Hebrew Magic Amulets - Schrire

Their Decipherment and Interpretation
HEBREW
MAGIC
AMULETS
Their Decipherment
and Interpretation
by
T. SCHRIRE
B E H R M A N H O U S E I N C ., P U B L I S H E R S
NEW YO RK, NEW YO R K
JA M ES W H ITE UBR
A N D R E W S UN5VER!
BERRiEN SPRINGS, Ml
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Schrire, T. (Theodore)
Hebrew magic amulets.
Reprint. Originally published: Hebrew amulets.

London: Routledge 6? K . Paul, 1966.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Amulets (Judaism) I. Title.
fiM 72 9 .A 4 .S 3 ig 8 2 296.4 8 2 -14 6 6 4
IS B N 0 -8 744 1-34 0 -0
First published as Hebrew Amulets in 1966

1982 edition published by Behrman House Inc., Publishers
1261 Broadway New York, New York 10001
0 87441 340-0
IS B N - -
M anufactured in the United States o f America
TO S Y L V IE
Proverbs 1 8 :2 2
6m
7^9
■ Ay
i s
CONTEXTS
Foreword Pag e v
Acknowledgem ents ix
Preface xi
I. Introduction i
II. Ethnology, History o f Amulets, the Evil Eye 5
III. The Halachic Attitude 12
IV . The typical Hebrew Amulet 17
V. Background and Description o f Amulets 20
V I. Mysticism, Ecstasy and the Belief in Amulets 26
V II. Kabbalism, Hasidism and the Spread o f Kabbalis-
tic Lore 33
V III. Deciphering and Calligraphy 42
IX . Classification of Amulets 49
X. Non-Hebrew Inscriptions and Ornaments,
Colours 54
X I. Magical Squares, Triangles and Hexagrams 59
X II. Judaeo-Arab and Judaeo-Christian Amulets 69
X III. Paired Amulets, Amulet Cases, Amuletic Rings 74
X IV . Amulets in the 17th, 18th and 19th Century 78
XV. Errors and Corrections, False Premises 85
X V I. The Shiviti Amulets 87
X V II. Construction o f Shemoth. 1. The Names of God 91
X V III. 2. The Shemoth. Biblical verses 100
X IX . 3. The Shemoth. Angelology 104
XX. 4. The Shemoth. Midrashic Shemoth 112
X X I. 5. Other Shemoth 121
X X II. List o f Effective Verses 123
X X III. Printed Amulets, Written Amulets 136
Conclusion 138
Appendix. Explanation and Interpretation of
Illustrated Amulets 139
Bibliography 173
Glossary r75
Index 178
Foreword
o f th e e ffic a c y o f m ag ic has p r o d u c e d e m b a rra ssm e n t an d

led to th e om ission o f th o se p assages fro m th e m o d e rn
stu d y o f T a lm u d in Jew ish S e m in a rie s o f e v e ry d e n o m in a
tion. A m o re realistic a p p r o a c h to B a b y lo n ia n a n d P alestin
ian rab b in ic m ag ic has b e e n e x p re s s e d by Saul L ie b e rm a n
(Greek in Jewish Palestine, N e w Y o r k , 1 9 4 1 , 1965):
T h e Babylonian Rabbis . . . kept the rule that there is no
need to fight the superstition o f the people when it is possi
ble to transform it into true religion, (p. 103)
It is fundam entally an erro r to generalize and say that in
Palestinian Talm udo-M idrashic literature fewer “supersti
tions” are found than in Babylonian. T o adhere to this view
would mean to maintain that the Palestinian Jews were less
civilized than the Babylonian, that they were not men o f
their time and place. Palestine, situated between Egypt on
the one hand and Babylonia on the other, could not escape
the influence o f the wisdom o f that time. T h e Rabbis did
their utmost to combat superstitions which were forbidden
by the Written Law, to eliminate the magic which smacked
o f idolatry, but they had to accept those charms which were
sanctioned by the “scientists” o f that time. (p. 110)
T h e p s y c h o lo g ic a l in s ig h t o f th e R ab b is is b e st su m
m a rize d in th e B a b y lo n ia n T a lm u d (P esah im 1 10b), “ W h en
o n e is c o n c e r n e d a b o u t d e m o n s , th e d e m o n s c o n c e r n
th em se lve s w ith th a t p e rso n , b u t i f o n e is n o t c o n c e rn e d
a b o u t d e m o n s, th e n th e d e m o n s a re n o t c o n c e r n e d with
th a t p e rso n . In a n y e v e n t o n e m u st b e c a u tio u s.”
P o p u la r m agic a m o n g th e Jew s o f B a b y lo n ia led to th e
u se o f bow ls in scrib e d w ith A ra m a ic in ca n ta tio n s th a t in
v o k e d n am es o f G o d a n d an g els, a n d th a t e m p lo y e d biblical
verses fo r p ro te c tio n . A m u le t ic m ag ic d e v e lo p e d e v e n
fu r th e r in th e p o st-T a lm u d ic p e rio d . T w o b o o k s, Sefer Yet-
zirah a n d Sefer Raziel, b e c a m e p o p u la r h a n d b o o k s fo r
a m u le t m ak ers.
A lth o u g h th e m e zu za h is n o t r e g a r d e d as an a m u le t to
day, by th e 12 th c e n tu ry it h a d b e c o m e so en tw in e d with
a m u le tic m a g ic a l illu s tr a t io n s a n d p h r a s e s th a t M ai-
m o n id e s was c o m p e lle d to w rite (Mishneh Torah, H il. Tefil-
lin 5:4): “ T h e r e is n o h a rm in w ritin g S h a d d a i o n th e o u t
side, b u t th o se w h o w rite o n th e in sid e n am es o f a n g e ls, o r
vi
Foreword
holy nam es, o r verses, o r o th e r fo rm u la s a re o f th o se w h o

