The Book of Secrets
About This Entry
The Book of Secrets (Sefer ha-razim) is a short Hebrew compendium of Jewish magic, mystical traditions, and incantations. It describes the seven heavens and provides guidance for how the reader may manipulate the future, understand dreams, gain healing, and overcome enemies. The first of these excerpts explains how to predict the future; the second describes the sixth heaven and the angels of fire who praise God there. The Book of Secrets provides names for hundreds of these angelic beings. Several of the angels’ names have Greek etymological roots and, along with other Greek magical terms, reflect this work’s Byzantine origin and influence. Fragments of Arabic and Latin versions also survive.
If you wish to know and understand what will be in each and every year, take a hieratic papyrus1 and cut it into slips and write in hieratic with a mixture of ink and myrrh each and every possibility separately. Then take a new flask and put in it spikenard oil and throw in the written slips [as well]; then stand facing the sun when he comes forth from his bridal chamber and say:
I adjure you O sun that shines on the earth, in the name of the angels who make men of knowledge understand and comprehend wisdom and secrets, that you will do what I ask and make known to me what will be in this year—do not conceal a thing from me.
And you will adjure [the sun with] this adjuration for three days, three times2 and the third time you will scrutinize the oil. Notice everything brought up upon the face of the oil, that is what will happen in that year. If two possibilities come up, then there will be [these] two and if three come up, there will be three. Afterwards, take the oil and burn it while saying the names of the angels that serve in this encampment. And [as for] the rest of all the written [slips], hide them in a wall or in a window. And so, [as in] every operation, act in purity, and you will succeed. [ . . . ]
The Sixth Firmament
As for the sixth firmament, its storehouses are full of honey.3 Within is the place prepared for the spirits of the righteous. Light and fire encompass it and within are myriads, thousands upon thousands [see Psalms 68:18], and armies and encampments [of angels] standing in awe and trembling. And on the head of each of them is [what] appears as a crown of fire, and their fire has the appearance of gold. The regiments of the army march within [the sixth firmament], and their strength is like an inextinguishable fire and they are in fear from dread of their rulers. For two officers rule over them, one in the west of the [sixth] firmament and one in the east. And before the armies of spirits are myriads of angels created from flame and burning like fire. Their bodies are like fiery coals and upon coals of fire is their station. And they tremble and shake to sing forth songs and praises to the Exalted One of the Universe, who has prepared them to praise His honor and honor His praise.
These are the holy angels who rule over all the encampments of the sixth firmament. The name of the first is ’PRKSY and the name of the second is TWQPYRS. And all the princes of the encampments serve before them.
| WYWTN | DWKMS’L | KRH’L | ’ṠRY’L |
| BYW’L | NRH’L | GṢQY’L | GR‘YH |
| ṠRY’L | MSGY’L | ḤNY’L | ’WRPNY’L |
| ’QWDW | MWK’L | ’LNYTK’L | DM’L |
| ’KZ’N | ṠYR’YWM | NHRY’L | BHDRK |
| ṠWPRY’L | SDRKYN | DBWB’WR | ’MLY’L |
| TMPNYH | BHḤML | PRNYN | ’MṢTY’L |
| TYMNHRQ |
These are the heads of the encampments which are in the west of the firmament:
| GWRY’L | SNY’L | ‘ZRY’L | ṠRY’L |
| ’LY’L | MLKY’L | MLMY’L | ṢMY’L |
| RNḤY’L | ’QRY’L | QṠTY’L | ’BRKY’L |
| ṠDRY’L | SPYPY’L | ’RM’T | DMW’L |
| MRY’L | ‘NNY’L | NYPLY’L | DRMY’L |
| G‘ṠY’L | MNHR’L | BHNYRY’L | ’PṠRY’L |
| QL‘Y’L | HDRNY’L | DLRY’L | Ṡ‘PY’L |
| DLGLY’L | ‘DNNY’L | ṬHRY’L | DBRY’L |
| HMNKY’L | HNY’L | ṬWBY’L |
Over these ’PRKSY, who has his camp in the west, is ruler.
These are the heads of the encampments which are in the east of the firmament:
Over these TWQPYRS, who has his camp in the east of the firmament, is ruler.
Notes
Words in brackets appear in the original translation.
[ . . . ] “Hieratic” (priestly) here refers especially to the Egyptian priests who were famed for their magic and from whence came the types of writing and paper that they used and were thought suitable for magical operations.
Literally, “3 days 3 times.” Possibly once a day or three times each day.
[ . . . ] [P]ossibly, “fine flour.”
Credits
Unknown, The Book of Secrets, from Sepher ha-Razim: The Book of the Mysteries, trans. Michael A. Morgan, Society of Biblical Literature Texts and Translations vol. 25, Pseudepigrapha Series vol. 11 (Chico, Calif.: Scholars Press, 1983), 29–31, 77–78. Used with permission of the publisher.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.
