Despite the efforts of authorities, however, portions of magic books survive from antiquity. Most of the surviving texts were produced on papyrus in Roman Egypt between the third and fifth centuries CE, although the texts likely reflect earlier traditions, as fragments of papyri with magical texts have been found elsewhere. Among the binding spells these texts contain, some belong to a subcategory referred to as “love magic.” One such spell for binding a lover calls for the crafting of wax or clay figures of a man and a woman. ...The Talmudic-era Hebrew magical tractate Sefer Ha-Razim (Sefer HaRazim) also includes a couple of erotic binding spells. No voodoo dolls were involved, though. See my discussion of the tractate here.
As I've mentioned before, my new English translation of Sefer Ha-Razim is coming out in Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: More Noncanonical Scriptures, volume 2 (MOTP2) in April. Available now for preorder!
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