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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis artifact consists of a weathered, light-brown papyrus fragment featuring several columns of Greek handwriting from the 3rd or 4th century CE. The text is part of the Papyri Graecae Magicae (Greek Magical Papyri) and exhibits significant lacunae, or missing sections, where the material has decayed over time. The script is a practiced Greek cursive typical of the Roman period in Egypt, used here for ritualistic and divinatory purposes.
As a key document in the Papyri Graecae Magicae (PGM XXIIb), this text represents the syncretism of Jewish mysticism and Hellenistic magic in Late Antiquity. It highlights how the figure of Jacob and the Hebrew divine names were integrated into broader Mediterranean esoteric traditions, serving as a historical precursor to the angelology and divine-name magic found in later Renaissance grimoires.
ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ ΙΑΚΩΒ Ο ΘΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΑΤΡΩΝ ...[Multiple columns of Greek text continue below, including invocations of divine names and ritual instructions]...
Greek Magical Papyri (PGM)
This fragment is a primary source text (designated XXIIb) within the standardized corpus of ancient magical handbooks.
Sefer HaRazim
The ritual blending of Jewish liturgical elements with Greek divinatory practices parallels the 'Book of Secrets,' an early Jewish magical text.
Object
religious
Digital Source
Unknown · Public domain
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 4, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.