Overview of the Safer Harazim

The Safer Harazim, or Book of Mysteries, is a long text written in learned Hebrew during the late Roman Empire. It begins with an introduction that traces its origins back to Noah and includes extensive angelic hierarchies. The text is divided into seven firmaments or heavenly realms, each populated by different types of angels. The book contains numerous spells and rituals that practitioners can use to achieve various outcomes, such as healing, divination, love magic, and protection against enemies. While the text incorporates elements from the Hekelot and Merkava traditions, its specific cosmology is not clearly astral or planetary, even though it includes some references to celestial bodies. The Safer Harazim has significant influence in later Jewish magical and kabbalistic traditions.