system that assigns numerical values to words and phrases for interpretation.Text · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Living
🇮🇱 IsraelJewish astrologyמַזָּלוֹת (mazzālôt)
A belief system within Judaism that celestial bodies influence earthly affairs and human destiny.Belief · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreSolomon's shamirשָׁמִיר
A legendary worm or stone used to carve stone without iron toolsBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreRahabרַהַב
A Hebrew mythic sea monster and symbol of chaos, later used as a poetic name for Egypt.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇱 IsraelMelchom
A demon of hell and former Ammonite idol described in the Dictionnaire InfernalBeing · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇱 IsraelShekhinahשְׁכִינָה
The divine presence of God dwelling among people in Jewish and Islamic thoughtBelief · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreRighteous Priest
A messianic priestly figure in Jewish eschatology, identified with Shem and Melchizedek.Figure · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇱 IsraelMessiah ben Josephמָשִׁיחַ בֶּן־יוֹסֵף
A Jewish eschatological figure who wages war and dies before the final age of peaceFigure · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical
🇮🇱 IsraelSeder hishtalshelusסדר השתלשלות
A Kabbalistic cosmology mapping the descent of divine light through spiritual realms to the physical world.Belief · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Living
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreAna BeKoachאנא בכח
A medieval Jewish liturgical poem linked to the 42-letter name of GodText · Power and authority · Protection Living
🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreJewish views on astrologyחָכְמַת הַמַּזָּלוֹת
A long-standing debate within Jewish thought about the influence of stars and planetsBelief · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Magi: Colijn de Coter, CC0, source
- Jewish astrology: Talmoryair, Public domain, source
- Upsherin: Vered Peer, CC BY 4.0, source
- Solomon's shamir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberhard_Werner_Happel, Public domain, source
- Melchom: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Seder hishtalshelus: Daderot, Public domain, source
- Leviathan: Gustave Doré, Public domain, source
- Shimon bar Yochai: איתי פרץ, Attribution, source
- Sacred dance: Jorge Barrios, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ana BeKoach: Baruch Zvi Ring (c. 1872 - 1927) Details on Google Art Project, Public domain, source
- Gematria: Bethsheba Ashe, CC BY-SA 4.0, source