The Shem HaMephorash, meaning the explicit name, is an originally Tannaitic term describing a hidden name of God in Kabbalah, and in some more mainstream Jewish discourses. It is composed of either 4, 12, 22, 42, or 72 letters, the last version being the most common.
12-, 22-, and 42-letter versions
thought the Shem ha-Mephorash was used only for the four letter Tetragrammaton. A 12-letter variant appears in the Talmud, though it was unknown in later Kabbalah and completely absent from Jewish magic. A 22-letter variant is first written down in the Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, without interpretation, as אנקתם פסתמ פספסים דיונסים. Its origins are unknown, with no connection to Hebrew or Aramaic being found, and no agreement on any particular Greek or Zoroastrian origin. There are Geonic precedents for the name, indicating that the name is older than Sefer Raziel. A 42-letter variant was described by Hai Gaon as אבגיתץ קרעשטן נגדיכש בטרצתג חקבטנע יגלפזק שקוצית. He wrote "Although the consonants of this name are well known, its proper vocalization is not rendered by tradition. Some pronounce its first part Abgitaẓ, and others Abigtaẓ, and the last part is sometimes read Shakvaẓit, and sometimes Shekuẓit, but there is no definite proof." This variation in pronunciation was understood by Joshua Trachtenberg to indicate that this version is quite ancient, the vowels in Hebrew being easily lost over time. It is, by some means, derived from the first 42 letters of the Hebrew Bible. Like the 22-letter name, it is found in the Sefer Raziel HaMalakh.
The 72-fold name
The "72-fold name" is highly important to Sefer Raziel, and a key component to the magical practices in the Lesser Key of Solomon. It is derived from Exodus 14:19-21, read boustrophedonically to produce 72 names of three letters. This method was explained by Rashi,. Kabbalist and occultist legends state that the 72-fold name was used by Moses to cross the Red Sea, and that it can grant later holymen the power to cast out demons, heal the sick, prevent natural disasters, and even kill enemies. The 72-fold name is mentioned by Roger Bacon, who complained about a book titled Liber semamphoras, more specifically the linguistic corruption that occurred in translating Hebrew to Latin. The angels of the Shemhamphorash factored heavily into the cosmology of Johann Reuchlin influencing Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and Athanasius Kircher. Thomas Rudd featured the 72 angels in his magic, as a balancing force against the evil spirits of the Ars Goetia or in isolation. Rudd's material on the Shemhamphorash was later copied and expanded by Blaise de Vigenère, whose manuscripts were in turn used by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers in his works for the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
Within LaVeyan Satanism, the term "shemhamforash" is used during rituals as outlined in The Satanic Bible. The term is essentially an equivalent of "hallelujah" in the sense that it is taken to mean "Hail Satan" when used in this context, to corroborate with LaVeyan Satanism's objective of satirizing traditional religious practice.
