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Sword of Moses

The Sword of Moses (Harba de-Moshe) is an apocryphal Aramaic–Hebrew book of magic, written or compiled by an anonymous Jew sometime before the 11th century. It contains a " sword" of holy names and magical words, along with an operative part.|||13th- or 14th-century manuscript from the collection of Moses Gaster, now London, British Library MS Or. 10678. A short fragment survives in Cod. Oxford 1531.|||Compiled sometime before the 11th century, probably in Byzantine or early Muslim Palestine. May date as early as the first four centuries CE.|||Not canonical in any tradition.|||An ancient Jewish magical treatise containing a " sword" of holy names and magical words, divided into 136 sections, each with a different magical use.|||Gaster, M. " The Sword of Moses." In Studies and Texts. 1925–1928.|||Harari, Y. " The Sword of Moses (Harba de-Moshe): A New Translation and Introduction." Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft 7 (2012).|||Sword of Moses — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_of_Moses|Background and scholarly discussion.;; Sword of Moses — Internet Archive|https://archive.org/details/swordofmosesanci00gast|Gaster's 1896 edition and translation.|||" If at a full moon you wish to seize and to bind a man and a woman, and to annul spirits and blast-demons and satans." — Sword of Moses 1:1

Collection: Jewish Mysticism (Hekhalot) Canon: varies

Canon Status

Not canonical in any tradition.

Date & Provenance

Compiled sometime before the 11th century, probably in Byzantine or early Muslim Palestine. May date as early as the first four centuries CE.

Language & Manuscripts

13th- or 14th-century manuscript from the collection of Moses Gaster, now London, British Library MS Or. 10678. A short fragment survives in Cod. Oxford 1531.

Why It Matters for Study

An ancient Jewish magical treatise containing a " sword" of holy names and magical words, divided into 136 sections, each with a different magical use.

" If at a full moon you wish to seize and to bind a man and a woman, and to annul spirits and blast-demons and satans." — Sword of Moses 1:1

Read the Text & External Resources

Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.

  • " If at a full moon you wish to seize and to bind a man and a woman, and to annul spirits and blast-demons and satans." — Sword of Moses 1:1 " If at a full moon you wish to seize and to bind a man and a woman, and to annul spirits and blast-demons and satans." — Sword of Moses 1:1

External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.

Further Reading

Gaster, M. " The Sword of Moses." In Studies and Texts. 1925–1928.
Harari, Y. " The Sword of Moses (Harba de-Moshe): A New Translation and Introduction." Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft 7 (2012).
Sword of Moses — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_of_Moses|Background and scholarly discussion.;; Sword of Moses — Internet Archive|https://archive.org/details/swordofmosesanci00gast|Gaster's 1896 edition and translation.