have no sh a re in th e w o rld to co m e . F o r th ese fo o ls . . .
tu rn it in to an a m u le t fo r th e ir o w n selfish in te re st . . .”
F rom th a t tim e o n , m ost o f th e m ag ica l fo rm u la s d isa p
p e a re d fro m th e m e zu za h , b u t e v e n to d a y tw o vestiges
o f its past a m u le tic u sa g e re m a in . T h e w o rd “ S h a d d a i”
on th e o u tsid e o f th e m e zu za h has s tro n g ties to th e m a g
ical use o f this n am e o f G o d . O n th e in sid e o f th e m ez
u za h p a r c h m e n t is th e S h e m a . O n th e o u ts id e o f th e
p a r c h m e n t , p o s it io n a lly c o r r e s p o n d in g to th e t h ir d ,
fo u r th , a n d fifth w o rd s o f th e S h e m a is th e fo r m u la
IT'D TDD103 ir o . T h e s e w o rd s a re a su b stitu tion
c o d e (u sin g th e n e x t le tte r in th e H e b re w a lp h a b et) fo r th e
th re e w o rd s o f th e S h e m a mrr iinVx mn’
T h is c o d e d p h r a s e w as u s e d in J e w is h m a g ic as th e
fo u rte e n -le tte r n am e fo r G o d . It'D a lo n e is o fte n
u sed as a su b stitu te fo r mn’ in in ca n ta tio n s an d
am u lets. T h e r e can be little d o u b t a b o u t th e o rig in a l m a g i
cal a m u letic in te n tio n fo r in c lu d in g such m ysterio u s fo r
m ulas in th e m e zu za h .
In th e 18th c e n tu ry a c o n tro v e rs y aro se b e tw e en R abbi
J a co b E m d e n a n d R abbi J o n a th a n E yb e sch u etz. N e ith e r
q u e stio n e d th e e ffic a c y o r le g itim a cy o f a m u lets. R ath er,
th e d isp u te c e n te r e d o n th e accu sa tio n th at E yb e sch u etz,
in a m u lets h e h a d p r e p a r e d , h a d a llu d e d to th e d isc re d ite d
false M essiah, S h ab b e ta i Zevi.
E v e n th e G a o n o f V iln a , th o u g h a b itte r e n e m y o f
H asidism , a p p r o v e d o f th e u se o f a m u lets. A t least som e
Jew ish c irc le s a c c e p te d th e e ffic a c y o f a m u le tic m ag ic,
w h ile o th e rs o p p o s e d a n y fo rm o f m ag ica l p rax is. T h e s e
p o p u la r m agical p ractices d id n o t c o n tra v e n e re lig io n in
th e m in d o f th e clien t. T o th e m in d s o f m an y, e v en in
“ o ffic ia l” J u d a is m , th e y w e re co m p a tib le .
T h e stu d y o f m ag ic is n o t e n tire ly th e stu d y o f th e past.
M any m agical b eliefs a n d p ractices still p ersist a m o n g us.
C y r u s H . G o r d o n h as s u m m a r iz e d th is p a r a d o x . (“ A
W o rld o f D e m o n s a n d L ilith s,” Adventures in the Nearest
East, L o n d o n 19 57 , p. 160) “ S cie n ce as w ell as m ag ic b oth
stem fro m th e d e sire to solve life ’s p ro b le m s . . . such as th e
m a in te n a n ce o f h e alth , th e a tta in m e n t o f m ateria l p ro sp e r-
vii
Foreword
ity a n d security, a n d p e rso n a l h ap p in e ss. . . . I f so m e th in g

a p p e a rs p lau sib le at ce rtain tim es, it m ay fa irly be classified
as scien tific, b u t i f it is la te r d is p ro v e d a n d y et p e o p le
a d h e r e to it, it is th en su p e rstitio n .” T o lo o k d o w n u p o n th e
a n cie n t “ scien tists” fo r th e ir b e lie fs “ w o u ld b e to lack his
torical p e rsp e c tiv e .’ ”
T h is r e p r in t o f T . S c h r ir e ’s Hebrew Amulets p ro v id e s us
w ith a key to u n d e r s ta n d in g th e ro le a n d fu n c tio n o f the
p ro te ctiv e p o w e r o f am u lets a m o n g Jew s, esp ecia lly d u r in g
th e last few c e n tu rie s. O u r d e b t to th e a u th o r fo r p r e p a r
in g this r e m a rk a b le c o m p e n d iu m rem a in s. T h e o rig in a l
e d itio n w as issu ed in lim ite d q u a n tity a n d so o n b ecam e
u n a va ila b le. C o p ie s a re n o w ra re . It is th e r e fo r e a g re a t
service to h a v e this r e p r in t m ak e it o n c e a g a in availab le.
T h is n ew e d itio n in c lu d e s c h a n g e s s u g g e ste d by th e a u
th or.
T h is w o rk can h e lp to p r o v id e a g re a te r u n d e r s ta n d in g
o f th e va riety o f h u m a n b e lie fs a n d p ractices a n d th e d i
v e r s itie s o f e x p r e s s io n a n d b e li e f th a t c o e x is t w ith in
Ju d a ism .
P e o p le in e v e r y a g e a re b e se t by fe a rs re al a n d im a g in ed .
W h e r e in o u r d a y th e p sych o a n a ly st is so u g h t o u t to e x o r
cise th ose te rro rs , th e p e o p le o f o th e r tim es s o u g h t the
h elp o f th e ir c o n te m p o ra r y “ scientist,” th e m ag icia n , th e
o racle , th e m e d iu m , th e e x o rcist, o r th e m a k e r o f am u lets,
w h o se p ra x is w o u ld p r o te c t th em . It m ay g iv e us a b ette r
p e rsp e c tiv e w e re w e to c o n te m p la te th e p ro b a b ility th at
th e scientists o f so m e fu tu r e a g e m ay w ell view th e scien ce
o f o u r o w n d a y as su p e rstitio n .
RABBI M ANUEL GOLD
vili
ACKNO W L E D G E M E N T S
M Y F I R S T and most grateful thanks are due to those who

assisted me in w hat, i f only because o f m y serious short-comings
as a K abbalist, was o f necessity a very arduous but none the
less most rew arding piece o f work.
I must acknowledge w ith the greatest pleasure the assistance
that R a b b i M . Sm ith o f Rondebosch, C ape, has given me by
placing his vast erudition and rem arkable m em ory and know
ledge at m y disposal. H e has been o f great assistance in eluci
dating m any o f the shemoth. His ability to refer, in an instant, to
almost any part o f the Mishnah, the Gemara or the Torah by
accurate quotation and page has been o f immense assistance
in checking and cross-checking references and his scholarly
m ind has ever been available and freely placed at m y disposal
for discussion and for argum ent.
T o Professor Gershom G . Scholem o f the Institute o f Jewish
Studies, the H ebrew U niversity, Jerusalem , I am indebted for
his ready support and encouragem ent and for his willingness at
all times to reply to m y queries about the meanings and pro
venances o f m any o f the kameotk and shemoth. M r. A . Y a a ri o f the
same city is likewise entitled to m y thanks for m uch similar
assistance, for placing his large collection o f amulets at m y dis
posal for scrutiny and for explaining m uch o f the significance of
m any o f the pieces and their inscriptions.
T o D r. J . L. Teich er o f the D epartm ent o f O rien tal Studies,
Cam bridge, w ho has been most encouraging and to D r. D avid
D iringer o f the A lp h abet M useum , C am bridge I am most
grateful for suggestions, advice and support.
Professor I. Schapera, o f the D ept, o f Social A nthropology o f
the London School o f Economics is entitled to m y grateful
thanks for the interest he has taken in bringing this w ork to the
press. This kindness I most deeply appreciate.
M y daughter T a m ar as w ell as M r. R . Sagov o f C ap e T o w n
ix
Acknowledgements
have assisted me to collect amulets during their several visits to
Israel and the latter has been particularly generous in perm it
ting me to use several amulets from his own collection for some
o f the illustrations.
T o the Jewish M useum , C ape T ow n, I am indebted for per
mission to use several o f the amulets in their collection for use as
illustrations and to the Jewish M useum , London, for a similar
kindness in respect o f one o f theirs.
I am grateful to m y wife for her patience, kindness, support
and encouragement; both she and m y daughter Sharon gave me
great assistance in preparing, checking and correcting the M .S.
before it was ready to go to press.
My thanks are due to those people who have perm itted me to
use material on which they hold the copyright: Professor Ger-
shom G. Scholem for permission to use extracts from his Major
Trends in Jewish Mysticism; the Jew ish P ub lication Society,
Philadelphia, copyright holders o f the late Dr. J. Trachtenberg
for permission to use extracts from that author’s The Devil and the
Jews', Messrs. Ginn & Co. Boston, Mass., for a similar permission
in respect o f W. G. Sum ner’s Folkways-, and Mr. Vivian Gaster for
permission to quote so freely from his illustrious father’s writ
ings.
I acknowledge with thanks, the very great kindness and help
o f my second daughter, Professor Carm el Schrire o f Rutgers
University, for her invaluable advice and assistance in adding
chapters X II and X IV , and in bringing the whole book up to
date and preparing it for translation.
T . SCHRIRE
Capetown
1 979 -
PREFACE
T H E almost infinite variety o f inscriptions that have been

