AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

An Exploration of Magic and Astrology in the Intertestamental Period

Robert Kerr
Bethel College

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

Introduction
Few people take magic or astrology seriously. To us, the idea that we can control
events by strange rituals or see the course of the future in a cow liver is illogical. Science has
proven such superstitions false, right? Is it even possible for educated people to believe
otherwise? We would also consider the arcane incompatible with Christianity. Scriptures
warn against even association with such arts. Yet, outside our western bubble there are many
cultures that still practice such things. Believe it or not, the forerunners of the Christian faith,
the Jews, didnt necessarily see it the way we do. In the ancient near easts understanding,
words had power. Somehow a word carried the essence of what was named. Magic,
therefore, was using words to shape reality and some of the Jews used forms of magic and
divination.
Even though most Protestants refer to the Intertestamental period as the silent
years, this period radically transformed the Jewish faith. Through the course of the exile and
exposure to Persian, Greek, and Roman culture, Jewish perspectives, and consequently
practices, of magic and astrology were shaped. How did the Jews justify such adoption of
what seem to be pagan ideas? This paper seeks to explore the issue by looking at such
perspectives and practices of astrology and magic during the Intertestamental period.

Old Testament practices

Before we explore the practices of the Intertestamental period, what arts were considered
magic in Judaism? Moses, through his experience on Mount Sinai, was given the law of the Jewish
covenant. The law gives many commands against practices associated with idolatry and witchcraft.
In Deuteronomy chapter 18, magic (spell casting), divination, and necromancy were all specifically

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

forbidden. It is particularly interesting that God specifically warns the Israelites not to fall into the
magical practices of their neighbors or other countries. Deuteronomy explains that it was because of
these practices that God was going to exile the heathen nations and give the land to the Jews. The
irony is palpable. Later once Israel settled into the land of Canaan they become exactly like the
nations they dispossessed. During the first temple period, the prophets continually warned the people
that judgment would come if the people did not repent of their idolatry. Despite their warnings,
Judea was disobedient to God and as a consequence, the temple was destroyed and the inhabitants of
Judea were sent into exile. A generation later, Cyrus made a decree allowing exiles to return to their
homeland. With the Kings blessing, a number of the Jews returned from Babylon to rebuild their
homes and the temple of Yahweh. The exile served to sift the Jews. In the scriptures detailing the
return from exile, idolatry no longer seems to be an issue. Proper practice of Judaism has now taken
center stage in the writings of the post-exilic prophets. When the Israelites finally returned to their
home the issue of idolatry disappears as evidenced by the prophetic writing of the time. The postexilic prophets are concerned with proper practice of the law. It seems strange to us then that the
Jews would have practiced magic and astrology. The passage firmly states that such witchcraft is not
to be practiced by the people of God. How then were the Jews able to reconcile such practices as
astrology with their Judiastic beliefs?
First it may help to understand that not all practices of divination were prohibited. Some of
the practices of divination, especially those associated with idolatry, were clearly banned by
scripture. However, a few forms such as casting lots, the Urim and Thummim, and the priestly ephod
were acceptable. There are many instances throughout scripture of casting lots as being acceptable.
For example the prophet Samuel cast lots before the people selecting Saul as king. What then
constituted an illegitimate form of astrology? One prominent practice of divination that the Jews

