4 days ago
- This blog post introduces a new series on angels in Coptic magic, defining angels as incorporeal beings of fire and spirit serving as God's agents in Late Antique and early Medieval Egypt.
- Coptic magical texts drew from Greco-Egyptian, Jewish, and Christian traditions, incorporating angels from sources like the Greek magical papyri and the Jewish Book of Secrets (Sefer ha-Razim).
- Christian liturgical texts and apocryphal works, such as Pseudo-Dionysus's Celestial Hierarchy, described angelic hierarchies and protective powers, influencing Coptic magic.
- Coptic magical texts feature detailed descriptions of the divine court, including the Twenty-Four Presbyters, Four Living Creatures, seven archangels, and angels over God's body parts, often with secret names.
- Angels in Coptic magic were invoked for specific purposes, like healing (Twenty-Four Presbyters) or curses (Tartarouchos and Temelouchos), and future posts will explore individual angels.