Amit Shafran

Department of History

Subject:  Daily life magic in medieval northern France

Supervisor: Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten

Abstract:  My thesis examines magical texts from a Hebrew manuscript written by Isaac son of Isaac, a French rabbi who was active in Chinon, northern France, in the mid-thirteenth century. It contains more than 250 pages of prayers, spells, incantations, magical-medicinal recipes and rituals related to different aspects of communal and family life: marriage, fertility, health and good reputation. In my research, I analyze these formulae in the context of daily life, focusing on the worldview of Jews in Northern French communities, their perceptions and ideas about magic, science and natural world.

MA Honors 2019/20