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

came in contact with and in some cases adopted was Astrology. Astrology is a form of divination that
became popular, especially during the Greco-roman period, and it was a subject of debate among the
Jews through the Intertestamental period (Lobel, 2011, pg. 88). Astrology is a form of divination that
uses the positions of the stars to try to predict the future. The practice was used in Babylon by scribepriests to help secure the well being of the king and state. The Babylonian practice later influenced
the Greeks in their development of astrology (Lobel, 2011, pg. 91-92). The question is was this
foreign practice of divination lawful for the Jews? The conflict over astrology came to light during
the Second-temple period, with the advent of Hellenism; a mixing of Western and Eastern ideas.
Astrology was popular, especially during the Greco-roman period, and a subject of debate among the
Jews through the Intertestamental period (Lobel, 2011, p. 88).
Worship of the heavenly bodies was not uncommon in the Ancient Near East and the Old
Testament takes great pains to discourage such worship. For example, in the book of Genesis the sun
and the moon, which were considered gods in other religions, are simply called the greater and
lesser lights. Job and Psalms emphasize that the stars are created by, and subordinate to, the Lord.
The message seems clear; Yahweh is the one Israel is to worship. The heavenly bodies are created by
Yahweh. Why would the Israelites worship them? While astrology was not necessarily worship of
the stars, it attributed power to them. The Greeks believed that the stars and planets had the power of
the gods. Consequently the positions of the stars could affect life on earth. Astrology then was
closely tied to the pagan beliefs of the Greeks. Wouldnt such a practice then be unlawful? There are
a few passages where Scripture specifically references astrology. When astrology is mentioned in the
Old Testament it is usually emphasized as being a foreign practice connected to idolatry and
witchcraft. In the account of Daniel, which takes place during the Babylonian exile, the book
contrasts Daniel, a servant of Yahweh, to the wise men and astrologers (Chaldeans) of the king of

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

Babylon. On multiple occasions God gives Daniel interpretation of dreams and signs that the
Chaldeans cannot replicate. The book of Daniel presents prophecy from God as superior to the
astrological practices of Babylon. The lesson here is that Yahweh is sovereign over all of creation. It
is not the stars that determine the future, but God. The uselessness of this kind of divination is
illustrated in Jeremiah 10:2.

Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: Learn
not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations
are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity

Even if astrology may not have been necessarily banned, scripture takes a dim view of it. It is the
Lord who controls the fates of the children of Israel.

Jewish debate over Hellenistic astrology

Alexander the Great, the father of Hellenism, had envisioned bringing enlightenment to the
world combining the best of Greek and Eastern culture. Even with staunch Jews promoting their way
of life, the influence of Hellenism was inevitable. Acclamation certainly took place during the
period. Many of the Jewish writings were written in or at least translated into Greek. Jews of the
upper-classes were typically more open to Hellenism. The question before the Jews was how much
Hellenism was too much and werent the practices of magic and divination exactly what scripture
warned against?
The debate over astrology during the second-temple period was part of a larger conflict
between those Jews who embraced Hellenism and those who remained committed to the traditions

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

and teachings of their forefathers. However the two camps are not strictly divided because the
Esseses, who were against Hellenization in general, practiced a version of astrology along with, a
little later, the Dead Sea scroll community (Hengel, 2003). Early Jewish writings from the second
temple period show a range of views for and against the practice suggesting a kind of ambivalence.
Certain Jewish leaders viewed the practice of divination and other magic with suspicion. Such
practices, however were widely popular in the Greco-roman period and viewed by some as scientific
pursuits (Lobel, 2011, p. 88). There were plenty of Jews who borrowed imagery from astrology
without accepting the metaphysics behind it (Charlesworth, 1977). Some scholars have suggested
that this is the case with certain ancient synagogues of the time most strikingly at Beit Alpha. Beit
Alpah has images from the zodiac formed in the floors mosaic (Lobel, 2011). One of the biggest
debates between the Jews wasnt whether the practice was unbiblical but whether the planets could
influence the fates of the Israelites. Charlesworth cites an argument between R. Nappaha and R.
Hanina as an example. R. Hanina stated that the planets had influence while his peer disagreed with
him (1977).

The Pseudepigrapha on Magic and Astrology

The pseudopigraphic writings of the time reflect this debate between the Jews. The
pseudepigrapha were texts written in the name of long dead saints. The writers sought to bring
prophetic insight into the situations that they found themselves in. For example the book of 1 Enoch
seems to take a negative stance against astrological practices and magic. In the account written in the
name of Enoch the forefather of Noah, Enoch is given a vision of future events. He records the
actions of 200 rebellious angels who took human wives and bred a race of giants or the Nephilim.
According to Enoch, it was these rebellious angels that taught mankind sorcery, divination, and

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

astrology. Later in the book there is a section devoted to astronomy that uses astronomical symbols.
This would seem to contradict the statements found in 1 Enoch 8. The symbolism seems to be used
to illustrate the point the author is making, not to necessarily support astrological practices. The
heavens are used by God to ultimately reward goodness and to punish evil (Lobel, 2011).
Another text attesting to the scriptural perspective of astrology comes from the book of
Jubilees. In Jubilees, a re-writing of Israels history up until the time of Moses, an angel appears to
Moses as he is on Mt. Siani and tells him the history of the Israelites. In the twelfth chapter
Abrahams call is preceded by the following verses;

