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Term: Letter of Rehoboam

DEFINITION:
A text of astrological medicine and angelology, probably written by a Hellenized Jew. Solomon is the purported author, and it is framed as a letter the great king wrote to his son, Rehoboam, explaining the benefits of gaining power through the use of “plants, prayers, stones, but above all else…the seven planetary gods.” In style it fits very much with Pagan works written in Greco-Roman times. The letter, divided into seven sections, explains the order of the planets, stars, and hours, their relationship to the angels and demons. It also lists prayers, incantations, and offerings one can use to influence illness, to heal, and to shape other earthly events…While the document is superficially monotheistic, it speaks of “planetary gods (angels?)” and also has the unusual feature that most of the prayers and spells are addressed directly to the angelic beings and stars.