Melondrop’s Reviews > The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic and Mysticism > Status Update

Chanina Ben Pappa: demonic forces periodically tormented him. He was once confronted by evil spirits while delivering charity at night, but drove them away with words of Scripture. On another occasion, his body spontaneously erupted into stores in order to fend off of seduction. When witchcraft was used to cure them, he was forced to flee to maintain his modesty, only to end up in a haunted bathhouse.

A wounded vampire could fend off destruction if she (Jewish tradition only mentions female vampires) could obtain and consume the bread and salt of her assailant (testament of Judah the Pious).

The Jewish awe regarding blood continued to have a paranormal aspect - one medieval tradition held that menstruating women who gaze into mirrors will leave blood on the glass.

In an example of analogous magic, all the doors of the house would be opened and all the knots and bows of the woman’s garments would be undone to ease the birth process.

The use of amulets by biblical Israelites is specifically criticized in Isaiah 3:18–20. It is unclear from the context weather amulet qua amulets are being condemned, or whether they are merely included in a list of vanities and luxuries associated with women.