And in the sixth week, in the fifth year thereof, [1951 A.M.] Abram sat up throughout the
night on the new moon of the seventh month to observe the stars from the evening to the
morning, in order to see what would be the character of the year with regard to the rains, and
he was alone as he sat and observed. And a word came into his heart and he said: All the
signs of the stars, and the signs of the moon and of the sun are all in the hand of the Lord.
Why do I search (them) out?

The author of Jubilees speaks against the use of astrology and supports a biblical perspective; it is
God who controls events, not the stars. (Charlesworth, 1977, p. 477)
In contrast to Enoch and Jubeliees, other pseudepigraphic writings teach magic and astrology.
The book of Tobit is one example. Tobit sends his son Tobias with the angel Raphael on a journey
away from Nineveh. On the way Tobias is nearly swallowed by a large fish when he stops by a river
to bathe. The angel instructs him to kill the fish and keep the gall, heart and liver. Later, when Tobias
marries Sarah he burns the heart and liver of the fish to ward off the demon that killed Sarahs

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

previous husbands. When he returns home Raphael instructs Tobias to apply the fish gall to Tobits
eyes so they will be healed of blindness. The practices are distinctly magical but the practice seems
to be viewed as something of a science. The use of the fish in the account isnt associated with any
pagan or idolatrous practice. The instructions come from an angelic messenger. This kind of account
blurs the lines that we tend to draw in understanding magic. The Jews may have practiced the
same magical rituals as the nations around them but distinguished their practices as religious as they
ultimately attributed the power to God. The practices of the gentiles may have been identical in some
cases but they were not appealing to the true God.

Magic and Astrology in the Dead Sea Scroll Community

A major source of insight into the beliefs and practices comes from the Dead Sea scrolls. The
Dead Sea scrolls were written / collected by a group of Jews that called themselves the community
or yahad. Scholars have speculated as to the identity of the community. It has been suggested that
the DSS community were members of the Essene sect. Essenes were ascetic, pooled their resources
and lived together, and believed in predestination. Pliny the Elder, a Roman author, identifies what
seems to be the Qumran community as Essenes. Dr. Vanderkam of Notre Dame suggest that slight
discrepancies in the text do not necessarily present issues and that the similarities between the
Essenes and the Qumran community are strong evidences for the yahad to be a group of Essenes
(1993, p. 55). There are a few issues, however, with this analysis. In their writings the yahad never
refer to themselves as Essenes. Also, while Essenes were pacifistic, the community had detailed
accounts in the war scroll over the future fight against the Romans. (Tomasino, 2003, p. 176-178)
Just as we have a wide spectrum of beliefs today even among similar denominations, so the Jews
must have had a spectrum of beliefs rather than a few absolute categorizations. Perhaps it is simply a

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

case where the beliefs of the Qumran were so similar that they were either grouped or mistaken to be
Essenes. In any case we do know that both the Essenes and the yahad practiced certain magic and
divination. Specifically, the texts found at Qumran include a selendromion describing the
movement of the moon through the zodiac during the year, and a brontologion, predictions of the
future based on the occurrence of thunder in association with a given sign of the Zodiac. Another
text on physiognomy combines elements of astrology with someones physical traits to predict what
kind of person they will be (Davila, 2000, p.256-257).
The distinction between magic and religion is blurry at best. The definitions of magic and
mysticism have been debated among scholars. For example, found among the Dead Sea scrolls is a
scroll called Songs of the Sage. The scroll, read aloud, declares the sovereignty of God against
demonic powers (Swartz, 192). Is the scroll simply a collection of prayers or do they follow an
incantation formula classifying them as magic? One persons magic is another persons religion. For
some of the Jews magic wasnt really magic in the way that we think of it. The Dead Sea scroll
community incorporated practices of what we would call magic and divination into their religious
beliefs. The yahad believed in a kind of predestination. God determined each persons lot, whether
they would be good or bad. Basically humans are divided into two groups those children of light
overseen by the archangel Michael and those sons of darkness under the rule of Belial, the devil.
The community believed that certain forms of divination could determine what a persons lot was.
Astrological factors such as the positions of the stars and bodily features could be used to help
determined which group a person belonged to (Tomasino, 2003, p. 180). In addition, the Qumran
community believed that many kinds of sickness or temptations were caused by demons. They thus
used magical texts that were both Jewish and secular to ward off demons or perform exorcisms
(Martinez, 2002).

