Editing Magic circle (section)

=== In Judaism ===
Examples of [[Jews|Jewish]] customs showing the use of the magic circle can be found in the birth protection rituals of [[Alsace]] and the surrounding area. As early as 1560, a text by the rabbi Naphtali Hirsch ben Elieser Treves notes a custom in which a circle is drawn around the birthing woman to protect her from [[Lilith]] and demons. This was done using a Krasmesser (circle knife) which would be wielded by the [[midwife]] or the father of the child.<ref name="Lubrich">{{harvp|Lubrich|2022|p=31}}</ref> Paul Christian Kirchner’s description of Jewish birthing customs from 1734 includes an illustration showing a knife or a sword near the bed, and likewise [[Johann Christian Georg Bodenschatz]] describes a sword placed near the pregnant woman in the eighteenth century, indicating the likelihood that this custom continued through the centuries. Oral accounts from 20th century [[Baden-Württemberg]] in a publication by the [[Jewish Museum of Switzerland]] also reference circling movements with a knife in order to protect a woman in childbirth.<ref name="Lubrich" />