Tell me more ×
Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 2 down vote favorite

Exodus 7:11 ESV

Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts.

Exodus 7:11 Hebrew Study Bible (Apostolic / Interlinear)

וַיִּקְרָא֙ גַּם־ פַּרְעֹ֔ה לַֽחֲכָמִ֖ים וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֨וּ גַם־ הֵ֜ם חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֛יִם בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן

Is there any text which refers to the magicians in Egypt by name?

The only link that I can find is from the Damascus Document which I was led to from reading Moses in Biblical and Extra-Biblical Traditions by Axel Graupner, Michael Wolter.

share|improve this question
This is off-topic here: it asks a question on Timothy. If you like, I can migrate it to Christianity: perhaps that's where you meant to ask it? Comment here with @msh210 if you want me to. – msh210♦ Dec 31 '12 at 14:51
1  
@SethJ totally off-topic, hence I closed it. Migrating it or not is a separate question. I'd have done so except that the asker specifically mentioned he's also asking at Biblical Hermeneutics (and didn't mention Christianity) so I'm guessing he specifically, for some reason, wanted not to ask it at Christianity. – msh210♦ Dec 31 '12 at 15:22
1  
Looks ok to me now. – Double AA♦ Dec 31 '12 at 15:33
3  
Dan, well edited. – Seth J Dec 31 '12 at 16:08
1  
@DanAndrews, nonono. You misunderstand me. The oral tradition is what fills in the blanks left out of the written Torah. (Eg., what were the names of "X" people mentioned in the Torah?) In many cases it's easy to explain how we have the tradition - not that G-d told Moses the detail, but that the detail was known and told as "folk" tradition (not in the mythological sense; in the family-history sense) among our ancestors. Sometimes, though, it's much harder to determine. If it first appears in print in the 12th century, even we raise our eyebrows and say, "now, wait a minute here." – Seth J Dec 31 '12 at 16:44
show 5 more comments

2 Answers

up vote 5 down vote

As mentioned in your link, Targum pseudo-Jonathan identifies them in that verse saying:

וקרא לחוד פרעה לחכימיא ולחרשיא ועבדו לחוד הינון יניס וימבריס חרשין דבמצרים בלחשי קוסמיהון היכדין:‏
And Pharoh called to the wise-men and the magicians, and they -- Yannis and Yambris, the magicians of Egypt -- did with their magic thus.

share|improve this answer
The other places your link cites (re their association with Balaam) exist as well if you want me to quote you the text. – Double AA♦ Dec 31 '12 at 15:46
Thanks! I was hoping to find other places as well. – user1550 Dec 31 '12 at 16:04
@DanAndrews, why? – Seth J Dec 31 '12 at 16:08
@SethJ research. Nothing specific, just trying to understand the whole story. Since these two people were apparently important, there must be more to the story. – user1550 Dec 31 '12 at 16:10
up vote 5 down vote

Aside from DoubleAA's answer in which he quotes Targum Yonasan, the gemara (Menachos 85a) refers to them as Yochana and Mamrei.

share|improve this answer
Thank you for looking for this – user1550 Jan 2 at 1:37

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.