developed over m any centuries in the system o f esoteric writing
we shall be considering in this book has m ade it difficult to know
how m uch to include in the various chapters that deal with the
shemoth and how m uch to omit. It is also difficult to know how
much attention any particular inscription merits.
For these and other reasons therefore, the scope o f the book
must be a restricted one and it is, o f necessity, incom plete. In
order to anticipate the objections o f those who m ight be expect
ing a complete and exhaustive explanation o f each and every
inscription on all Jewish amulets, it is only right that the purpose
o f the book should be defined and its objectives stated clearly.
It has been our object to enable the inscription on a H ebrew
am ulet to be deciphered and interpreted and to perm it the
student, b y a simple process o f deduction, to determ ine the
purpose for w hich the particular am ulet had been m ade and
when, how and w here it was used. For this reason, even i f it
were h um anly possible to do so, no attem pt has been m ade to
com pile a com plete list o f all the shemoth w hich exist in the
very extensive literature on this subject. References are given to
such books as w ill enable the reader to pursue the m atter further
i f he feels so inclined, though it must be adm itted that the most
com plete lists o f shemoth, ancient as they are, still exist only in
m anuscript form and have not as yet been published. But these
manuscripts are available in certain reference libraries and
m odern methods o f photography have m ade it possible for any
serious student anywhere in the w orld to acquire entirely
adequate reproductions o f these esoteric writings for study and
consultation.
H owever, in spite o f these limitations, the lists o f shemoth given
in C hapter X X I I w ill enable fully 90% o f the inscriptions on the
more com m on silver amulets to be deciphered without any
xi
Preface
trouble and, in addition, will enable the objective o f the amulet
m aker to be deduced in all o f them.
T h e illustrations show examples o f m etallic amulets from
most oriental countries. O n ly the m etallic amulets, m ainly
silver, have been used because o f their variety and the relative
ease in obtaining them; the printed and w ritten amulets are not
illustrated here. T h e inscriptions on these latter two forms are
longer and more full than those found on the smaller areas
available on the surfaces o f the m etallic ones so that they require
mere translation rather than interpretation. Nevertheless, by
utilising the lists o f shemoth given, even the longest inscription
can be read, understood and its purpose determined.
W e have stated that the use o f amulets is m agical practice.
Indeed, this must be so if m agic is defined as ‘T h e utilisation o f
supernatural means to influence the course o f events’ . This
m atter is taken up more fully when the H alachic attitude to
amulets is considered and w hen the various means adopted by
am ulet makers to avoid the danger o f being branded as makers
o f m agic are explained (Chapter III).
C H A P T E R ONE
Introduction
T H E S T U D Y o f the inscriptions on H ebrew amulets has not
been pursued as enthusiastically as have been those on other
H ebrew objects. T h e reasons for this are not difficult to find.
Am ongst Jews, amulets have for a very long tim e been con
sidered to be tainted with superstition and heterodoxy and most
orthodox Jewish scholars have for long ignored them as prod
ucts o f ignorant or o f superstitious minds and have deliberately
avoided their study for fear o f becom ing contam inated with this
form o f turn ah.
M oreover, amulets were not easily available to scholars for
study in any significant numbers. Such as had survived were the
prized possessions o f their owners w ho showed little inclination
to part w ith them to research workers or others. It is recorded
for exam ple, that Gaster took almost twelve to fifteen years o f
constant effort to gain the confidence o f his Sam aritans before
they would let him remove or copy their amulets. From the
M iddle-Eastern Jews, the great users o f amulets, only a very
few cam e into the m arket and generally not in sufficient num
bers to make a com plete or w orthw hile study.
Furtherm ore, the inscriptions on the amulets were obscure.
T h eir meanings had been long forgotten and the provenance o f
the amulets themselves was often doubtful. T h e pieces o f
parchm ent or o f the skin o f unborn lam bs or the bits o f paper
are often folded, refolded, and compressed to m ake them fit into
am ulet cases in order to reduce their size and make them more
easily portable— the very nature o f the objects dem ands that
they be w orn on the person— so that such inscriptions as were
originally clear and distinct had becom e, after m uch use, often
rubbed aw ay w ith consequent loss o f clarity.
Introduction
So rare have the p aper and parchm ent amulets become that
a whole book has been w ritten on the description and study o f
only four such amulets, adm ittedly o f Syriac origin1. O ld
Jewish parchm ent am ulets are likewise rare but m etallic ones
are easier to obtain.
But w ithin the last few decades a series o f happenings has
taken place w hich has had, indirectly, a great effect on releasing
H ebrew amulets on to the markets. These happenings were the
Ingathering o f the Exiles after the establishment o f the State o f
Israel and the institution in that country o f com pulsory m ilitary
service for all young m en and women. D irectly as a result o f
this, large numbers o f silver and other m etallic amulets cam e on
to the markets and they are now available for study in fair
numbers. W e have been able to acquire or to study almost one
thousand such amulets and this work is a result o f this study.
T h e orthodox attitude o f contem pt for amulets and the
tendency to despise the am ulet-wearer as a superstitious
ignoram us is one that w ould never have developed i f notice had
been taken o f the numbers o f Jews whose mores have included
the use o f amulets in their every d ay life. U p to two hundred
years ago, amulets were in very com m on use am ong all Hasidic
Jews whether they lived in the Netherlands, in England, in
the M aghreb o f N orth A frica, or in the remote diasporas in
the N ear and M iddle East. T h e use o f amulets was also a com
m onplace am ong the hasidim and mekubalim o f Austria, H ungary,
G alicia and Poland. O n ly the misnagdim w ho lived in Lithuania,
in the Baltic States, in G erm any and in Russia abjured their use
and w ould not tolerate this custom. Since however, there
existed am ong these latter Jews at that time a very strong and
very vocal group o f ecclesiastical authorities with great centres o f
learning to support their views and full access to facilities for
publishing their opinions, general Jewish attitudes becam e
strongly turned against kameoth and their wearers and, as a
direct result o f the strong and positive influence o f these G erm an
and Lithuanian Jewish authorities, their wearers tended to be
come suspected o f heterodox practice.
But it should have been at least considered by their critics
that it was highly unlikely that the great m ajority o f Jews,
I. G ollan cz, H . Book o f Protection.

