A Textual Network of Technical Texts

Background, Methodology, and a Case Study

Abstract

Throughout the history of philological-historical research, several traditions of textual analysis have evolved, the most famous of which was developed by the German philologist Karl Lachmann (1793–1851). In this article, I describe the methods of textual analysis that are generally used today, in addition to providing a methodological approach for analyzing and comparing technical texts (i.e., texts that invite the reader to test them by executing the instructions that are written in them) by applying the network paradigm as a descriptive, exploratory, and explanatory tool. The nature of open technical texts calls for a discussion that emphasizes the uniqueness of each text, while explicitly recognizing how they are connected within a broader textual network. To illustrate my point, I will discuss the connections between the Summa Sacre Magice, Liber Razielis, and Liber Bileth, all of which are texts that deal with summoning and controlling demons.