Alchemy and Magic

from The Essay Hosted by BBC Radio 3

Gabriele Ferrario of the Genizah Research Unit reveals the most secretive side of the Genizah collection: the manuscripts relating to alchemy and magic. The Cairo Genizah is a treasure trove of manuscripts from the Ben Ezra synagogue in Old Cairo that portrays over 800 years of community life. Rediscovered in the 19th century, this vast communal paper-bin contained hundreds upon thousands of scraps of rag-paper and parchment - an unedited archive of prayers, letters, poems, magical spells, alchemical recipes, children's exercise books, divorce deeds and pre-nuptial agreements that paints a lively and intimate picture of daily medieval life in Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean. Produced by Michele Banal and Miranda Hinkley. First broadcast in May 2013.

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

Ready to play

Alchemy and Magic

0:00 13:49

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Share this episode

Similar podcasts

French Your Way Jessica: Native French teacher founder of French Your Way Boost your French listening skills and test your comprehension with this one of a kind series of podcasts. Get the chance to listen to a real conversation between native speakers talking at normal speed AND customise your learning experience through carefully designed sets of questions (2 levels of difficulty) available for download at www.frenchvoicespodcast.com. All interviews also come with the transcript. French teacher Jessica interviews native speakers of French from around the world who share a bit of their life and passion. Where else would you meet in one same place a French yoga teacher based in Melbourne, a soap manufacturer from Provence, or a couple cycling around the world?

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of The Essay?

This episode is 13 minutes long.

When was this The Essay episode published?

This episode was published on October 12, 2014.

Can I download this The Essay episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.