 In the 19th century, with the increasing interest in occultism amongst the British following the publication of Francis Barrett's "The Magus" (1801), the term entered the English language in reference to books of magic.The earliest known written magical incantations come from ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), where they have been found inscribed on cuneiform clay tablets that archaeologists excavated from the city of Uruk and dated to between the 5th and 4th centuries BC.The ancient Egyptians also employed magical incantations, which have been found inscribed on amulets and other items.