Acts 8:11

Theology of Magicians

μαγεία, ἡ theology of the Magians, μ. ἡ Ζωροάστρου Pl. Alc. 1.122a.

The term μαγεία in its literal and original sense refers to the learning and religious service of the Magi among the Persians. As noted by Plato in Alcibiades I 122a, this practice is described as θεῶν θεραπεία, meaning "service of the gods." It encompasses both scholarly knowledge and ritual observances performed by the Magi, the priestly caste of Zoroastrian Persia. In that context, μαγεία is understood as a positive, divinely sanctioned religious practice rather than mere superstition or trickery.

In addition to its theological and scholarly sense, μαγεία came to denote magic, sorcery, or witchcraft more generally. In historical and literary texts, such as Thucydides H.P. 9.15.7, the term describes actions or spells that produce astonishment, manipulate natural forces, or influence spirits. This practical or magical sense could range from ritualized charms to deceptive arts, reflecting a broader Greek usage where μαγεία includes both extraordinary religious rites and more everyday manipulations of supernatural power.

Classical scholarship and scholia provide a further technical distinction. According to the scholia on Iliad 1.81, μαγεία specifically involves invoking or conjuring good gods for beneficial purposes, whereas γοητεία denotes invoking evil powers for harmful purposes. Thus, μαγεία straddles the line between positive religious practice and the exercise of magical power, highlighting the dual nuance of the term as both a theological and a practical concept. In Acts 8:10, the dative plural ταῖς μαγείαις refers to effects that could be interpreted either as literal sorcery or as miraculous phenomena causing displacement/astonishment (ἐξεστακέναι).

(cf. LSJ and Pape: μαγεία)