magoi
Rick Strelan (r.strelan@mailbox.uq.edu.au)
Mon, 7 Jul 1997 21:52:11 +1000
Dio Chrysostom (Disc 36.41) says that the magoi were those who EPISTAMENOI
QERAPEUEIN TO DAIMONION which Loeb translates: "people who knew how to
cultivate the divine power". I do not have any problem with that as a
translation, but it can also be translated "those who knew how to heal the
daemon", can it not? Why opt for one over the other? The relevance for NT
Greek is the use of the term mageuein of Simon in Acts 8 and of
Elymas=magos in Acts 13. Did Simon know how to cultivate the divine power
(in the context that makes sense)? or, did he know how to heal the demon?
They are not mutually exclusive, of course.