RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Demon Demoniac
lar belief in demons is attested further by the manyinjunctions against sorcery wlxich appear in the leo-islative and prophetic utterances. In ethnic custom one of the universally employed means of averting the harmful action of demons is the use of the magic word or act. The fact that the people needed this admonition so constantly speaks more strongly for the abiding belief in demons than the few specific references which are found. For the New Testament doctrine and for later Jewish belief in demons see Demoniac, §§1-4.
Geo. W Gilmore.
Bibliography: A. Kohut, Angelologie und Damonologie in ihrer Abhdngigkeit vom Parsismus, in Abhandlungen filr die Kunde des Morgenlandes, iv., 1866; W Baudissin, Siitdien zur semitischen Religionsgeschichte, i. 110-146, Leipsic, 1876; P. Scholtz, Gotzendienst und Zauberwesen, pp. 133-137, Regensburg, 1877; J. T. de Visser, De Daemonologie van het O. T., pp. 80-83, Utrecht, 1880; II. Schultz, 0. T. Theology, London, 1892; R. Stube, Jildisch-babylonische Zaubertexte, Halle, 1895; W. R. Newbold, Demon Possession and Allied Themes, in New World, Sept., 1897; E. Stave, Ueber den Einfiuss des Parsismus auf das Judentum, pp. 235-280, Haarlem, 1898; Smith, Rel. of Sem., pp. 119-120; DB, i. 590-594; EB, i. 10G9- 1074; JE, iv. 514-521. On Lilith consult: J. A. Eisenmenger, Entdecktes Judentum, ii. 413 sqq., Frankfort, 1700; W. Gesenius, Jesaia, i. 916-920, Leipsic, 1821. On ethnic demonology consult: F. Lenormant, La Magie chez les Chaldeens, Paris, 1874; J. Wellhausen, Heidentum, pp. 151 sqq.; J. L. Nevins, Demon Possession and Allied Themes, New York, 1895; E. B. Tylor, Primitive Culture, London, 1903. Consult also the literature under Demoniac.
DEMONIAC.
Jewish and New Testament Demonology (§1).
New Testament Ideas Concerning Demoniacs (§ 2).
Symptoms of Possession (§ 3).
Exorcism by Jesus (§ 4).
Exorcism in the Early Church (§ 5).
Exorcism by Jews (§ 6).
Modern Explanations (§ 7).
A demoniac is one supposed to be possessed by a demon or evil spirit or by several demons. The name " demon " originated in Greek mythology and was introduced into the Bible and Christianity through the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew se'irim and shedhim (see the article Demon for the Old Testament demonology). In postexilic Judaism demonology gained ground, either through foreign influence or by a recrudescence of primitive Semitic or Israelitic folk-lore. The New Testament reflects the current beliefs of its time. The demonic powers are represented as spirits, not flesh and blood (Eph. vi. 12); they can assume any form, even appearing as angels of light (II Cor. xi. 14); they dwell in ruins (Rev. xviii. 2), in tombs (Mark V. 1 sqq.), and especially in the desert (Matt. iv. 1 sqq., xii. 43). In the Talmud their generic name is mazzikin (" injurers "). They lead men to sin (Enoch Ixix. 4, 6), and return more readily to the sinner than to the righteous
I.Jewish (Testament of Naphtali 8); yet it and New is possible to resist the devil (Eph. Testament vi. 12; James iv. 7; I Pet. v. 8),
Demon- and even to stop the way of the ology. evil spirits by opposing them (Matt.
xii. 43 sqq.). One who transgresses the commandments falls an easy victim to the demons {Debarim rabbah 4), although he is protected by the recitation of the Shema, or by III.-26
the strict observance of other commandments (Berako 5% Pesikta 187"). The devil and his hosts are the special foes of the Messianic kingdom (Rev. xii. 10). The mission of Jesus was the conquest of the " strong man " (Matt. xii. 29), although, according to Luke xxii. 3, I Cor. ii. 8, he apparently fell a victim to the evil one; yet, as he had expressed the conviction that he had cast out the kingdom of Satan by the spirit of God (Matt, xii. 26, 28), he inspired his disciples and all early Christianity with the consciousness of victory over the demons (Luke x. 17 sqq.). They, on the other hand, recognized Jesus as the Messiah (Mark i. 24, and frequently). According to Rev. xii., which is confirmed by allusions in the Pauline writings, the devil, having been cast down from heaven, is come to earth to work evil during the little time which still remained to him, and must be resisted continually, although he can win no real victory. The Pauline concept of the " rudiments of the world " (Col. ii. 20; of. ii. 15; Rom. viii. 38; Eph. vi. 12) refers not only to the sovereigns of the Jews and the Gentiles (Gal. iii. 19; iv. 1-4, 8-9; Enoch Ixxxix. 69-60), but also to the gods of the nations and of idolatrous Israel (Deut. xxxii. 17; Ps. xcv. 5, cvi. 37). This comparison of the pagan deities to shedhim recurs in postexilic Judaism (Enoch xix. 1; Rev. ix. 20), in the writings of Paul, and throughout ecclesiastical antiquity. Though Paul denied the existence of idols (I Cor. viii. 4 sqq.), declaring them dead (I Thess. i. 9) and no gods by nature (Gal. iv. 8), he expressly stated that the sacrifices offered to pagan deities were really given to devils (I Cor. x. 19 sqq.; cf. Justin, i. 5, 10, 12, 23, ii. 1, 12, 13; Tatian, Oratio ad Grcecos ; TertuUian, Apol., xxii., xxiii., et passim; Origen, Contra Celsufn).
The principal source for the Biblical view of demoniacs is the historical books of the New Testament. According to the general concept of the various passages, the demon enters into man as a second personality (Luke viii. 30), dwelling in him as in a house (Matt. xh. 44; Luke xi. 24), so that evil spirits dread to be banished into 2. New Tes- the abyss (Luke viii. 31), or (Mark v.
tament 10) to be expelled from a land they Ideas Con- love, preferring to inhabit the bodies cerning of swine. The demon tortures man Demoniacs. (Matt. xv. 22), driving him whither he would not go (Luke viii. 29). The demoniac is often so thoroughly possessed by the evil spirit that he lives in sepulchers and other lonely places, a danger to passers-by (Matt. viii. 28) and unable to be bound by even the strongest fetters (Mark v. 3-6); he even speaks as though he were himself the demon, using the plural when possessed by many evil spirits (Matt. viii. 29; Mark i. 24, v. 9; Luke iv. 34, viii. 28).
The manifestations of demoniac possession are extremely varied. The boy at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark ix. 14-27) is represented as seized with convulsions, writhing on the ground, and foaming at the mouth. At the first attack the boy wallowed dumb upon the ground, nor did he cry out until the demon had been expelled, although the account of Luke (ix. 39) states that
Semoniac Dempster