2
Introduction
adm ittedly not the most progressive or most modern group, had
all become infected with apikorsus\ that it was not likely that
true orthodoxy should have persisted only am ong the relatively
select few in G erm any and Lithuania.
T h e cause o f amulets in addition, had received a serious
setback in the earlier part o f the 17th century from w hich it
had never recovered. T h e strong personality and rise o f Shab-
bethai Zebi (1626-1676), w ho proclaim ed him self a Messiah
in Palestine and T urkey, took Hasidic Jew ry b y storm. In his
later days, Shabbethai Zebi becam e discredited, apostasized to
Islam and disappeared from the scene to die in obscurity in
D ulcigno in A lbania, but not before he and his disciples had
issued m any hundreds o f amulets in the nam e o f this false
Messiah. T h e controversy over these amulets— spurious and
blasphemous as they were— spread to W estern Jew ry and was
the basic cause o f the great controversy that took place between
R ab b i Jonathan Eybeschiitz, who was accused o f issuing Shab-
bethaic amulets and R ab b i Jacob Em den in 1752. H owever,
before this controversy had put a stop to the issue o f Shab-
bethaic amulets and had brought discredit on the w hole sub
ject, m any o f these spurious objects had found their w ay into
circulation and their presence tainted the w hole m atter and
m ade it unsuitable for study by the orthodox. T h e shemoth fell
into disuse and their significance and interpretations were for
gotten over the years. A m ong W estern Jew s the use o f amulets
carried w ith it a stigma o f superstition and w ithin a few
generations the meanings o f the writings on the amulets,
esoteric as they were at the best o f times, tended to become
lost and obscured. Since m uch o f the am uletic tradition was
oral, inform ation was lost very quickly. O n ly a few printed
books on the subject exist at all and these are rare and are
reprinted very infrequently. Indeed the book o f so im portant
an authority as R a b b i E leazar o f W orm s (1176-1238) who
w rote his am ulet makers’ handbook, the Sefer Raziel, about 1230
was not published at all until 1701 in Am sterdam and has been
seldom reprinted since that time. E ven therefore i f the rare
manuscripts had been available, fewer and fewer devotees were
able to afford the time or the knowledge to reach these obscure
sources. Alm ost alone amongst subjects o f Jewish interest, the
study o f the inscriptions becam e m ore and m ore neglected.
3
Introduction
U ltim ately the m eaning o f the shemoth had become almost com
pletely lost, being kept alive only b y the devotion o f a relatively
small and elderly group o f mekubalim, a small rem nant whose
m ain group had been destroyed in 1940-1945 and w ho survived
in Israel to see the amulets being discarded b y their grand
children as the 20th century m ade its im pact on their youth and
took its toll o f their ancient customs.
This study is an attem pt to save some o f the knowledge that
has survived from disappearing entirely and, by m aking a list o f
shemoth whose meanings have been deciphered, to enable
students to interpret the inscriptions on the amulets. It w ill be
noted that some o f the shemoth cannot be interpreted any more.
This is inevitable. M uch correspondence with ageing mekubalim
in Israel has had to be undertaken and it is hoped that as more
inform ation becomes available a m ore com plete list m ay ulti
m ately be achieved. F u lly complete interpretation can never be
attained because some shemoth are already lost for ever. As it is,
b y the use o f the lists com piled, about 90% o f the inscriptions on
the m etallic amulets can now be deciphered and, as was to be
expected, nothing very startling or heterodox has emerged. T h e
texts o f the kameoth turn out to be the expressions o f faith and hope
o f rather simple orthodox Jews using form ulae that have been
derived from various books o f the Bible, particularly the
Psalms, and w hich often appear in the Liturgy. Th ere is no
w itchcraft being practised; ju st expressions o f devotion and
appeals to the A lm igh ty from a group o f people in sore personal
difficulties. I f the form o f w riting used is not as clear or as explicit
as m ay be wished b y some, this seems to be a very venial m atter
indeed. M uch o f the obscurity o f the writings is the result o f the
need to keep the holy inscriptions w ithin a small compass so as
to make the objects more easily portable, m uch from a childish
desire to keep the text o f the invocations a secret. It seems a far
cry from these innocent expressions o f faith, devotion and hope
to the defiance and apikorsus that has so often been ascribed to
their users.
4
CHAPTER TWO*
Ethnology, Origins, The Evil Eye

A R I S I N G from the studies o f ethnologists in different parts o f
the world it has become clear, beyond all reasonable doubt, that
ancient m an hung trophies or portions o f trophies on his body as
a result o f vanity or for superstitious reasons. W hile this is
undoubtedly true, it cannot be denied that the use o f amulets
am ong prim itive people has m any purposes. V a n ity apart, they
are w orn to protect the w earer against evil influences and in
addition to bring him good fortune. ‘T h e increasing num ber o f
idols and amulets found in the later N eolithic villages, reveal
that as men acquire more actual pow er over nature, they also
acquire a stronger conviction o f the efficacy and the necessity
o f m agic’ .1 N o doubt amulets often degenerate into ornaments
but the am uletic origin o f an object can usually be traced fairly
readily.
A ll sorts o f objects have been used as amulets from the
remotest times. Frazer enumerates a very large list w hich in
cludes crowns and wreaths o f sprouted corn, jaw -bones o f
ancestors, a king’s hair, teeth and bones, and m any other
objects whose function and efficacy were long tried and had
been found effective on suitable occasions.2
A m ong the Carthaginians, both smiling and scowling masks
were used as amulets w hich were ‘In reality m agic objects in
tended to secure for the living and for the dead the protection
o f the Gods, represented b y the smiling masks and to w ard off,
*1 am grateful to Messrs. G inn and C om p an y, Boston, M ass. for p er

mission to use the quotations from W . G . Sum ner’s Folkways w hich appear
in this chapter.
1. M uller, H . p. 23.
2. Frazer, J . G . The Golden Bough, The Magic Art I I p. 6.
5
b y means o f the principle o f similia similibus curantur, evil spirits

represented b y the grim acing masks’.3
Am ulets have thus had a long and chequered history. T h eir
prim ary object is to protect the w earer against the effects o f evil
and the E vil Eye, and the belief in the m align reality o f the Evil
E ye is a very antique and widespread phenom enon. Indeed even
in pre-historic times, amulets have been found on floor deposits
in pre-historic cave dwellings where they were p robably w orn
b y their owners as a protecting agent against evil influences.4
C om ing to historic times, the Egyptians and Sumerians had a
very strong belief in the E vil Eye and com m only wore amulets
for protection. From E gypt the b elief spread centrifugally to
other parts o f the O ld W orld in the well-attested m anner that
P erry has m ade so popularly know n.5
In Southern Italy and Sicily the pow er o f the maVocchio is even
to-day a very real thing. In Spain, mat de ojo has sim ilarly an
im portant bearing on the behaviour o f m any people. In France,
and particularly in Southern France, the mauvais oeil or le
mauvais regard is said to be very prevalent and in G erm any, der
bose Blick represents an ever present m enace to the peasantry
p articularly so in B avaria and in the southern parts o f the
country w here the Hexe or witches played their sinister role
on m any occasions with the assistance o f the E vil E ye.6 Selig-
m an n7 states that people w ho have no special word for the Evil
E ye make use o f a num ber o f words w hich convey the idea o f
fascination and thus show that they were, and still are, well ac
quainted w ith the baleful effects o f the E vil Eye even though the
specific w ord for it is not used.
Prim itive demonism is the notion w hich is behind the Evil
Eye; this latter is basically an affliction w hich befalls fortunate
and prosperous people in their prosperity. ‘It is the demons who
are irritated b y hum an luck and prosperity w ho inflict calam ity,
pain and loss, at the height o f good luck. T h ejettatura is a spell o f
evil cast voluntarily or involuntarily over persons b y those who
3. Charles-Picard G . and C ., p. 113.

