The Caretaker

THE PGM - Greco-Roman Magic - 10/6/2022

Added 2022-10-06 19:27:59 +0000 UTC

A QUICK GUIDE TO MYSTERY CULTS

PYTHAGORAS

Pythagoras was a cult leader and a wizard
Pre-socratic, explain what that means to readers
Lived around 6th-5th centuries BCE, one of the earliest we know
Often called the “First Philosopher” and so theres a ton of legendary BS about him
His followers, the Pythagoreans, were a distinct group in antiquity, who followed a specific way of life
Pythagoras never wrote anything. Most accounts of him come centuries after he died.
Its hard to tell what comes from Pythagoras, what doesnt, whats just a continuation of an early tradition etc
Acusmata - Sayings of Pythagoras
Best text we have is “The Life of Pythagoras” by Diogenes Laerius (d. 240)/Porphyry (d. 305) Remember that second name.
And “On the Pythagorean Life” By the platonist Iamblichus (Also remember that name)
These texts are deeply legendary
Born on Samos
Nothing is known about his early life
Texts say he probably travelled to egypt, to learn their Wisdoms this was a common trope
When he was 40 he moved to Kroton in what is now Italy where he began his cult
He became famous as a sort of sage, a wonder-worker, not as a mathematician.
GOLDEN THIGH THING Aristotle: “The son of Nicomachus (i.e. Aristotle) adds that Pythagoras was once seen by many people, on that same day and at the same hour, both at Metapontum and at Croton; and at Olympia during the games, he got up in the theatere and showed that one of his thighs was golden. The same writer says that while crossing the Coasas he was hailed by the river, and that many people heard him so hailed.”
(Having a golden thigh was a sign of divinity)
Supposedly killed a deadly serpent by biting and killing it himself, pretty cool.
So what did he teach?
The soul is distinct from the body, and survives after death.
This was HELLA unusual for the time. Before this, the soul was seen as more of a “Shade” as a sort of footprint one leaves on the world.
Plato picks this up
This is something he might ACTUALLY have gotten from the egyptians, who did believe in a post-mortem life for the soul
Also taught that after the body dies, the soul is reborn into another body. Reincarnation!
There’s a story in Life of Pythagoras: “Once they said he was passing by when a puppy was being whipped, and he took pity and said “Stop, do not beat it; for it is the soul of a friend that I recognized when I heard it screaming.””
We dont know much else about his actual theory of reincarnation
He was seen as an expert on the soul
It seems that his magic was based around manipulating his own soul
His first followers were likely a sort of proto-mystery school who followed a specific way of life.
This is how his followers were msot known.
SO WHAT DID HE FOLLOW
Vegetarian. Likely connected to vegetarianism
Significant amount of ritual.
Though he DID follow the existing greek religion, the pythagoreans followed their own specific rules around these rites.
Ex: You were not allowed to enter the temple barefoot
Ex: You had to pour libations from the “ear” or handle of the cup.
Ex: You couldn’t wear images of the gods on your finger
Ex: You cannot sacrifice a white cock
Theres also stranger ones:
Ex: You cannot bury your dead in wool
Ex: Right shoe goes on first before the left foot
Ex: No travelling on public roads
Ex: Absolutely NO beans
Oh wow
From the Life of Pythagoras:
“Pythagoreans enjoined abstention from beans either because they are like the privy parts, or because they are like the gates of Hades (for this is the only plant that has no joints), or because they are destructive, or because they are like the nature of the universe, or because they are oligarchical (being used in the choice of rulers by lot). Things that fall from the table when they were told not to pick up - to accustom them to eating with moderation, or because such things marked the death of someone. (...) They must not touch a white cock, because this animal is sacred to the Month and is a suppliant, and supplication is a good thing. (...) They must not break the load, nor must they divide the loaf which brings them together. Others explain the rule by reference to the judgment in Hades; others explain that it is from the loaf that the universe starts.”
