cient ▁world ▁ ▁The ▁Old ▁Pers ian ▁mag u š ▁ ▁The ▁English ▁words ▁magic , ▁m age ▁and ▁mag ician ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁mag us , ▁through ▁the ▁Greek ▁ μ ά γ ος , ▁which ▁is ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁Pers ian ▁mag u š ▁(" mag ician "). ▁The ▁Old ▁Pers ian ▁mag u - ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Pro to - Ind o - Europe an ▁* mag h ▁(" be ▁able "). ▁The ▁Pers ian ▁term ▁may ▁have ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁Old ▁S init ic ▁* M <0xE1> <0xB5> <0x9E> ag ▁(" m age " ▁or ▁" sh aman "). ▁The ▁Old ▁Pers ian ▁form ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁per me ated ▁An cient ▁Sem it ic ▁languages ▁as ▁the ▁Tal m ud ic ▁Heb rew ▁mag osh , ▁the ▁Ar ama ic ▁am g ush a ▁(" mag ician "), ▁and ▁the ▁Chal de an ▁mag h dim ▁(" w is dom ▁and ▁philosophy "); ▁from ▁the ▁first ▁century ▁B CE ▁on wards , ▁Sy rian ▁mag us ai ▁gained ▁not or iety ▁as ▁mag icians ▁and ▁so oth say ers . ▁ ▁The ▁Mag i ▁are ▁mentioned ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁Jer em iah ▁and ▁the ▁Be h ist un ▁Ins cription ▁of ▁D arius ▁I , ▁indicating ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁gained ▁considerable ▁power ▁and ▁influence ▁by ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁mill en ni um ▁B CE . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁authors ▁discuss ▁these ▁Pers ian ▁má go i ▁in ▁their ▁works .