The Uses of Cosmogonic Myths in Ancient Jewish Magic

Like many other peoples of the Ancient Near East, the Jews too had their cosmogonic and historical myths, and like many other peoples, they too used their ancient myths in their magical practices. And yet, whereas in Egyptian magical texts cosmogonic myths make a frequent appearance, in ancient Jewish magical texts there is much use of the Hebrew Bible's historical myths, but much lesser use of its cosmogonic or anthropogonic myths. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha, the miracles of Moses, Elijah and Elisha, or the exorcistic activities of David and Solomon, are all frequently mentioned in ancient Jewish magical texts, but God's creation of the universe, or His fashioning of Adam and Eve, are seldom mentioned, and are never used as precedents for the magicians' own activities. This is due to the very monotheistic nature of ancient Jewish magic, where impersonating God was simply beyond the pale.