We dont know what like, half of these mean.
“Step not over a balance, i.e. be not covetous;
‘poke not the fire with a sword’ i.e. do not vex with sharp words a man swollen with anger;
‘pluck not the crown’, i.e. offend not against the laws, which are the crowns of cities.
Or again, ‘eat not Heart’, i.e. vex not yourself with grief;
‘Sit not on the corn ration’ i.e. live not in idleness;
‘When on a journey, turn not back’ i.e. when you are dying, cling not to this life.”
This reminds us a lot of MYSTERY CULTS
Many have connected Pythagoras and his Buds to the ORPHICS, the ancient mystery cult centered around the ancient mythical figure of Orpheus.
They share a lot of features. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call the pythagoreans a sort of Mystery cult.
“We can safely say that the name fo Orpheus was associated, from at least the fifth century on, with the institution of various rites, which included initiation into mysteries depicting terrors of Hades, and whose object was to procure a happy state for initiates before and after death” - G.S. Kirk, J.E. Raven, & M. Schofield
You can probably say the same for Pythagoras, they were also based on secret initiations and a specific aesthetic way of life
We know very little about what pythagoras actually taught, and this is likely On Purpose. They don't call it a mystery cult for nothing.
They became famous for their practice of Silence, sources (who?) say that if one wished to become a pythagorean, they had to observe a 5-year silence.
There also seemed to be Esoteric aspects to pythagorean teachings that initiates were forbidden from disclosing to outsiders.
It seems that the group came under attack in the last few years of the 6th centuries bce, which forced Pythagoras to leave for Metapontum, where he is thought to have died around 490 bce
Okay but what about math?
Well thats tough
Oftentimes, when we see numbers and esoterica together, we point and say “Ah yeah, thats pythagorean.” But there’s actually very little evidence that Pythagoras himself engaged much in ideas about sacred mathematics. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t there.
Gotta be careful not to mistake the platonist for the pythagorean and vice-versa
Its thought that after he died, his followers were split into two camps
The Acusmatici: Those who followed the rituals that outwardly characterized the movement
The Mathematici: Those who focused more on the “Philosophical” elements, especially mathematics.
We also have self-identified Pythagoreans:
Philolaus - Who believed that reality was based more on the concepts of the Unlimited and Limit, and that understanding the relationship between the two would explain the cosmos.
Archytas - Innovations in math and geometry
So LATER pythagoreans became heavily associated with things like Esoteric Geometry, arithmetic, and music theory
These post-pythagoreans are more associated with the idea that reality itself is made of numbers
They also developed geometric theories that supposedly explained the inner-workings of the cosmos
Especially in works like Philolaus, the idea of Harmony becomes central. Mathematical and geometric ratios becomes key to their philosophy, which is often expressed in music. The pythagoreans
Pythagoreanism is also associated with a specific cosmology, involving the “Music of the Spheres”
Philolaus may have suggested that the earth was not the center of the universe, claiming that it revolved around a “great fire“ but this is speculation
Is it possible that all of this comes from Pythagoras? Maybe!
Its entirely possible that much of this comes from his “secret teachings” the Mathematici
Sometime in the 4th century, they vanish
It only in the 1st century bce that we see them re-emerge as:
NEO-PYTHAGOREANISM
This isn’t a specific school of thought either
This is a loose group of thinkers who all hold pythagoras as a central figure in the history of philosophy
This is probably where a lot of ideas that we consider to be Pythagorean come from
NP’s were heavily influenced by Platonism
The Pythagorean Theorem probably isn’t even his

THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES

The ancient greek thinkers were largely not enlightened rationalists
So what was more accurate? Lets get some more Nuance.
Ideas like Esotericism or Mysticism were equally as important
Mystery Cults
The Eleusinian Mystery Cult was probably the most popular
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Mystery Cult is a very difficult thing to define, they existed across broad geographic areas and time periods, and drawing similarities between any two was pretty hard.
Generally defined by Initiatory Rituals, and often having a specific deity at its center
Participation in the rituals would supposedly radically transform the initiates life, offering benefits in this life or the next
Many also had a sort of Ceremonial Metaphorical Death and Rebirth
The most popular was probably the Eleusinian Mysteries, centered around Demeter and Persephone (Kore)
Based in the city of Eleusis
At the height of its popularity, hundreds if not thousands of people would have taken place in its rituals and become initiated in its mysteries
The idea being that you become initiated and now you’re part of the community.
We know very little about what was actually going on
This is by design!
The secrets of the eleusinian mysteries were just that, secrets.
There are stories of figures like Diagoras of Melos, who publicly revealed some of the secrets, only to be tried and exiled as a result.
So this was serious!
Plutarch (d. 120) (who was likely an initiate himself) has some descriptions of the Eleusinian mysteries. As does Clement of Alexandria, who was a christian.
Plato even eludes to the mysteries
They were a BIG thing. Theres even speculation (from whom?) that the majority of atheneans were initiates, and that the cult received state support.
So what do we actually know?
This is an Annual Event with multiple stages
Took place in Late Summer, like september, and lasted like 10 days in total
Potential initiates would prepare themselves by ritually bathing in the local waters
Animal sacrifice performed by a priest would open the festival
On the 4th day, they would all begin to walk 22km from Athens to Eleusis on foot.
On the way, they would sing songs in unison and swing branches called Bacchoi
This would be an intense journey, especially in the summer heat
Then they would fast for a day while continuing to observe various rituals, like an All-night vigil.
The purpose is to induce an intense altered state of consciousness in the initiate.
The fast was then broken with a barley drink known as Kykeon
We dont know whats in it, but some argue that it contained mind-altering substances
At this point, the initiates, referred to as Mustai, (which is where we get the word Mystic) would enter a big hall known as the Telesterion, and would come out a few days later completely transformed by whatever happened in there.
We have no clue what happened in there. The secret was kept really well.
It was probably pretty intense.
The states are referred to in greek with words like Mania or Baccahea, and would supposedly have lasting effects that would effect the initiates for the rest of their life.
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During the ritual, its thought that the initiates enact a sort of ritual death and rebirth, akin to the myth of Demeter and Persephone, in which they descend into the underworld and return reborn. Perhaps even a sort of near-death experience followed by an ecstatic rebirth.
“Mystery rites were intended to unsettle, disturb, and horrify, as only in absolutely contrast to the initial terror could the initiate arrive at profound modification of his attitude to life.” - Yulia Ustinvova
So what actually happened in the Telesterion?
There are references to a few classes of activity:
Dromena - “Things Done”
Deiknumena = “Things Shown”
Legomena - “Things Said”
What does this indicate? Well its thought that :
Dromena = A re-enactment of what happened to Persephone
Deuknumena = Something involving sacred objects connected to the myth revealed to the initiate
Legomena = explanations of the meanings of the objects
There were also likely numerous other factors like sounds, sensations, and movements
Presided over by a group of priests, both men and women
Groups of previous initiates would sit on the sidelines and watch the ritual, as if it were a performance.
Music might have been a thing
Its also possible that initiates were subjected to physical pain, being blindfolded etc
Then followed the peak, which could have been a sort of spiritual unity with the divine. Accompanied by a vision of pure light, or experience of transcendence.
Many report (who?) a feeling of complete transformation, even losing their fear of death.
“Mystery festivals should be unforgettable events, casting their shadows over the whole of ones future life, create experiences that transform existence. That participation in mysteries was a special form of experience, a pathos of the soul, or psyche, of the candidate, is clearly stated in several ancient texts.” - Walter Burkert
“At first there was wandering, and wearisome roaming, nd some fearful journeys through unending darkness, and just before the end (telos), every sort of terror, shuddering and trembling and sweat and amazement. Out of these emerges marvellous light, and pure places and emadows follow after, with voices adn dances and solemnities of sacred utterances and holy visions. Among these the completely initiated (mustes), walks freely and without restraint; cowned, he takes part in rites, and joins with pure and pious people; he observes the crowd of people living at this very tiem uninitiated and unpurified, who are driven together and trample each other in deep mud and darkness, and continue in their fear of death, their evils and their disbelief in the good things in the world. Then in accordance with nature the soul stays engaged with the body in close union thereafter.” - Plutarch
This was a major element of religion in the ancient hellenic world
Both Plato and Plutarch both referred to the Eleusinian Mystery as something that was contemporary to them.
Lasted up to Christianity
Alongside the rationalist writings of Aristotle and Plato, many people were involved in practices that would be considered today to be magical or mystical, and this was considered an equal if not more valid way to arrive at knowledge.

