Does an Arrow a Day Keep Satan Away? Late Antique Magical Subtexts in Babylonian Rabbinic Narratives
A remarkable tale in the Babylonian Talmud (b. Qidd. 81a-b) recounts how Pelimo, who regularly exclaimed "an arrow in Satan’s eye!," ironically attracts Satan’s personal attention. Disguised as a pauper, Satan wreaks havoc until he ultimately offers an alternative apotropaic formula—a bibl...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Harvard theological review
Year: 2025, Volume: 118, Issue: 3, Pages: 552-577 |
| Further subjects: | B
Babylonian Talmud
B rabbinic stories B Incantations B Magic B Near East |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | A remarkable tale in the Babylonian Talmud (b. Qidd. 81a-b) recounts how Pelimo, who regularly exclaimed "an arrow in Satan’s eye!," ironically attracts Satan’s personal attention. Disguised as a pauper, Satan wreaks havoc until he ultimately offers an alternative apotropaic formula—a biblical verse (Zech 3:2)—for Pelimo to use against him. While often read as a moral allegory, this article argues that the story is rooted in late antique Babylonian notions about demons and apotropaic practices, as evidenced in incantation bowls, amulets, and related objects. The narrative not only presumes this cultural context but actively engages it—contrasting two protective formulae and casting Satan as an advocate for one. In doing so, it reveals how rabbis participated in broader debates over the legitimacy and efficacy of different magical practices, using narrative as a tool of persuasion. Comparison with other Talmudic passages further highlights evolving rabbinic views on ritual power and the shifting role of biblical verses in Jewish magic. |
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| ISSN: | 1475-4517 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Harvard theological review
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S001781602510093X |
