Exorcism in Ancient Egypt. Texts and practices from the religious and healing tradition

Exorcism in Ancient Egypt offers an overview of exorcistic rituals in Egyptian religion from the Middle Kingdom through later periods. Attested across many cultures, exorcism has long challenged scholarly interpretation, as attempts to explain it in purely rational terms often fail to capture its full complexity. Concerned with safeguarding physical and spiritual well-being, it occupies a fluid space between magic, religion, and early science.Ancient Egypt preserves a rich body of evidence for rites intended to repel supernatural agents believed to cause illness. Too often dismissed as proto-medical reasoning or mere superstition, these rituals offer valuable insight into how Egyptians understood hardship, expressed their fears, and conceptualized disease and healing in ways that differ from later medical traditions.Drawing on textual and material sources, Exorcism in Ancient Egypt examines the social roles of exorcists, the transmission of healing knowledge, the material dimensions of ritual practice, the literary traditions reflected in exorcistic texts, and the historical development of these practices.