Vasconcellos 1

The Mithraic Liturgical Tradition and the Sepher Ha-Razim: What They Can Teach Us

About Magic in the Ancient Days

Stephanie Vicintin de Vasconcellos

HS/ RL 323 1: Late Antiquity: Magic, Rituals and Witchcraft.

Professor Fabrizio Conti

April 21st, 2023.

The Mithras Lithurgy and the Sepher Ha-Razim are two important pieces of

ancient writing which discuss a common magical literary trope, the ascension text. The

ascension text trope is seen throughout various religious and philosophical branches

and founded itself on the belief of a neo-platonic cosmology. Hence, in other words,

they establish themselves on the belief that “the One” or the supreme God, is in charge

of everything, and that this supreme God is the one which organizes the heavens in a

descending order from himself. In the ascension literature genre, a person which is

“appropriately wise and pure” is able to “ascend to heaven and learn the secret of the

cosmos” (Stratton 303). Namely, these special individuals (often written as heroes) are

able to (through the use of their faith and knowledge of the universe) access “hidden”

information by ascending through the different levels of heaven and experiencing a

divine existence which is kept hidden from mankind. Ascension literature is incredibly

important to these ideologies, given they serve to validate various beliefs and

expectations regarding the cosmos as well as the evolutionary process. Through these

ascension accounts, concepts like what happens to us after death, the existence of a

soul, the idea that malefactors get their due punishment while the righteous get to reap

the rewards, as well as the coming of the Armageddon, are all concepts that are

legitimized.

Namely, the Mithras Liturgy was part of of an ancient Egyptian magical recipe

book named Greek Magical Papyri, this book compiled unique and diverse materials

over a period of 700 years from the second century B.C.E to the fifth century B.C.E

(Stratton 305). The Mithras Liturgy acquired its name much later in
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1903, when Albrecht Dietrich published an article named “Eine Mithrasliturgie” claiming

that the lines IV. 475-829 of said magical text described a Mithraic initiation ritual which

has been appropriated by magicians and adapted to a spell book. This ritual is an

ascension ritual which leads to a divine transformation, the narrator is seeking

immortality. Many critics said no such claim can be made, given the so called Mithras

Liturgy lacked “certain essential features of a Mithraic ritual” (Stratton 306);

Nonetheless, it is unquestionable that this section of the Greek Magical Papyri does

display an abundant amount of Mithraic themes; for instance, a defined reverence to the

solar deity, a protagonism of astrology and the four cardinal elements, and a Persian-

style description of Helios Mithras as the Highest God. Firstly, it identifies Helios Mithras

as the Highest God in verse 640 when the narrator says, “Greetings O Lord, Great

Power, Far-Ruler, King, Mightiest of Gods Helios, the lord of heaven and earth.” Here,

the narrator identifies Helios as the Mightiest of Gods, as well as lord of heaven and

earth. Moreover, they go on to explicitly label Helios as the supreme deity in verse 640.

Lastly, Helios is characterized in verse 695, where he is described as “an exceedingly

awesome god descending, having a shining countenance, youthful, golden-haired, in a

white tunic and with a golden crown and Persian trousers”; therefore, being associated

not only with the sun but also being described in a Persian manner. Astrology also plays

a significant role throughout the ritual (as was common in the Cult of Mithras), such as

in verse 700 when the role of the Ursa Major is recounted.

More specifically, the ascension rituals use the following magical tropes: mystery

initiations (language) which were nonsensical sounds and ramblings used to increase

the mysticism of the ritual, as well as portray the difference between the higher
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heavenly realms and the mundane earthly world. Namely, it was used to demonstrate

how the magician or practitioner was rising amongst the heavenly levels by speaking a

language that would be understood by the heavenly deities but that sounded

nonsensical to regular ears. This can be seen when he is summoning Helios for

example, when the narrator repeats “EORO RORE ORRI ORIOR ROR ROI OR

REORORI EOR EOR EOR EORE!". Throughout the text the narrator also used a lot of

invoking of different deities; for instance, they start by pleading for Providence (though

he doesn’t mention the Goddess Providentia or Tyche by name) and to Psyche. “Be

merciful to me, O Providence and Psyche!” (Verse 475) they say. After explaining they

are seeking immortality they also ask the God Helios Mithras to come to him through his

archangel by calling him by name. Furthermore, despite not interacting with the other

Gods they come in contact with, they use another magical skill to protect themselves

from these deities. Primarily through the use of a repetitious prayer, he repeats the word

silence and names the deities surrounding him until their behavior towards him shifts

from aggressive to positive. Most of the names mentioned are in phonetic Hebrew and

the prayer goes as follows: “So, immediately put your right finger to your mouth and say:

"silence, silence, silence, symbol of the eternal living god! Protect me, silence

VEKHTHEIR THANMELOU." Thereupon, whistle a long shrill piping sound, after that

smack the lips saying: "PROPROPHEGGEI MORIOS PROPHUR PROPHEGGEI

NEMETHIRE ARPSENTEN PITEITMI MEOU ENARTH PHURKEKHO PSURIDARIO

TUREI PHILBA” (Verse 565 and 566 and 560). Moreover, he mentions this silence

verse later in the text (621) and directly refers to it as “prayer”.

