e created a man (out of dust) and sent him to Rabbi Zira, who
having addressed the figure and received no answer, said, "Thou art
(made) by witchcraft; return to thy native dust." Rav Chaneanah and Rav
Oshayah sat together every Sabbath-eve studying the book Yetzirah (i.e.,
the book of Creation), until they were able to create for themselves a
calf (as large as a) three-year old, and they did eat thereof.

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 65, col, 2.

Yannai once turned in to a certain inn, and asked for water to drink,
when they gave him (Shethitha, i.e., water mixed with flour). He noticed
that the lips of the woman who brought it moved (and so suspecting that
something was wrong), he poured out a little of it and it became
scorpions. He then said, "I have drunk of thine, now thou shalt drink of
mine." The woman drank and was transformed into an ass, which he mounted
and rode to the market-place. One of her companions having come up,
broke the spell, and the ass he had ridden was on the spot transformed
back again into a woman. In reference to the above, Rashi naively
remarks that "we are not to suppose that Yannai was a Rabbi, for he was
not held in esteem, because he practiced witchcraft." But Rashi is
mistaken; see Sophrim, chap. 16, hal. 6.

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 67, col. 2.

Ten measures of witchcraft came into the world; Egypt received nine
measures, and the rest of the world one.

_Kiddushin_, fol. 49, col. 2.

The Rabbis say that on the Sabbath serpents and scorpions may be tamed
by charming; that a metal ring, such as may be carried on the Sabbath,
may be applied as a remedy to a sore eye; but that demons may not be
consulted on that day about lost property. Rabbi Yossi has said, "This
ought not to be done even on week-days." Rav Hunna says, "The Halachah
does not enjoin as Rabbi Yossi says, and even he prohibits it only
because of the risk there is in consulting demons. For instance, Rav
Yitzchak bar Yoseph was once desperately delivered from the attacks of a
vicious demon by a cedar-tree opening of its own accord and enclosing
him in its trunk."

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 101, col. 1.

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zachai acquired a knowledge of the language of angels
and demons for purposes of incantation.

_Bava Bathira_, fol. 134, col. 1.

"Neither shall ye use enchantments" ... (Lev. xix. 26). Such, for
instance, as those practiced with cats, fowls, and fishes.

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 66, col. 1.

Rav Ketina happened once, in his