The Talmud Also Has a King of Demons Who Apparently Hates Even Numbers

The Babylonian Talmud contains an extended discussion about the danger of doing things in pairs.

Two cups could be bad.

Four cups might also be bad, although apparently differently.

Naturally, demons are involved.

In Pesachim 110a, a figure called Yosef the Demon explains that Ashmedai is king of the demons and has authority over actions performed in pairs. The discussion then distinguishes what demons might do to someone who drinks two cups versus four.

Two can get you killed.

Four, apparently, may merely get you harmed.

One begins to appreciate modern public-health leaflets.

The rabbis are not writing a demon encyclopedia. They are debating traditions involving zugot, or pairs, within a much larger discussion. But the supernatural background is accepted sufficiently for Ashmedai to wander into the reasoning as though everybody already knows who runs the demon department.

Later Jewish legend would turn Ashmedai into a far larger character, particularly in stories involving King Solomon.

The underlying fascination is older and simpler.

Numbers are never merely numbers for very long.

Humans attach luck to seven, danger to thirteen, completeness to three, mystical importance to twelve and cosmic importance to whatever number appears twice after someone has been awake since 3 a.m.

Ancient Jewish demon lore had pairs.

The universe could contain invisible spirits, and apparently some of them had strong feelings about counting.