rod as well as the seal of Solomon (khātam
finally that it was able to transport Mūsā at his
Sulaymān) 53
will 60
The importance of the serpent-rod lies in its
In the eleventh-century magical treatise Ghāyat
capacity to serve as an instrument for the per-
al-ḥakīm Abū Maslama Muḥammad al-Majrītī
forming of “magical” actions54 which may be
cites Plato’s Great Book of the Laws as a source
linked to the widespread association of snakes
for the performance of the magical transforma-
with magic 55 In post-Qurʾānic histories of the
tion of rods or ropes into serpents that can devour
Prophet Muḥammad, Mūsā’s miracles play an
anyone who is thrown in front of them 61 The
important part 56 According to al-Kisāʾī, the rod
magic power of Mūsā’s serpent-rod was attributed
is said to come from Paradise and a long succes-
primarily to the words inscribed upon it,62 which
sion of pre-Islamic prophets had previously used
consisted of names that were linked to the mys-
it 57 When discussing the contest between Mūsā
tical divine name that was endowed with special
and the Pharaoh’s magicians, the same author
power63 and in Arabic magic literature is gener-
states that the staff metamorphoses, as noted
ally referred to as ism Allāh al-aʿẓam (“the great-
above, into “a writhing serpent the size of a
est name of God”) 64 The same rod was associated
camel ”58 According to al-Ṭabarī, an angel brought
with the symbol of a circle considered to have the
the rod 59 Al-Thaʿlabī speaks of it as a miraculous
power to ward off evil 65 In accordance with
rod which performed wonders such as providing
ancient Jewish and general Middle Eastern tradi-
water in a drought, producing milk, honey and
tion, circles are a symbol of light and hence
fragrant odours, and becoming a fruit-bearing
express the luminous character of the rod 66 In
tree when placed by Mūsā in the ground The
his writings, which draw on pre-Islamic (com-
Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ further list the following endow-
prising Hellenistic and Jewish) magical practices,
ments: that a double dragon would appear on
the “master of the art of magic,” Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī
the two twigs, in other words, that the rod trans-
al-Būnī enumerates the mystical names on Mūsā’s
forms itself into a double dragon, to combat ene-
rod with which “darkness disappeared” and “sev-
mies; that the rod was able to divide mountains
eral strange things are accomplished ”67 Al-Thaʿlabī
and rocks and to lead its owner over rivers and
also records that the rod performed the miracle
seas; that it warns of danger and protects Mūsā
of shining in the darkness,68 a feature generally
and his herd from beasts of prey and assassins;
considered characteristic of objects of revelation 69
53 Al-Tirmidhī, Bāb al-Tafsīr on sūra 27; Musnad Aḥmad,
63 Idem, p 10
vol 2, 295, as cited in Jeffery, “ʿ Aṣā,” EI² I, 680b
64 Idem, p 11 According to legend, Solomon’s ring was
54 Cf Fodor, 1978, p 2 and n 6
also inscribed with the divine names which gave it the mirac-
55 Wakeman, 1973, p 77, n 2
ulous power that Moses’ rod had possessed; Salzberger, G ,
56 See, for instance, the miracle recorded in al-Kisāʾī,
Die Salomonsage in der semitischen Literatur I, Diss , Berlin,
Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ, tr Thackston, 1978, p 228 To a large extent
1907, pp 117–9, as cited in Fodor, 1978, p 13, n 77 For
these “miracles” are derived from rabbinic sources such as
an analysis of the Islamic divine names, see Anawati, 1967,
Yalqūṭ Shimʿonī, Midrash Wayyosha, Peṣiqta de-Rab Kahana,
pp 7–58
and Midrash Rabba, as cited in Jeffery, “ʿAṣā,” EI² I, 680b
65 Canaan, 1937, p 109; Fodor, 1978, pp 13–5 and n 87;
57 Ādam, Hābil, Shīth, Idrīs, Nūḥ, Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, Ibrahīm,
Schimmel, 1994, p 91 The association of the serpent and the
Ismāʿīl, Isḥāq and yaʿqūb; Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ, tr Thackston,
circle is evidenced on an Aramaic magic bowl from the col-
1978, p 222
lection of V Klagsbald, Jerusalem, which is decorated at the
58 Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ, tr Thackston, 1978, p 227
centre with a figure standing in a circle that is drawn around
59 Al-Ṭabarī, Mukhtaṣ ar taʾrīkh al-rusul wa ’l-mulūk wa
the feet Two serpents flank the figure at either side while a
’l-khulafāʾ, vol 1, 460–1, as cited in Heller, “Mūsā,” EI 2 VII,
serpent encircles the entire composition Naveh and Shaked,
640a
1985, repr 1998, p 198–214, drawing on p 200, pls 30, 31
60 Al-Thaʿlabī, ʿArāʾis al-majālis fī qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ, tr and
66 Fodor, 1978, p 15 and n 86
ed Brinner, 2002, pp 294–5 See also Heller, “Mūsā,” EI 2 VII,
67 Manbaʿ uṣūl al-ḥikma, pp 154–6, as cited in Fodor,
640a; Fodor, 1978, pp 5–6
1978, p 6
61 “Picatrix, ” tr and eds Ritter and Plessner, 1962,
68 Al-Thaʿlabī, Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ, Cairo, 1325, pp 111–6,
p 154 13–5
cited after Heller, “Mūsā,” EI 2 VII, 640a Cf Fodor, 1978, p 5
62 Fodor, 1978, p 9
69 Idem, 1978, p 14 and n 82
the dragon and sound
189