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February 16, 2016

How Did Vampires Get into Medieval Jewish Texts?

And where did modern Hebrew get its word for one?

While the array of demons mentioned in talmudic literature does not include vampires, occasional reference to such creatures does appear in medieval rabbinic texts. Elon Gilad notes some examples, most prominently a passage from the 13th-century ethical-pietistic work Sefer Ḥasidim which describes a flying, blood-sucking, female human-like creature called a striya. (Free registration required):

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February 16, 2016

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  5. How Did Vampires Get into Medieval Jewish Texts?

    And where did modern Hebrew get its word for one?

How Did Vampires Get into Medieval Jewish Texts? | Tikvah Ideas