Christianity vs. Witchcraft: The Misuse of Exodus 22:18 and the War on the Divine Feminine
"Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live." — Exodus 22:18 Few biblical verses have caused more bloodshed, fear, and persecution of women than this one single line. Across centuries, from the witch trials of Europe to the colonial persecutions in Salem, Exodus 22:18 has been wielded like a sword against women—especially those who dared to live outside the narrow confines of patriarchal religion. But what if this verse was never about women practicing folk magic at all? What if its meaning was manipulated, mistranslated, and ultimately weaponized to serve political and religious control? The Power of Translation and Control In the original Hebrew, the word translated as “sorceress” is “mekhashephah,” which scholars suggest refers not to witches in the modern sense, but to those who practiced malicious magic —harmful intent, curses, or poisoners. Yet when the Bible was translated into Latin, and later into English, the nuance was lost. The term...
