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Series:   Elements in Magic

Conjuring the Arab Magician

Intercultural Histories of Magic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 December 2025

Gal Sofer
Affiliation:
Ben­Gurion University of the Negev

Summary

This Element reassesses narratives of intercultural transmission in medieval European magic, highlighting complex processes of compilation and attribution often obscured by broad labels. Following an Introduction that lays out the methodological framework, Section 1 ('The Wise Saracens') explores a medieval Christian magician's depiction of Islam and the figure of the Arab magician, illustrating how authors blended genuine intercultural exchanges with imaginative attributions. Section 2 ('The Seven Names') reconsiders a Latin magical text traditionally labeled 'Arabic magic,' demonstrating that its complex, multicultural components resist any simple claims of a lost Arabic original. Section 3 ('The Almandel Problem') presents another contested text, showing how philological evidence often complicates a linear model of transmission. Finally, this volume offers a complete edition and translation of The Book of Seven Names, discussed in Section 2.
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Online ISBN: 9781009547192
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 22 January 2026

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Conjuring the Arab Magician
  • Gal Sofer, Ben­Gurion University of the Negev
  • Online ISBN: 9781009547192
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Conjuring the Arab Magician
  • Gal Sofer, Ben­Gurion University of the Negev
  • Online ISBN: 9781009547192
Available formats
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Conjuring the Arab Magician
  • Gal Sofer, Ben­Gurion University of the Negev
  • Online ISBN: 9781009547192
Available formats
×