4. M arin ger, J . pp. 140, 170.
5. Perry, W . J . passim.
6. Budge, E . A . W . p. 363.
7. Seligm ann K ., (1922) Die âtiberkmfi des Auges, H am burg, quoted
in Budge, p. 363.
6
have the gift o f the E vil Eye and w ho can cast these evil spells,
perhaps unconsciously and involuntarily. For this reason, w ith
the idea o f the Evil Eye in mind, men should never adm ire,
praise or encourage those w ho are rich, successful or lucky. T h e
right thing to do is to vituperate and scoff at them in their
prosperity. T h a t m ay offset their good luck, check their pride,
and hum ble them a little. T h en the envy o f the m align powers
m ay not be excited against them to the point o f harm ing them.
It is the most probable explanation o f the cloistering and veiling
o f wom en that it was intended to protect them, especially if they
were beautiful, from the E vil Eye. I t is assumed that demons
envy hum an success and prosperity and so inflict loss and harm
on the successful. H ence adm iration and applause excite their
m alignity’ .8
A ll sorts o f devices have been tried as a protection against the
E vil Eye. A m ong the A ncient Rom ans obscene verses were
sung, particularly at weddings and at triumphs and these
obscenities were intended to w ard o ff ill luck. This custom
persists am ong W estern people in a recognisable form to the
present d ay w hen at weddings, it is not uncom m on for rather
questionable remarks and ‘blue’ speeches to be m ade. In
R om an times soldiers followed the chariot o f the trium phing
general and shouted at him derisive and sarcastic verses to avert
the evil to w hich he was then most liable. T h e Greeks used coarse
jests at festivals for the same purpose and modern Egyptians
have inherited this superstition. T h e Jews o f Southern Russia
do not allow their children to be adm ired or caressed by
strangers. I f this is done, the m other w ould order the child to
‘make a fig gesture’ behind the back o f the one w ho did it and
the expression Kein Ein-hora— ‘w ithout the E vil E ye’— is always
on their lips. In the same w a y the Chinese w ill call attention to
their children in terms such as “ M y miserable, wretched and
ugly offspring” w ith the same purpose in mind.
M a n y o f the witch-trials o f the 15th and 16th century give
an indication o f the very real fear the general population had
o f the E vil Eye. This fear becam e so great and the feeling o f
the com m on people so strong, that in some o f the countries
m entioned, cases have occurred o f a person w ho has been
8. Sum ner, W . G . C h ap . X I V .
7
suspected o f being able to cast the E vil Eye (a jettatore) actually
being m urdered because o f fear o f this faculty he is supposed to
possess or being com pelled to w alk veiled in public so that he
or she should not be able to exercise his m align skill. A ll through
A frica the fear o f the E vil Eye is ingrained into the culture and
behaviour o f the people. Its influence is observed dow n to the
most southerly tip o f this continent w here the prim itive Bush
m an was aware o f its powers and carefully avoided the glance
o f young girls w ho had just reached m aturation being warned o f
the danger b y traditional p ractice9. H e used to protect him self
and his fam ily from disease and other evils b y means o f amulets
m ade from certain roots or from pieces o f wood, variously orna
m ented.10 In Asia too, the E vil Eye is well known and feared;
both in India and in C hina, amulets have been in use from the
remotest times and their use even today is a very com m on practice.
T h e N ew W orld alone is almost free from the superstition o f
the E vil Eye, its relative rarity being noted b y the earliest
explorers. O ne cannot help concluding that the spread o f
people across the B eh rin g Straits m ust have taken place be
fore the am uletic cu lt had becom e universally established in
the O ld W orld.
H istorical evidence is available that the Phoenicians as w ell as
the Philistines used amulets; and certainly the Carthaginians
— descendants and heirs o f the culture o f the Philistines and the
Phoenicians— -had a very strong feeling about the E vil Eye.
T h eir m ajor deity B aal was often invoked to protect them
against the Eye itself, and the ‘Horns o f Baal’, which is a gesture
made by m aking a fist with the index and little finger stretched
out and is to this very day so called, is still considered a sure
and certain protection against the effects o f the E vil Eye in
Sicily and Southern Italy. Hands, the H and o f Baal, which
were also considered protective, are found on Carthaginian
inscriptions in upraised and benedictory positions11 and hand
shaped amulets are found am ong the Carthaginian excavations
as well as being currently in use am ong M oroccan and Tunisian
Jews. B y a transfer o f authority, these have come to be known
am ong the A rabs as the ‘H and o f F atim a’ who was M oham ed’s
9. Bleek, W . H . I. pp. 10, 14.
10. Schapera, I. pp. 201, 355.
11. Cintas, P. Plate X I X , N o. 127, p. 133.
8
daughter. T h e y have no real Jewish significance at all although
hand-shaped amulets m ay be found bearing simple H ebrew
inscriptions. T h e local Jews, living as they did am ong the
people along the coast o f the M editerranean from the remotest
times, have absorbed m any of these beliefs and the use of
am ulets am ong them as a protection against the E vil Eye is still
very comm on.
H ow could the effects o f the E vil E ye, cryptic and unsus
pected as it is bound to be, be counteracted? A m ong the general
populace it has long been believed that since the E vil E ye was in
itself b y nature evil, it could be deflected safely only b y diverting
its interest b y m aking some obscene gesture or w ord that would
im m ediately distract its attention and so nullify its effects. T h e
common obscene gesture ‘m aking a fig’ or ‘beccaficio’ is one
that has proved effective and com forting to Sicilians and other
peoples in Europe, but am ong the Jews, though cases o f its use
are reported as noted above, it has only found occasional sup
port. T h e Jewish approach to protection from the E vil Eye is
based on an entirely different premise, nam ely in the firm
belief in the tremendous pow er o f the w ritten Names o f G od, o f
angels, and o f biblical quotations generally. These are the
shemoth or Names. Indeed, the root and basis o f this portion o f
Jewish mysticism is the belief in ‘W ords o f Pow er’.
Discussing the amulets o f the Sam aritans, Gaster states that
‘T h e ancient alphabet (of the Samaritans) evidently had be
come the mystic alphabet and the letters were used in such
charms dow n to recent times, sometimes being distorted out o f
recognition and distinguished b y the fact that the corners were
rounded o ff in small ringlets’ .12 This form o f w riting was w ell
known to the K abbalists and illustrations o f letters and symbols
intended to be used on amulets for protective purposes were
often adorned with rounded ends and small ringlets. In time,
the ornam ented letters have often lost their original shapes
almost entirely so that it is sometimes difficult to decipher the
original m eaning o f some o f the inscribed letters. B udge13 makes
an attem pt to decipher m any letters but some are quite unrecog
nisable as a H ebrew script and were apparently used as orna
mentations w ithout any real meanings. H ow ever a few can still
12. Gaster, M . Studies and Texts I, 607.
13. Budge, E . A . W . p. 404.
9
be recognised even in their present forms. T h e rarity o f authen
tic ancient amulets makes the study o f their meanings even more
difficult. ‘T h e beginnings o f m ystical or superstitious practices
are very difficult to trace. T h e y are bypaths o f Faith and are
studiously avoided b y the Select’. 14
T h e amulets o f the Jews as well as o f the Sam aritans bear a
striking resemblance to one another, so m uch so that one cannot
avoid the conclusion that they originate from the same source.
Since it is known that the parent stem o f these two religions
bifurcated at the time o f the exile o f the Sam aritans by Shal
maneser, the king o f Assyria, in 722 B .C . (II K ings 17:6), it m ay
perhaps be found difficult to believe that the words can have
been transmitted over all these years with such astonishing
accuracy. This need not surprise one at all. T h e essence o f
m agical texts is that they should not be changed because the
slightest change destroys their valu e;15 for that reason, it is
to be expected that the most meticulous care would be taken by
the am ulet m aker to preserve the accuracy o f his m agic words.
T h e ‘W ords o f Pow er’, once determ ined are fixed forever and
for about 2,500 years Sam aritans and Jewish copyists have gone
their separate ways, w idely divergent in their cultures and but
little associated in everyday life but have still m aintained with
accuracy and precision the form and spellings o f these words.
W e frequently find them on amulets— shemoth o f hoary antiquity,
some o f them still in use after more than two and a h a lf m illen
nia.
It is against this background that the amulets o f the Jews o f
yesterday must be interpreted. T h e y w ill certainly contain
‘W ords o f Pow er’ and will likewise, particularly in the case o f
amulets m ade b y the students o f the K a b b a lah , contain
curious letters whose ends are rounded and adorned with
ringlets. It is not to be expected that all these bizarre inscriptions
can be explained. Sefer Raziel contains several illustrations16 o f
these peculiar forms o f letterings, very few o f w hich are ex
plained in the text with any clarity. T h e y must be accepted as
part o f K abbalistic amulets and as such, can serve today only to
identify the variety o f the amulet. T o o m uch m eaning should
14. G aster, M . Studies and Texts, p. 388.
15. Idem, p. 389.
16. Sefer Raziel, pp. 44a, 44b.
IO
not be read into them nor should too m uch time be spent on
useless speculations in an endeavour to find a m eaning for that
which was intended to be purposeful only but never m eaningful.
11
CHAPTER THREE
The Halachic Attitude to Amulets

