Fellowship Report

My fellowship at the DFG Centre for Advanced Studies MagEIA in Würzburg provided a valuable opportunity to study Late Antique Jewish Aramaic magic through a comparative perspective alongside scholars in related fields. Supported by the MagEIA scholarship, I investigated the connections between Rabbinic literature and contemporary incantation bowl texts.

Although my background is primarily in Late Antique Rabbinic literature and the Babylonian Talmud, I have expanded my focus to incantation texts and published research on their relationship. Rabbinic literature often references magical practices and customs, alternating between disapproval and endorsement. The Rabbis, living in a world perceived to be inhabited by evil forces, sought to cope with demons much like the authors of the incantation texts did. I have explored this topic in “Solomon and Ashmedai Redux” (JQR 111.1 [2021], 21–54) and in “The King of Demons in the Universe of the Rabbis” (Demons in Judaism and Christianity, edited by H. M. Patmore and J. Lössl, 274–293). More recently, I addressed the shared literary world of Babylonian rabbis and incantation bowl authors in “The Rabbinic Body in Magical Texts of the Incantation Bowls” (Aramaic Incantation Bowls in Their Late Antique Jewish Contexts, edited by A.W. Marcus and J.S. Mokhtarian, 165–184).

I presented the findings of these studies during two of our bi-weekly seminars. These sessions, along with the many informal encounters within the MagEIA offices and the welcoming cafés of Würzburg, offered a vital space for intellectual exchange. This fellowship provided not only ample time and excellent working conditions but also a rare opportunity to share ideas with colleagues from diverse academic backgrounds, whose fresh perspectives offered many unexpected insights.

Building on my previous interest in the use of divine names, I utilized my stay in Würzburg to draft a forthcoming paper examining the usage of the Divine Name and the gender characteristics of its users. In this study, I discuss how divine names are employed in Jewish magical texts from Late Antique Babylonia in comparison with the roughly contemporary Babylonian Talmud. While the authors of the magic bowls utilized a surprising variety of names—including the Tetragrammaton, literary names, and apparent neologisms—the Babylonian Talmud warns strictly against the writing and pronunciation of divine names for magical purposes. Indeed, the Talmud contains narratives where the misuse of such names leads to far-reaching negative consequences. My research examines a specific Rabbinic narrative in which a female character misuses a divine name, comparing this motif with features from the incantation bowls to discuss the gendered aspects of such "misuse." By exploring how these linguistic practices differ from the primarily legal framework of the Talmud, I aim to define specific features of “magical language.”

I developed these ideas thanks to the vibrant scholarly exchange at MagEIA. I am deeply grateful to Daniel Schwemer, Daniel Kölligan, and Martin Stadler for hosting me, as well as to all the fellows and staff for their warm welcome. Presentations by Christopher Faraone and Sofía Torallas Tovar provided valuable insights into the Greco-Roman context of Rabbinic texts, while discussions with Jan Dietrich on Biblical exegesis and Neda Darabian on Sassanian Iran were immensely beneficial. Furthermore, Veronique Dasen’s guest presentation suggested exciting new research directions.

My time in Würzburg has significantly shaped my work. The principal investigators and Anne Noster ensured I had everything I needed; their friendship and support will have a lasting influence on both my research and my life.