Season 4 Episode 7: Do Jews Believe in Magic
While the Talmud famously forbids sorcery, Jewish history is full of examples of what many today might refer to as "magic." In this episode, host Erin Phillips and guest scholars Sara Ronis, Marla Segol, and Michael Swartz take us on a spellbinding journey to discover magic's role in Jewish history as they discuss Jewish magical rituals and artifacts, angelology and demonology, and the evolution of magical practices in Judaism.

Adventures in Jewish Studies Podcast (associationforjewishstudies.org)

Michael D. Swartz is Professor of Hebrew and Religious Studies in the Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures at the Ohio State University. His research focuses on the cultural history of Judaism in late antiquity, rabbinic studies, early Jewish mysticism and magic, and ritual studies. His most recent book is The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism.