Arts and Humanities

G. Necker

2025.2.6Zutot

DOI: 10.1163/18750214-02201006

tlooto Summary

Ancient Hebrew manuscript may hold clues to authorship and date of composition of occult book 'Book of Sacred Magic' published in 2025.

Abstract

The pseudepigraphic Book of Sacred Magic is known to be one of the occult bestsellers of the 19th century. Allegedly written in the year 1348 by the Jew Abraham of Worms, it became popular in numerous versions in many languages from the 17th century. This article presents a single Hebrew manuscript that will be proven to be a possible source of the second part of the book, which consists of more than 150 recipes for all circumstances. By comparing the Hebrew text to the recently published edition of the German translation, which was previously thought to be the original text of this work, research to solve the riddle of its authorship and its date of composition will be given a new basis.

Citation format

NECKER, G. The concealed scroll. Zutot, 2025.