O R T H O D O X J U D A I S M has always opposed the use o f
amulets. T h e rabbinic objections are based on two main
grounds; firstly there is the deep and rooted objection to any
thing that savours o f m agical practice w hich is specifically for
bidden in several clearly stated passages in the B ible1 and
secondly there is the objection to anything that is secret and not
com pletely understood. It was feared that in this w ay practices
that had been learned from neighbouring idolatrous nations
m ight, unobserved, creep into and so contam inate pure Jewish
thought and practice. In addition to these objections there is
also the feeling that b y invoking esoteric and non-accepted
Names o f G od the am ulet w riter was deviating from the strict
letter o f the Torah w hich recognises but one G od with but one
Nam e. This practice o f the am ulet w riter could quite easily be
considered as blasphemous or at least be interpreted as being
dangerously heretical. H owever, the b elief that amulets m ay be
beneficial in illness helped to m itigate the more severe points o f
view since the use o f anything curative or w hich m ight save life
took precedence and overrode even the most strict prohibi
tions.2
T h e first objection to amulets is quite unanswerable. I f m agic
means ‘T h e pretended art o f influencing the course o f events by
the occult control o f nature’ (O .E .D .), then the use o f amulets
1. Exodus 22:17, D eut. 18:10.

2. Sabbath 132a. A risk to life sets aside the laws o f the Sabbath. E7D3 mpD
.natrn nx nnn
Sabbath 67a. A n y action to w hich some curative value can be ascribed
is not to be considered as any sort o f A m oritic behaviour. BW “131 *73
.vn»Nn • o n nw» in p s nxiEn d ips ia
12
is undoubtedly m agical practice. It is clear that the early
Hasidim and K abbalists, most o f w hom w ere saintly and
orthodox Jews were aware and accepted this fact. H ow ever, so
great was the pressure on them from the com m on people to pro
duce amulets that they sought everywhere for some means to
evade the direct and unequivocal biblical prohibition. Since
there can never have been any doubt o f their learning and
erudition, they soon found loopholes in the law w hich they
interpreted as perm itting them to continue the practice w ithout
a qualm o f conscience. B y invoking the dictum that ‘A danger
to life overrides even the Sabbath ’ the w ay was m ade clear for a
spate o f amulets although they took care to restrict themselves to
the type o f am ulet they considered acceptable and to describe
it very carefully. T h e intellectual stature and independence o f
thought o f M aim onides is nowhere m ade m ore evident than
in his outright condem nation o f this practice. This is all the
more rem arkable in view o f the fact that M aim onides lived in
the 12th century, an age which is ordinarily considered to be in
the depths o f the D ark Ages.
Am ulets as such are never specifically m entioned in the O ld
Testam ent at all and the efforts o f some anthropologists to
describe the Tefillin, the Mezuzah and the Sisith as am uletic
objects3 seems to be stretching the m eaning o f this term
beyond its ordinary accepted connotation.
But after the return o f the B abylonian exiles, a change o f
attitude towards amulets m ay be observed. A t the time o f the
M accabbees, their use had become very com m on4 and now, for
the first time, they are m entioned in canonized Jewish literature,
i.e. in the Mishnah. B y that time, their use seems to have become
accepted as norm al practice am ong the people. It was decided,
after long and involved argum ent, that it is forbidden to carry
an am ulet on the person on the Sabbath d a y 5. E xception is
made in the case o f an ‘expert’s am ulet’ or o f a ‘proven am ulet’
which are described, after further involved arguments, as those
that have proved successful in use on three separate occasions
3. Budge E. A . W . p. 216.
4. II M accabees 12:40.
5. Sabbath 60a. O n e shall not go forth (carrying) an am ulet that was not
(received) from an expert, p U'Xtf ]»T3 SP »pa X*71 ... BTX NX’ XV
.nnainn
13
or those that have been issued b y an approved expert6. A dis

tinction is draw n between amulets that have been prepared for
curative purposes and those whose functions were prophylactic
or for the prevention o f disease or misfortune. T h e first variety
is forbidden, the prophylactic or preventitive variety being
perm itted7. This distinction provided a loophole in the law
w hich was interpreted broadly and w hich perm itted the m anu
facture and use o f innum erable amulets. T h e distinction
between prophylactic and curative types is clearly understood
b y nearly all the am ulet writers even up to the most recent
times and these, in draw ing up form ulae for inscription on
amulets usually indicate that in their opinion the particular
inscription w ill ‘prevent illness, misfortune, difficult labour,
miscarriages and the like’ but seldom or never claim ed that it
w ill cure. It is very rare indeed to find the words ‘to cure’ on an
inscription at all whereas the words ‘w ill protect A the daughter
o f B from ... a variety o f unpleasant happenings’ is a com m on
place and occurs on a great num ber o f the amulets studied.
Nevertheless the shemoth VniN ,TN ,Tl© clearly have a curative
rather than a prophylactic intent. H owever, their relatively
infrequent use indicates how strongly the prohibition was res
pected though even these ‘names’ can also be interpreted as being
written w ith prophylactic intention. For the same reason,
writers o f books recom m ending form ulae for use on amulets
usually note that ‘in their experience it has proved successful
on m any occasions’, thus skirting the dangers o f using an
‘inexpert’ amulet. T h e words noilttl p n a ‘tested and tried’
constantly appears on recommendations o f form ulae to be
used as amulets.
It was not perm itted to save an am ulet from the fire on the
Sabbath d ay even though it contained holy names whereas
Torah scrolls and other holy writings were exem pted from this
restriction; indeed, it was one’s duty to try and save them 8.
6. Sabbath 6 ia . A n “ expert” am ulet is one that has cured on three