Lastly, the narrator explains a complicated magical operation to reach

immortality. This is based on using a solar dung-beetle and performing an extensive

funerary rite for it. Throughout the ceremony astronomy plays a significant role, not only

does the beetle need to stay in the sun for “twelve rays” it then has to be placed in a

turquoise cup during a dark moon. Furthermore, when harvesting the kentritis (which is

a plant) the process is very specifically astrological, he says: “ after acquiring the

prescribed plant, kentritis, during the conjunction [IE., new moon] that falls in the

constellation Leo.”; hence not only referring to a moon phase but a constellation as well,

reiterating the idea that astrology and astronomy are an important part of this ritual,

similar to other Mithraic rituals. Finally, when the process is done you must present the

result to the sun (which represents Helios). Furthermore, several natural elements are

used to symbolize different thing, such as, the beetle represents rebirth in various

cultures (such as the Egyptian), and the narrator also mentioned using a seed from the

pulp of a Nile water lily, the Nile is a river which has a deep connection with the

afterworld in Egyptian culture.

Meanwhile, the Sepher Ha-Razim was discovered by a rabbinic scholar at

Cambridge University. While studying Geniza fragments, he recognized similar spells in

different samples. Thus, he came to the conclusion that these must have derived from

the same source, which he presumed was a book on magic. The scholar began to

reconstruct this source from the fragments he found, and published them in 1966, under

the title of Sepher Ha-Razim. The original fragments date back to the late third or fourth

century C.E, according to the elegant Mishnaic Hebrew that is seen throughout the

exemplary (Stratton 306), and it is divided in seven sections (one for each heaven and
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and a preface and a a section describing the books transmission, trying to establish its

legitimacy. This text is historically significant because it shows how the popular Jewish

religion was during the early rabbinic period, it also shows just how much influence the

rabbis had, because not only did it go against several rabbinic purity laws it still shows a

deep knowledge of them. Therefore, we can conclude that although the rabbi influence

was wide and influential, it was still not absolute (Stratton 306). We see a clear

combination of pagan practices while still observing Jewish purity laws and a

monotheistic devotion. Lastly, as I stated before the text was divided in seven sections

amongst the different levels of heaven, the narrator goes into great detail about each

heaven and uses this division to demonstrate the ascension of the mystic. With this the

text also lists several angelic names and their corresponding magical praxis, this was

done so that mystics could not only ascend to the next levels of heaven but also gain

benefits, when the mystic has access to this information on the angels they are able to

control them and use them to sway the opinion of a king or minister towards his favor.

Several magical references and tools are seen throughout the text, one of them is

extensive and prosaic descriptions. By describing the heavens in great detail not only

does the author emphasize their differences from the mundane world, but it helps the

mystic elevate through the levels, similar to how meaningless words are used in the

Mithras Liturgy to demonstrate the differences between the realms.

The first heavenly strata is named Shamayim, it is described as “camps filled with

fury and seven thrones arranged there and on them seven overseers sit and

surrounding them are camps [of angelic forces] here and there and they listen to human

beings at the hour they practice magic to.” The narrator then proceeds to explain what
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is the ‘purpose’ of this level and how it can be taken advantage of when he says: “every

one who has learned to stand and offer libation to their names and to invoke them by

their symbols at the hour in which they hear [requests] so as to gain success for a

[magical] endeavor.” Emphasizing that to be able to control or manipulate this angels

you must know how to properly call them. The seven overseers are described as rulers

which “dispatch them [lower angels] to hasten and confer success for every desire.”

Furthermore, the narrator names all the seven overseers (Orphaniel,Tigrah, Danahel,

Kalmiyah, Asimor, Pesacher, Boel.) The origin of these overseers is also described as

a very mythical process, where they were created from fire and look like fire and “their

fire glows because from fire they emerged”; hence, once again creating this divide

between them and the mundane. The narrator also names all the angels who serve

under the camp of the Kalminah overseer, these are the ones which control and can

sway the opinion of kings, the will of great men, directors of kingdoms, and other men in

high positions of power. In order to use these angels to sway the opinion of powerful

men, the mystic also had to go through a complicated magical process. Depending on

what you wished to gain the process changed; for instance, in order to sway the mind of

a powerful man towards your favor or to gain the heart of a rich woman, the mystic is

instructed to “take a lion cub and slaughter it with a copper knife and collect its blood

and [120] tear out its heart and put the blood into the midst of it and write the names of

these angels in blood on the skin that is in the middle of its face and blot it out with wine

that is three years old and combine it with the blood.” (Stratton 312). Not only does the

use of blood here indicate this is deep powerful magic, since blood is considered a

highly powerful tool. The fact one is instructed to dip the cub’s heart (which is already a
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difficult thing to get) in three year wine (the number three has its own symbolism in

magic as well as in Judaism), shows this is a difficult, expensive, and serious process.