ORPHISM

15th of january, 1962, workers in Derveni Macedonia uncovered some 4th century tombs
The massive and beautiful Derveni Krater held the incinerated remains of a man and a woman
Atop on of the crypts was the remains of a funeral pyre, was a papyrus scroll
Totally dried by the flames, and preserved in the macedonian heat
Columns of texts were partially preserved
Its the only surviving text from ancient greece, and the oldst manuscript ever found in europe
Its a scroll of orphic poetry
Likely thought by the owner to be the key to the afterlife itself
26 columns, most are badly damaged
We don’t even really know how they’re supposed to be arranged
Basically everything we could potentially say about the DP could be argued
- Basically everything after this is speculation:
First words reference the Erenyes and funeral rites probably
Seems to be a discussion of the afterlife, and how the initiate should consider the daimones and erenyes
Heraclitus was critical of the mysteries
Orpheus is described as composing poetry in which “momentous things are hidden within the verses”
The poems are what the DP calls “holy discourse”
The following columns are a religio-philosophical discourse on an as yet unknown orphic hymn, in which the author attempts to synthesize the contemporary science of their day, with the inner mysticism of the orphic hymns
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The mysteries seem to have been introduced to greek life in the 6-7th centuries
With Orpheus acting as a sort of savior figure, ushering the dead into the next life.
This was accomplished by carefully studying the Orphic hymns as religious scripture, being properly initiated, making proper sacrifices, and living a life along the lines of ritually pure aceticism.
Deals with the Descent of Orpheus into the underworld and the resurrection of dionysus
Orphism might actually have emerged as a reform movement from the Dionysian more generally
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Orphism differs from Hesiods Theogeny, and actually more resembles Pythagoras
Its priests were known, though with soem degree of contempt by plato
And they would survive well into the christian period
THE EGG
We have about 90 hymns survived, though those are likely the later ones
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Derveni author seems to be at pains not to describe the orphic theogeny as Many Gods, but as the birth of a single god consolidated into one
Theres also a weird desire to explain away the series of incestuous rapes by zeus
In this one, Zeus castrates kronos and swallows the phallus, giving birth to the other gods
Though, this is probably the earlier version actually
The Hittite theogeny involves Humbari castrating Anu and consuming the phallus, giving birth to the others.
The author seems to be trying to interpret that theogony through the lens of Anaxagoras’s whole infinite continuum of particles metaphysics
The text argues that difference is only an illusion created by the vortex of movement created by the impulse of nous
Also seems to pull from Diogenes of Appolonia
Ontological priority of Fire and Air
Esoteric Text produced in a mystery religion, being read to express what was, at that time at least, cutting edge scientific speculation
SO WHO WROTE THIS BAD BOY
Soemone who knew both Orphic mythology and initiation, and the philosophical scientific theories of the day
This doesn’t really help us identify the author
Could be a lost work of Diagoras of Millos - Janko
Sophists of the period in the 4th century would name their books after wrestling moves
Protageras - as Kataballontes logoi (The Overthrower Arguments or, better, The Knockdown Arguments; (Like naming your text The Elbow Drop of Pure Reason)
Janko argues that the texts were composed as a “rationalizing program” where religious texts reveal truths, but only those of philosophy. He likens it to someone reading the book of Mormon to explain that it also secretly teaches Einstiens theory of relativity
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Also it seems like the Orphic priests of Plato’s time had a bit of a PR problem
Plato seemed to regard them like Fire and Brimstone preachers that mostly bothered rich people
Aristotle mentions the orphics as someone he looks forward to chatting with down in Hades, but it also seems like plato found them annoying

Janko - The Derveni Papyrus ("Diagoras of Melos, Apopyrgizontes Logoi?"): A New Translation - https://www.jstor.org/stable/1215469

Papadopoulou - An Introduction to the Derveni Papyrus - https://chs.harvard.edu/ioanna-papado...

Betegh - The Derveni Papyrus: Cosmology, Theology and Interpretation - 978-0521047395

Conference - THE FIRST COLUMNS OF THE DERVENI PAPYRUS - https://youtu.be/eKssxZcWnGU

