Event

This event is hosted by Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies.

This lecture will explore the history of spirit possession in Jewish culture, looking especially at the fundamental transformation of its understanding that took place in sixteenth-century Safed. We will consider the phenomenon in relation to kabbalah, magic, and the history of medicine.

Do You Believe in Magic? Lecture Series
In this online lecture series, expert speakers unravel the esoteric and occult in Jewish history. How have widespread magical traditions coexisted with mainstream Judaism, and what, if anything, makes Jewish magic unique? Dive into the kabbalistic ideas, spells and potions, demons and spirits, and more that have made up the rich tapestry of Jewish magical practice from the ancient world up to today.

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The Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania is driven by the mission to deepen and broaden the understanding of Jewish history, texts, cultures, ideas, and experiences. The research it supports spans all periods of Jewish history, from distant antiquity through to the present day; it reaches into every part of the globe where Jews have lived, and it is grounded in a wide range of disciplines and approaches. Over the decades, after supporting hundreds of scholars and untold numbers of discoveries and publications, it has earned a reputation as the nation’s preeminent research center in the study of Jewish history and culture.