occasions or that has been issued b y an expert. *7D nrWffl STDp inPN
.rcVton niton Nsntr
7. Shavuoth 15b. It is forbidden to cure w ith the w ords o f the Torah, whereas
to p rotect against disease is a different m atter. ’ “m S mUDnnnV *TIDN
.-’ix© pnV m in
8. Sabbath 1 15b. T h e talismans and amulets, even though they contain holy
14
Finally, consideration is given to the question w hether am u
lets inscribed with H oly Names could be taken into unclean
places, e.g. into the cem etery or into the toilet9. A fter discussion
it was agreed that if they are enclosed in a leather purse it was
permitted to take them into the unclean places, the leather
acting as a protection against pollution o f the H oly Names. A t
the same time it was m ade quite clear that amulets not inscribed
with H oly Names possess no attributes o f holiness at all in their
own right.
O d d ly enough, at no place in the T alm u d is the question
raised o f the underlying principle involved in w earing amulets.
N early 800 years were to pass before M aim onides, in Spain,
cam e out very clearly and very strongly against the w hole prac
tice, referring to the ‘craziness o f the am ulet w riter’ 10. H owever,
even the great authority o f M aim onides could not prevent the
use o f amulets am ong the com m on people.
It has been observed in connection w ith the great Eybeschiitz
controversy in 1752, that: ‘It is a curious fact that in all the
voluminous discussions on the question o f amulets the only
point at issue was the em ploym ent o f a false M essiah’s nam e in
these amulets; not a voice was raised against the folly o f
amulets in general. T h e com m on impression p robably was that
they could do no harm and m ight serve as spiritual stimulants in
the w ay o f the w earers’ reassurance and m ental com fort’ . 11
Such indeed was the position until M aim onides w rote his
famous diatribe against the practice and this pronouncem ent o f
the Hispano-Jewish sage holds good to the present day. H ow
ever, am ong the O rien tal Jews and am ong the Hasidim o f the
W estern Jews the injunction against the use and w earing o f
amulets was not taken very seriously and their popularity
names and m any matters from the T o ra h are not to be saved from a
fire (on Sabbath); they should be perm itted to burn w here they are.
n m n m r n a m o® bw n v m x n m ©•’2? d"s?n p r a p m i r o - n n
.p ip aa po-flM npbin n sa nrnx n'V’s» f x mwa®
9. M aim onides. H il. Sefer Torah 10:5. A m ulets w hich contain holy writings
should not be taken into the toilet unless they are enclosed in a leather
case. X0 3 H TT’a V D m D'DIDI ]’ X pH" 3 VtP DTIS? D m pSPfcpn
. n v rnDin» n n n x x V x
10. M aim onides. Moreh Nebuchim 1:61. ‘ the craziness o f the am ulet w riters’ .
.m srzjp n ’ a m s p a iE
11. J . E ncyclop aedia (1916) I, 549.
rem ained undiminished until about 50 years ago when the
general rise in the level o f education and the grow th o f the more
modern scientific outlook even am ong the less developed peoples
helped to suppress and finally to bring the practice almost to
com plete extinction.
16
CHAPTER FOUR
The Typical Hebrew Amulet

A T Y P I C A L H ebrew am ulet starts w ith an invocation. This
can be a simple one such as ‘In the N am e o f ’ ... DSD often
reduced to " 3 or m ore expansively (especially in Hasidic
amulets) as lira initial letters o f ‘W ith the help o f G od we
shall act and prosper’. A little m ore com plicated and more
rarely used is ‘W ith the help o f the L ord, G od o f Israel, w e shall
act and prosper’ E ven m ore indirect is the invocation ‘O
Lord o f R a b b i M eir, answer us’ 57»*TN. This is strictly and typi
cally a H asidic invocation, only used b y mekubalim, and refers by
name to R a b b i M eir Baal Ha-Ness.
T h e w riter then proceeds to nam e the A lm igh ty using any or
several o f the shemoth, all o f w hich are potent and significant but
usually avoiding the use o f the Tetragram m aton, this being
considered too holy for use on such relatively profane matters.
W here the Tetragram m aton does happen to appear at the head
o f an am ulet (and it is often found on Jewish-Persian ‘Y ira t E l’
or ‘Shiviti’ amulets) it forms p art o f the verse ‘ I shall set m y
Lord constantly before m e’ (Psalms 16:8). T h e scribe m ay not
be content w ith one nam e but w ill go on to use two or m ore
names in various cryptic forms. T h e form al use o f ‘L ord G od ’
— i.e. ‘Jehovah Elohim ’ has never been found on our amulets
although ‘L ord G od o f Israel’ or ‘L ord G od o f Hosts’ has been
met on rare occasions. ‘Shaddai’— the A lm igh ty— on the other
hand is an extrem ely com m on N am e o f God; it is said to be
particularly effective against m agic.1
A fter the Names o f G od, the am ulet w riter turns his attention
to invoking angels. H e has at his disposal a very large selection
o f these, and o f the several thousand at his beck and call and if
i . T rachtenberg, J . Jewish Magic p. 158.
*7
he is an O riental Jewish writer, he most com m only chooses to

invoke five viz. U riel, R aphael, G abriel, M ichael and Nuriel.
W ith these he associates the shem pMN w hich is a m nem onic
composed o f the initial letters o f these five angels’ names. I f he is
a K abbalist, the variety o f angels depends on the depths o f his
knowledge o f the K a b b a lah as w ell as on the rules that have been
laid dow n for him in books like Sefer Raziel.
A t this stage the Invocation, the Names o f G od and o f the
various angels are com pleted and the scribe considers the p ur
pose o f the am ulet in preparation. H e uses the biblical verse
appropriate for the purpose (See C hapter IX ) e.g. for protection
against the E vil Eye, he m ay use Genesis 49:22, whereas for the
dangers o f childbed he m ay invoke Lilith under one or more o f
her numerous names and record the names o f these together
with those o f the angels Sanvai, Sansanvai and Sem anglof to
neutralise her evil work. I f the am ulet is intended to increase
fertility, he m ay perhaps use D euteronom y 7:14 or Exodus
23:26. Th ere are almost no limits to his ‘pharm acopoeia’ and he
paints with a broad brush, giving widespread protection as far
as he is able.
A t no time does the inscription become a direct appeal.
Everything must be w ritten in circum scriptive form so as to
deceive the eye o f all but the elect.
F inally the inscription concludes with the sentence that
the am ulet is ‘for protection o f A the son o f B (his m other’s
name) w ho bears this am ulet upon him .’ A fter this A m en is
repeated three times and Selah thrice.
T h e variations and permutations o f these groups o f inscrip
tions are endless so that no two amulets need ever be exactly
identical. T h e broad principles underlying their construction
follow those described b y B udge2 in his description o f ‘the per
fect H ebrew am ulet’. But o f course, a ‘perfect’ am ulet is never
actually found; it is only a theoretical conception. Budge’s
description is worth repeating:— ‘H ere is the perfect H ebrew
am ulet w hich contains 1. T h e M agical Name; 2. T h e Texts
from the Bible; 3. T h e Prayer w hich is the equivalent o f the
P agan Incantation; 4. T h e Threefold A m en and the Threefold
Selah’.
2. B u d g e , E. A . W . p. 222.
18
Directions for w riting these amulets are given b y G aster3.*

‘T h e nam e must be w ritten exactly as it is w ritten in the Scroll o f
the L a w on specially prepared parchm ent. It must be w ritten in
square or ‘A shuri’ letters so that no letter shall touch the next,
i.e. there must be a free m argin around each letter. It must be
w ritten in purity and w hile fasting. It must be w rapped in
leather or in some soft rag and be w rapped around with a piece
o f clean leather. It is to be hung on the neck o f the patient w ith
out his knowing it or w hen he is asleep, and he is not to look at it
for the next 24 hours. T h e lines for the w riting must be draw n on
the hairy side o f the parchm ent and the w riting itself is to be
done on the fleshy side and in the nam e o f the patient. T h e
parchm ent must be cut and the lines draw n upon it in the
patient’s name. W hen the w riter dips his pen into properly pre
pared ink he must say: ‘In the N am e o f Shaddai w ho created
H eaven and Earth, I, N the son o f M writes this Kamea for A the
son o f B to heal him o f every kind o f fever’ and he must then say
the blessing o f the Kamea as follows ‘Blessed are T h ou O Lord
who hast sanctified T h y great N am e and hast revealed it to T h y
pious ones to show its power and m ight in the language, in the
w riting o f it, and in the utterance o f the m outh’.
T h e method o f preparation for w riting amulets that Gaster
describes is o f course only o f value for w ritten amulets. Those on
silver or other metals must have taken m uch longer to make
and could not have required the same ritual o f preparation. W e
know very little about the actual engravers o f the m etallic
amulets. T h e y w ere p robably journeym en carrying out the in
structions o f a superior expert or a Talmid Haham.
* T h e y are, in general, similar to the directions given by M aim onides4 for

the guidance o f the scribes w ho w rote Torah scrolls, Mezuzahs and Tefillin.
3. G aster, M . Hastings Encyc. I l l , 455.