THE PGM

A collection of magical texts
Spans 100s of years
Several cultures and religions
Several languages
Literally hundreds of spells
A cross section of the magical ideas of the ancient world, and one of the most dynamic and complex periods in western history
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Curse Tablets! Defixiones!
We got most fo them from roman baths
Incantation Bowls! Often buried beneath the lintels of homes, be they christians, mandeans, jews, etc, in the area that is now Iraq
Magical effigies called Kolossoi, occasionally and unfortunately called Voodoo Dolls, are found throughout the roman empire, and likely used for malicious magic
Theres also amulets
Inscribed gems
Anatomical models for divination
Magic thrived in the ancient world
Its a shockingly complex collection of texts, over 130 make it up
Some are small scraps, some are whole folios
Stretches over about 5 centuries
Papyrus is extremely durable
Most of the PGM was recovered from Luxor in the early 19th century in less-than-ideal conditions. We dont really know exactly where they came from.
It was then sold.
Also the local Egyptians had no say in any of this.
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Largely written in greek
Date from the 1-5th centuries CE
Sections in Coptic
Also sections in Demotic, these chunks probably represent a more authentically egyptian form of magic
The larger pens are ancient magical manuals, some of which have names
Some were apparently written by Solomon, Nephotes, Psammetichos, King Pitys, Pre-Socratic philosophers like Democritus, pythagoras, Klaudianos, The 8th Book of Moses, Zminis of Tentrya, Agathokles, and many many others.
The sheer scope of the spells is frankly enormous.
Most are erotic binding spells, aka Love Spells
Cursing Business and Legal Rivals
Cursing rival sports teams
Religious Liturgies
Theres even a “Mythras Liturgy” though we arent sure if it was ever actually used
Protective Amulets
Medical Magic
Divination
REsurrection
Spells for controlling anger and other emotions
Exorcisms
Divine Invocations
Cool magical illustrations, magical words, and magical characters
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The writers were likely educated, as they were literate. And integrated into the mercantile world of late antiquity
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They are marked by, above all else, SYNCRETISM
Though, with little in the way of systemization
Spells will freely invoke, Greek, Christian, Jewish, Egyptian, Gnostic, Iranian, Roman, and even Mesopotamian dieties all at the same time.
This syncretism continues into the modern
Many spells actually have blank spaces, or fill-in-the-blanks like “insert the usual here” which is a hint to their mercantile character
They often derive their power from divine invocation,
so -called “gods arrival” texts abound in demiotic
Many of the magical texts feature palindromes, occasionally called onamata
ABLANATHANALBA (NATHAN = hebrew for He Gives)
The most famous non-palindrome incantation, the ephesian formula?
Hey whats up with all the weird long vowel sounds?
They might have represented musical chants, but theres no notation so idk
Theres also the little ring letters, which are delightfully mysterious, and persist well into jewish and christian magic in the future, in the Sefer Raziel and Agrippa
There are also drawings throughout the PGM of various gods, spirits, etc
Taken from numerous cultural systems, though there tends to be a focus on the cthonic like Hekate or Anubis
AKETHALOS THE HEADLESS ONE
Possibly related to osiris
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So whats NOT in the PGM?
Astral magic! There are a few astrological texts, but astral magic didn’t really show up until the picatrix.
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There is also significant knowledge related to the medical, alchemical, and religious texts in the PGM, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are magical.
In fact, its an excellent example of how the term “magic” as we understand it, can be kinda artificial
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Also, chewing through this will take literal generations of scholarly work. Its exciting! And no bare summary can really do justice to just how rich and fascinating the PGM is
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Lets look at some spells
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PGM 4 - The Sword of Dardanos:
Its not uncommon to name spells after swords. The spell itself is called this because of its incredible power. Supposedly.
Its an Erotic Binding Spell
Whats cool is that it uses a magnet to attract a lover
Its a standin, a sympathea, for your lover
It also uses a magical gem
Whats fun is that it invokes jewish names for god like ADONAIE and IAO
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PGM 1 - Invisibility Spell
Takes the form of a lotion that you rub on your skin
Invisibility spells are common
Some are even made from the fat of children
Theres also LAILA which might be a corruption of the hebrew LILAM the word for night
As well as multiple permutations of the hebrew divine name placed seemingly random
Along with the vowel strings
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PGM 4 - Business Spell
Invokes Hermes
Uses a neat statuette
Usually a piece of heiratic papyrus (papyrus prepared specifically by an egyptian priest at a high level of ritual purity) thats then rolled up into clay and then formed into a statue.
It also says DONT use a red lamp (possibly bc red is associated with Set)
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PGM 7 - The Homer Oracle
Its several quotations from iliad and the odyssey aligned one after another
And there was some mechanism by which one used it for bibliomancy
By which you ask a question and then open your bible/quran to a random verse or ayet and see what that says
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PGM 7 - To keep bugs 1 out of the house
Its goat bile with water.
This one might not even be a spell.
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Its not really until the 18th century that philosophy wasnt associated with magic or religion
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PGM 7 - Magical Athletic ability
Invokes Hermes
Has a collection of interesting characters of mysterious origin
Toth appears here
Theres a link between hermes and Toth, which was already strong in this milieu
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PGM 7 - A phylactery spell
A bodyguard against daimons, against phantasms
Supposed to be written on gold or silver, but heiratic papyrus can be substituted
Hebrew names for divinity
Obscure magical characters
Kepri appears here, luck an rebirth
Ouroboros
Mercantile language, the fill in the blanks
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PGM 10
Charm to restrain anger
To be written on gold or silver and be worn as a lamella
Involves several onamata, several characters, several palindromes
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PGM 36
Figured labled at IAO, a greek name for the hebrew god
Also invokes Ptah, a god you dont usually see in magic
Akephalos is here too, hes holding what looks like a snake and an ankh
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PDM 14 - Cast a mummy at someone
Spell for fucking over your boss
Written in greek and egyptian which is interesting
Shows that the person who wrote the spell is comfortable, and also points to the spells mercantile character
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PGM 32 - Erotic binding spell between two women!
One attempts to erotically bind another woman to her
Got christian gods, greek gods, and egyptian gods
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PGM 13 contains the 8th book of moses
Contains an exorcism in which a very complex name is given to a demon and then exorcized using sulfur and asphalt being breathed in as an urgent
That burning sulphur urgent even shows up in later jewish mysticism