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

10

Was the community aware of the prohibition against magic in Deuteronomy, or were they
somehow ignoring or re-interpreting it? Martinez shows that they were certainly aware of the ban as
a passage from the temple scroll has a re-worded version of the passage from Deuteronomy. Plus,
being big fans of 1 Enoch (ten copies of the book were found between the sites) they must also have
been aware that the book teaches that the practice of magic came from the fallen angels. Martinez
goes on to suggest that the communitys predestinational theology was a major influence on the
communitys use of magic and astrology. In a deterministic world-view in which a person's future
has been fixed from eternity and the parts of light and darkness allotted to each man have been
determined from creation, divination is an indispensable tool for unraveling that predetermined
future. Also the texts used against demonic powers were essential in ensuring the safety of the
yahad (Martinez, 2002).

Conclusion
The religion of the Jews was greatly impacted during the years between the testaments. The
Israelites had to learn to interpret the events of the exile and deal with the constant pressure to
conform to the nations that held power over them. While a great many did not return from exile a
faithful remnant returned, rebuilt their temple, and restored proper worship of Yahwah. This short
overview took a glimpse into the Jewish perception and practice of magic and astrology during this
formative time.
For us, it would be difficult to picture magic being reconciled with Christian beliefs. What
we often dont realize is that in that period of time, magic and divination were everywhere. We
ourselves are just as susceptible to the pressures of society as the Jews were in their time. Take the
churchs shifting stance on homosexuality for instance. Unless a community isolates themselves

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

11

from society, its impossible not to be influenced in some way. When we study the changes that took
place during the Intertestamental period, we must remember the historical context. Beliefs do not
grow out of a vacuum and Jewish perspectives were much influenced by the nations they came in
contact with. Proper study of this period is rewarding as it helps us understand the events of the New
Testament and consequently, how Christianity was shaped.

AN EXPLORATION OF MAGIC AND ASTROLOGY IN THE

INTERSTESTAMENAL PERIOD

12

References
Charlesworth, J. H. (1977). Jewish astrology in the talmud, pseudepigrapha, the dead sea
scrolls, and early palestinian synagoges. The Harvard Theological Review, Vol. 70
(No. 3/4 Jul. - Oct., 1977), pp. 183-200. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.23
07/1509628?uid=3739808&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21104839841211
Davila, J. R. (2000). The dead sea scrolls and merkavah mysticisim. In T. H. Lim (Ed.),
The Dead Sea scrolls in their historical context (pp. 249-264). Edinburgh: T&T Clark.
Hengel, M. (2003). Judaism and hellenism: Studies in their encounter in palestine during the
early hellenistic period. Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Lobel, A. D. (2011) "From Babylon to Jerusalem: The Roots of Jewish Astrological
Symbolism", (Sky and Symbol; the university of Wales, Trinity St. David, 4-5 June
2011.) Sophia center press. pp. 85-101. http://www.academia.
edu/5714531/_From_Babylon_to_Jerusalem_The_Roots_of_Jewish_Astrological_Sy
mbolism_
Martinez, F. G. (2002). Magic in the dead sea scrolls. http://theol.eldoc.ub.rug.nl/FILES/root
/2002/595/c2.pdf
Swartz, M. D. (2001). The dead sea scrolls and later Jewish magic and mysticisim. Dead sea
discoveries, vol. 8, (No. 2, Qumran and rabbinic Judaism). pp. 182-193. http://www.
jstor.org/stable/4193189
Tomasino, A. J. (2003). Judaism before jesus: The events and ideas that shaped the new
testament world. InterVarsity Press: Illinois.
Vanderkam, J. C. (1993). The people of the dead sea scrolls: essenes or sadducees? In H.
Shanks (Ed.) Understanding the Dead Sea scrolls (pp. 50-62). New York: Vintage
Books.