In going through some commentaries, I read that there were exorcists but they used various incantations in their attempts to cast out demons.
The same commentaries state that the claim "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel" was due to the authority Jesus had over demons ... that when Jesus cast out devils, the devils immediately left.
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Commentaries?... hmmmm. Of course... many commentaries are usually deficient.
Maybe there were Jewish charlatans looking for money, perhaps.
Nowhere in the OT do we see a prescribed way for casting out demons. No where!
It was not real Jewish thinking.
David could use music to sedate the demonically influenced king Saul. But there was no exorcism.
A true exorcism would be like what happened with Legion who returned to his right mind after Jesus cast out the demons.
King Saul could have the demon return at any time... That was not an exorcism.
In the mean while..
And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke.
The crowd was amazed and said,
“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
Matthew 9:33
What was seen before was not a real exorcism.
The Pharisees had no one who could cast out demons.
Nowhere do we see the Pharisees claiming they could do the same thing.
And, they would have done so in a New York second if they could!
What was happening was humiliating to the Pharisees... who were seeing all the demon
possessed people under their jurisdiction that they were unable to help....
They could only belittle Jesus out of jealousy.
......... grace and peace