The Key of Solomon the King

Questions for Further Study

• 1. Explain how The Key of Solomon the King represents a blending of religion, science, and the occult. Why was this blending attractive during the Renaissance?
• 2. Why was The Key of Solomon the King attributed to King Solomon of the Old Testament?
• 3. The Key of Solomon the King was rediscovered during the occultist movement of the late nineteenth century. Why do you think occultism experienced a revival at this time? What needs did spiritualists, fortune-tellers, and others fulfill for people?
• 4.: The Key of Solomon the King is similar to the Book of Enoch in two ways. Both are pseudepigraphical and both purport to pass along esoteric wisdom. Given these two basic similarities, compare the works and explain how they are otherwise similar, and how they differ.
• 5.: The Key of Solomon the King belongs to the same category as several works, including the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, Malleus maleficarum, and The Magus. Select one of these other texts and compare it with The Key. How does each text embody the views of demonism, witchcraft, and magic?