Grimoires by a Biblical King? The Magical Treatise of Solomon and the Key of Solomon

The Magical Treatise of Solomon and the Key of Solomon are two grimoires (handbooks of magic) commonly said to have been written by the biblical King Solomon. The latter grimoire has been described as The most enduring, influential, and notorious Solomonic book, and much has been written on it. English translations of this piece of work can also be found easily. By contrast, the Magical Treatise of Solomon may be said to be less well known, and relatively less has been written about it. Nevertheless, this grimoire is regarded as the precursor to the Key of Solomon.

 Little Key of the Whole Art of Hygromancy

The Magical Treatise of Solomon is known also as the Little Key of the Whole Art of Hygromancy, Found by Several Craftsmen and by the Holy Prophet Solomon, or simply as the Hygromanteia. This text is a compilation of Greek manuscripts, and dates to the 15th century AD. It has been said that this text is the ancestor of the famous Key of Solomon. At present, the only English translation of the Magical Treatise of Solomon is the one edited by Ioannis Marathakis, which was first published in 2011. With regards to this translation, it has been stated that “For the first time (outside of a handful of pages in academic works) the full Greek original of the Key of Solomon appears in English.”

The Magical Treatise of Solomon, or Hygromanteia by Ioannis Marathakis. (Amazon)