Podcast
The Mesopotamian Šurpu Ritual
In the latest Roots of Magic episode, Junior Research Fellow Frank Simons guides us through the world of the Mesopotamian Šurpu ritual—literally “Burning”—a complex series of incantations designed to release individuals from the insidious curse known as māmītu. Drawing on cuneiform fragments in Sumerian and Akkadian that span centuries—from Middle Babylonian times into the Seleucid and perhaps even Roman periods—Simons reconstructs both the language and lived reality of this ancient rite.
He reveals that Šurpu operates not as an arcane spell but as a deeply embedded religious practice: through evocative ritual language, it seeks divine intervention. Its incantations are not only liturgical commands but poetic invocations, rich in imagery and rhythm, with symbolic potency that carries therapeutic weight.
Simons brings the ritual to life by animating the actors involved: the ašipu, a ritual specialist who gives voice to the incantations; scribes who preserve and sometimes perform the text; and the afflicted, whose suffering gives the ritual its urgency and reason. In a striking modern parallel, he connects Šurpu with contemporary healing ceremonies in Bali—highlighting how ritual can transcend cultural boundaries by blending poetic performance with psychospiritual relief
The episode culminates in a layered reconstruction of Šurpu’s structure: confessions of wrongdoing, symbolic burning of transgressive elements, transference of misfortune into a surrogate object or being, and a concluding purification—often by water—accompanied by a renewed invocation of divine favor.
Listen to the new Episode at SHWEP
Late-Antique Jewish Magic Bowls, Skulls, and More
In the recent episode of the SHWEP podcast, Dan Levene sheds light on the enigmatic world of late-antique Jewish magic—particularly the Aramaic incantation bowls of Sasanian Mesopotamia (3rd–7th c. CE). These clay vessels, buried upside-down beneath homes or cemeteries, bear spiraling inscriptions meant to protect individuals from demons, disease, and misfortune. Far from fringe superstition, these objects were deeply embedded in everyday religious life, blending biblical language, rabbinic formulae, and scribal ingenuity into potent ritual tools.
Levene’s research, especially his Corpus of Magic Bowls and Jewish Aramaic Curse Texts, reveals the complex roles these artefacts played—not just in healing or shielding, but also in cursing adversaries. Even more striking are rare examples of human skulls inscribed with incantations—likely used in similarly protective or aggressive rites. These skulls, though exceptional, hint at a ritual world more diverse and experimental than previously assumed.
Through careful philological work, Levene brings these texts into scholarly view, offering a window into a Judaism that was materially grounded, textually rich, and often open to magical experimentation. Magic, in this context, was not a marginal deviation, but a meaningful part of religious practice—where written words were expected to act in the world.
References & further reading by Dan Levene:
- ‘… And by the name of Jesus …’: An Unpublished Magic Bowl in Jewish Aramaic, JSQ, vol. 6, pp. 283–308, 1999.
- ‘A Happy Thought of the Magicians’, the Magical Geṭ, in Shlomo: Studies in Epigraphy, Iconography, History and Archaeology in Honor of Shlomo Moussaieff, R. Deutsch, Ed., Tel Aviv/Jaffa: Archaeological Center Publication, 2003, pp. 175–85 [for sexual metaphors with regard to the Lil-demons].
- Calvariae Magicae: The Berlin, Philadelphia and Moussaieff Skulls (Tab. XXXVII–XLIX), Orientalia, vol. 75, no. 4, pp. 359–79, 2006.
- D. Levene, Ed., Jewish Aramaic Curse Texts from Late Antique Mesopotamia: “May These Curses Go Out and Flee”. Leiden: Brill, 2013.
- The film The Force of Faith can be viewed here.
Facing the Underworld: Jonathan Beltz on Sumerian Death-Demons and How to Deal with Them
In the most recent episode of the MagEIA Podcast, Jonathan Beltz delves into the haunting world of Sumerian death-demons and the protective strategies developed to confront them:
https://shwep.net/2025/03/26/jonathan-beltz-on-sumerian-death-demons-and-how-to-deal-with-them/
The episode begins with a historical overview of ancient Sumerian civilization, introducing listeners to the cultural and religious landscape of early Mesopotamia. Beltz then turns to the ever-present threat of underworld entities, particularly those associated with sudden illness, unexplained death, and spiritual affliction, like the Udug, a disease-bearing entity; the Gala, a kind of rogue entity, also prone to bringing disease and of course the infamous Namtar the Sumerian ‘angel of death/grim reaper’.
A range of textual sources is explored, including incantation tablets and ritual texts from the famous “Maqlû” and “Šurpu” series. These texts outline protective rites, purificatory actions, and summoning formulas aimed at diagnosing, repelling, or neutralizing demonic threats.
Equally important is the material evidence: Beltz discusses artifacts such as clay figurines, amulets, and ritual paraphernalia used by exorcists (āšipu) and healers. He emphasizes how such objects functioned within elaborate magic-religious ceremonies, revealing the fine line between healing, protection, and the manipulation of divine or infernal forces.
The episode also touches on the role of liminality in Sumerian demonology—thresholds, twilight hours, and transitional states all marked zones of increased spiritual vulnerability. Beltz draws attention to the ways in which both personal and communal ritual activity was mobilized to fortify boundaries between the living and the dead.
Family Matters: Charlotte Rose on Ancient Egyptian Medical Magic for Women and Children
A new episode of the MagEIA Podcast has been released. This time Charlotte Rose talks on Ancient Egyptian medical magic for women and children:
The discussion begins with foundational aspects, providing an overview of the various kingdoms and intermediate periods of ancient Egyptian history. It then explores the dangers associated with childbirth and childhood in ancient Egypt, as well as in premodern cultures more broadly.
Following this, the material evidence related to ancient Egyptian childbirth magic is examined, including protective amulets, ‘birth-bricks’ upon which laboring women would squat or kneel, ‘birth-wands,’ figurines of protective deities, and other related objects. The textual evidence is also considered, focusing on spells written on papyrus aimed at protecting mothers and children, preventing miscarriage, accelerating labor, and addressing a range of medical concerns.
An attempt is made to reconstruct the birthing chamber, considering its occupants and their roles. Beyond the natural risks of childbirth, mothers also feared malevolent spirits, as the birthing space bridged the living and the dead. This liminality and its magico-religious aspects are explored through the available evidence.
"Roots of Magic": New podcast series with MagEIA members at The Secret History of Western Esotericism!
MagEIA has started a cooperation with The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast by Earl Fontainelle (https://shwep.net/) in order to talk about our work on ancient magical traditions in a new interview series called „Roots of Magic“. The first two interviews are already available:
- Daniel Schwemer with an introduction of the MagEIA project:
https://shwep.net/2024/02/21/daniel-schwemer-on-the-mageia-project-at-the-university-of-wurzburg/
- Svenja Nagel on erotic magic in Graeco-Roman (and earlier) Egypt:
https://shwep.net/2024/11/13/svenja-nagel-on-ancient-egyptian-erotic-magic/
