Magica Levantina

Drawing of judicial curse from Caesarea
Robert W. Daniel and Alexander Hollmann, Magica Levantina. Brill-Schöningh, 2025.

Magica Levantina is a collection of curses inscribed on lead (mostly in ancient Greek, with one in Aramaic) from late-antique Caesarea and Antioch, most of which have not been published before. Editors Robert Daniel of Cologne University and Alexander Hollmann of the University of Washington collaborated on the decipherment, editing, translation, and commentary of these texts, several of which contain unattested words, terms, and magical techniques. The majority of the curses are directed against horses and charioteers competing in the hippodromes of Caesarea and Antioch, but some are directed against business rivals or opponents in law suits. An amulet protecting a young woman from epilepsy is also included. Found in public and private wells as well in the hippodromes themselves, the tablets reflect the influence of the pagan, Jewish, and Christian religions practiced in the cities and regions they were found in.

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