Testament of Solomon: Recension C.
NP [ UK ]: Hadean Press, 2019. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. 64pp. Shimmering purple cloth with gilt lettering to upper cover and spine. Edition limited to 120 copies. From the publisher: "The Testament of Solomon comprises a family of texts, some dating to the fourth century CE or earlier, relating an extra-Biblical account of King Solomon's divinely-conferred power to constrain the demons who plague the human race. It is also, implicitly, a handbook for those bold or foolhardy enough to follow his example in the demonological sciences. Translated here for the first time from fifteenth-century Byzantine Greek manuscripts, one such text of this secret Solomonic history has finally been made available in English. Along with the unique catalogue of spirit names, sigils, dominions, and offices found in this text – among which readers will discover some genuinely surprising characters – this edition also includes an expository introduction and annotations by the translator which situate the text within its historical milieu, manuscript tradition, and a lineage of magical and demonological theory reaching back to the Greek Magical Papyri. This scholarly analysis, no less than the evidence of the manuscripts themselves, emphasizes that the Testament in all of its forms was first and foremost a work of practical magic. In his foreword, renowned author David Rankine says the Testament of Solomon: Recension C will provide another stepping stone on the path to a fuller and richer understanding of the grimoire tradition." From the collection of Clive Harper with his discreet book-label neatly tipped in at the rear. Harper is well- known as the bibliographer of Austin Osman Spare, for updating the Aleister Crowley bibliography in the 2011 Teitan Press collection of Gerald Yorke's writings, and as someone who has lent his expertise to numerous other publications. The label can easily be removed without affecting the page, although it would be a shame not to preserve this record of the book's provenance. "As new" -an unread copy in Fine condition (no dust jacket issued). Out-of-Print in hardcover. Item #65963
Sold