Scholastic Magic

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Focusing on early Jewish mysticism, the narrative reveals how imagination and magic intertwined with memory and scholasticism between the fifth and ninth centuries. The visionary literature features ancient rabbis invoking the angel Sar-Torah, who imparted extraordinary memory and learning skills. Michael Swartz analyzes these texts to illuminate the perspectives of Jews outside mainstream rabbinic leadership, offering insights into the classical Judaic concept of Torah and the rabbinic civilization that shaped it.