Harba de-Moshe (The Sword of Moses)
From Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers
The author is unknown and the earliest copy is c. 13th or 14th century. However, this spell book is clearly older. Rabbi Hai Gaon (939-1038 CE) discussed the book by name and described the contents, sufficiently well enough to prove its existence in that time. Some scholars even suspect the book dates to as early as sometime within the first four centuries CE.
donated text by Jeremy:
Not much is known about the origins and author of the famous Jewish grimoire called the Harba de Moshe or The Sword of Moses. The author is unknown and the earliest copy is c. 13th or 14th century. However, this spell book is clearly older.
Rabbi Hai Gaon (939 C.E. - 1038 C.E.) discussed the book by name and described the contents, sufficiently well enough to prove its existence in that time. Some scholars even suspect the book dates to as early as sometime within the first four centuries CE.
In 1896, Moses Gaster translated the manuscript (MS Gaster 78) from his own famous collection , which is now in the British Library in London, listed as MS Or. 10678.
What does it say?
The author, whoever that was documented their own personal three-day purification ritual of fasting, prayer, and angelic adjurations to be performed in order to gain the spiritual authority to use the Sword. The Sword of Moses is a figurative weapon. It is not an actual sword, rather, it is 1,800 divine names which can be invoked and wielded by the magician’s tongue for magical purposes. Additionally, the author compiled magical formulas from multiple texts and the result is a compendium of 136 spells which emphasizes the power of the spoken word rather than materia magicae.
Nonetheless, the logocentric nature of this Jewish magic of whispering ineffable names can also be applied to creating amulets, magical garments like the one worn by the prophet, tzaddik and wizard, Elijah…or even writing them on (or under) one’s own skin (like Jesus may have).
There are a wide variety of spells included in the text such as curing migraines caused by a demon, walking on water, miraculous travel, killing curses, spells of protection, and spells to catch thieves
