Magic, Egypt

The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, pp. 1–9

Abstract

This entry reviews the predominantly textual evidence for ancient Egyptian magic in its historical and cultural context. On the basis of the nature of the evidence, three chronological periods are distinguished: the Pharaonic (third to first millenniumbce), the Greco‐Roman (first to fourth centuryce), and the Christian (from the fourth century onward). The first period is characterized by the embedding of magic in the scholarly world of the traditional temples; the second, by religious, linguistic, and cultural variety, and the interaction of foreign and Egyptian traditions; the third by a deliberate and profound process of Christianization.

Authors 1

1. Jacques VAN DER VLIET corresponding Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University, The Netherlands