Not only that, but the mystic is then instructed to take three spices (again repetition of

the number) , and call on the planet Venus and Aphrodite (which are connected given in

Roman mythology Venus the goddess is Aphrodite) and call on the angel Chasidiel, to

whom they should say the following: “ adjure you by the name of the angels of the fourth

camp who serve Kalmiyah to turn the king so and so toward me and [to deliver] the

heart of his army and the heart of his attendants into my hand, I, so and so son of so

and so, so that 1 may find grace and mercy before him and he shall fulfill my will

whenever 1 request [something] and in the hour that 1 request [it] from him." (Stratton

312). Therefore, we see a very similar dialogue than in the Mithras Liturgy, in the sense

that it also asks of a divine force to bend to its will and do its biding, as well as both

requests sounds more like a prayer. In order to come into the presence of a powerful

man, the process is different; for example, you must bathe yourself in living waters and

place the cub’s heart over your heart (Stratton 312).

The second heavenly strata; for instance, is the “heavens of heavens” and is the

opposite of the previous strata, belong described as “frost and haze and storehouses of

snow and storehouses of hail” here both angels of fire, angels of vapor, spirits of fear,

and spirits of awe, are inhabited. This heaven is described as being “full of dread

because within it are angels, beyond comprehension, constituting armies of armies and

above them are ministers and overseers.” Those who want to ascend to this level are

the mystics who wish to take a position from another powerful men that fell from his

position. This ritual, similar to the previous one also requires cleansing and purifying,
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but instead of doing so in living waters, you are instructed to avoid eating meat from

animals that were not ritually slaughtered (nevelah). This heaven has a fixation on the

number seven, not three, given one has to abstain from “touching the couch of a

woman” for seven days, as well as invoke the angel by saying his name seven times

(Stratton 313).

In the last heaven there is nothing but “sevenfold light”, once again repeating the

importance of the number seven which is often seen as lucky, pure, and magical by

several groups. Here there are four creatures of glory (chayot) and on them rests a

throne, on this throne is the “One” or the supreme Deity which is described as “his

holiness, expounding law, dividing justice, judging according to truth, and speaking

righteously and before him books of fire open and from before him flow rivers of fire and

when he raises himself up the mighty are afraid and when he bellows the columns

shake and from his voice the doorsills tremble and his soldiers stand before him but do

not gaze directly upon his likeness because he is hidden from all eyes and no one can

see him and live.” (Stratton 313). In other words, his description is very different from

the others and reiterates that neo-platonic concept of the divine single entity which

organizes all the ‘levels’ below him. In this strata the concept of purity and being purified

as well as of fire is repeated, when “before him, stand troops and troops and they

immerse themselves in rivers of purity and wrap themselves in garments of white fire

and together they sing with humility in a strong voice: "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of

Hosts. All the world is filled with his glory." (Stratton 314). Not only do we see this

symbolism, but also once again the repetition of the number three which is

representative of the fathers, sons, the Jewish people receive the Torah on the third
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day, the priestly blessing contains three portions, etc. Lastly, it is reinforced again that

this Deity is the Supreme God, in fact he is then labeled as the “king of kings” (Stratton

314) and is said that “Blessed is his name alone on his throne and blessed is the place

of his majesty. Blessed is his name in the mouths of all living souls and blessed in song

by all his creation. Blessed is the Lord forever, Amen, Amen, Hallelujah.” (Stratton 314)

Hence, not only is this the Supreme deity, but different to the Mithras tradition there is

no God only angels (which is interesting considering Aphrodite was mentioned.)

Nonetheless, in the Mithras Liturgy there is Helios Mithras as the Supreme God,

however, various other Gods are mentioned such as Aphrodite herself or the Deities

which harass the mystic before he utters his “silence prayer.”

In conclusion, both works show how broad magic can be and how we cant limit it

or analyze it within boundaries, given it frequently breaks those. For instance, these

texts broke the boundary of language and culture when they combined aspects of

several different cultures, religions, and communities; for instance, the Mithras Liturgy

which has elements of the Mithras Cult, Egyptian traditions, and mentions Aphrodite the

Greek Goddess. Furthermore, they combined magical (pagan) spells with religious

hymns; for example, in both texts we can see prayers being made to different deities in

a magical ritual settings. Such as in the Sepher Ha-Razim, where you must go through

this ritual of killing the lion cub, harvesting its heart, and cleansing it and yourself, only

to when making the request to the archangel, make a formal prayer. Elizabeth Stratton

says “Magic bridges the cultural fissures that separated the distinct communities of the

ancient world by addressing the common concerns, experiences, and aspirations that

united them all.” Hence, in this period of time where there were so many unique and
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diverse groups and ideologies, magic was a bridge between all of them, showing how

despite it all, they all share a cosmology and world view, as well as several concerns,

experiences, aspirations, and even practices (such as the different forms of prayer).

Therefore, as Stratton says Magic is the língua franca that unified the ancient

Mediterranean, because it is a combination of all of it and the bridge between them.

Work Cited:
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Valantasis, Richard, and Kimberly B. Stratton. “The Mithras Liturgy and Sepher Ha-

Razim.” Essay. In Religions of Late Antiquity in Practice. Princeton, NJ: Princeton

University Press, 2000.

Wildberg, Christian. “Neoplatonism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford

University, January 11, 2016. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/neoplatonism/.