4. M aim onides. Mishneh Torah, Hil. Tefillin 1: 19.
r9
CHAPTER FIVE
Background and Description of

Silver Amulets
W I T H the establishment o f the State o f Israel in 1948, the pro
cess o f Ingathering o f the Exiles was com m enced. D uring the
next decade more than a million Jews from all over the world
entered this country. W hile m any o f these cam e from Europe, a
great num ber cam e from North A frica, E gypt, Iraq, the Y em en,
Afghanistan, Persia and other A frican and A sian countries
where Hasidism was very com m on. Each group brought with it
those possessions it held the most dear and it is not surprising
that with these oriental Hasidim am ong w hom an interest and
b elief in the efficacy o f kameoth* had always been very strong,
* A m ulets are objects w hich are hung or worn on the person whose purpose
it is to protect the w earer or to bring him good fortune. T h e Shorter O xford
English D ictionary, T h ird E dition, revised w ith A dden da gives the etym o
logy o f the w ord from the L atin amuletum (Pliny) o f unknown origin. It is
defined as 1. A n yth in g w orn as a charm against evil, disease, w itchcraft,
etc. 2. A m edicine whose virtue and m ode o f action is occult.
T h e H ebrew w ord for am ulet is kamea pi. kameoth V’ Jip pi. TYlS'Bp or
I’ SJ’ S p . It is said to be derived from the A ram aic root, SJttp ‘to fasten’, a
w ord that is excessively rare and does not occur a t all in the Scriptures. It
appears as a verb only once in the w hole T alm u d being m entioned in
Bechoroth1 ‘ She used to fasten (nSJMIp) phylacteries on his arm ’ . A ccordin g
to Sefer-Ha-tishbi the w ord originates from NS??2'’p — a small quantity— because
amulets are small portable objects. H ow ever not all am ulets are necessarily
small and the first etym ological origin supported b y Baal Ha’artich2 is to be
preferred. T h is etym ological theory is also supported b y B en-Y ehuda3 w ho
states that kam ea, S ’ a p so punctuated, is derived from an A ram aic root, to
tie. It is also punctuated, apparently ow ing to the influence o f the Italian
w ord ‘cam eo’ as V'H p.
It is because o f the phonetic sim ilarity o f the two words that the word
20
Background and Description o f Silver Amulets
m any o f these objects because o f their portability, found their
w ay into the new hom eland.
O nce settled dow n in their new country, the imm igrants felt
the im pact o f new associations and o f different cultures. Since
the dom inant culture was a W estern, non-H asidic culture, the
belief in the efficacy o f amulets cam e to be w eakened and it
becam e no longer fashionable to w ear them, particularly as
most o f the youngsters had to undergo two years m ilitary
training. Kameoth were discarded and sold and they soon began
to m ake their appearance in the curio and antique shops in the
State o f Israel.
This is one o f the reasons w h y the study o f the inscriptions on
the silver amulets must be undertaken now. As w earing them is
no longer fashionable in the eyes o f the original owners, the
kamea is m istakenly thought to be etym ologically related to cam eo; this is
not so. A cam eo is an engraved object and the w ord is derived, according to
the O xford English D iction ary from the m ediaeval L atin w ord cammaeus,
a w ord o f unknown derivation m eaning ‘ to engrave’; there is no etym ological
connection w hatever betw een the tw o w ords though small cameos are
often w orn suspended from necklaces and m ay indeed be w orn as amulets in
their ow n right. M ost amulets how ever are not cameos at all but the error
keeps persisting in the popular m ind.
Budge’s suggestion that the Sisith, the Mezuzah and the Tefillin themselves
are all forms o f am ulets4 is one that is not acceptable to an y Jew ish opinion.
M aim onides clearly distinguishes betw een amulets and mezuzoth stating
‘Those w ho inscribe the names o f angels or o f H o ly O nes or a phrase from
the Bible on a seal w ithin it (mezuzah) come into the category o f those w ho
have no share in the life to com e, for not only have these m isguided ones
negated the mitzvah but they have also m ade o f the great mitzvah o f extolling
the unity o f G od, whose N am e be blessed, and His love and His service as
if it were a m ere kamea for their own benefit, as they believe in their foolish
minds’5.
1. Bechoroth 30b. R . Sim on the son o f E lea zar ... tells a story he received
from R . M eir o f a w om an w ho was m arried to a colleague and used to
fasten (nj?aip) phylacteries on his hand. TOS?» ... TS?VN p W~\
.i t *75? ■pV’Dn v? ns?aip n n v n n a n V nxw t» n tw o
2. Sefer ha-Aruch R . N ath an B. Y ech iel o f Rom e. L u b lin (1914) p. 229.
3. B en-Y ehuda, E . (1948-1952) A complete Hebrew Dictionary, Jerusalem .
4. Budge. E . A . W . p. 217.
5. M aim onides, H il Tefillin 5:4. IN a ’ 3 x V a n matt? n ’ JDH l^N V 3 N
□Vis?3 p b n an1? putt? ’a T733 nn ’in mamn w pioa is n’ttmp mas?
nVni msa itt?s?s? nVn msan i^Da® an1? h n1? assart iV’Nff Nan
n”:n Vp srap sin iVaa im issi lronxi rrspn Vir a©n nn’ s ’n®
.Vaon a s1? Vs? nVvc? las pss?
21
host o f tourists entering the country will soon snap up such as

appear in the shops and they will be dispersed to the uttermost
corners o f the earth and, once converted into brooches, key-rings
or strung on necklaces, norm al w ear and tear w ill rap idly m ake
o f these relatively fragile ephem era a thing o f the past.
T h e O riental Jew in his diaspora used to occupy a fairly fixed
position in his com m unity, being often the jew eller, the silver
smith or the coppersmith. Discussing the Jews in N orth A frica,
Slouschz6 states ‘Speaking generally, there are a num ber o f
professions w hich are peculiar to the Jews. As m erchants, they
deal in stuffs and in haberdashery; they are jewellers, perfumers,
tinsmiths, cobblers, etc.’ T h e Jewish silversmith com bined these
secular activities w ith m aking amulets, p robably fashioned ac
cording to form ulae traditional in his com m unity or fam ily. T h e
silversmiths have mostly disappeared, only a few w orking jewellers
being now active in their old age and their efforts in Israel
are today directed m ore towards m aking trinkets and costume
jew ellery in the traditional styles than towards engraving
amulets. Inscriptions on the kameoth are also no longer required
since superstition and b elief in the E vil Eye have become reduced
under the im pact o f western life. It is necessary to study these
inscriptions and their interpretations now; w ithin a few decades
they m ay w ell become only a m em ory and G aster’s description
o f the strange writings o f the Sam aritans and o f the G reek and
R om an Gnostics m ay well soon come to be applied to these
engraved inscriptions.
Gaster recalls an interesting and parallel state o f affairs in the
Samaritan and G reek esoteric writings:*
‘W e find a system o f the permutation and combination of
letters fully developed among the Samaritans among whom
the word of God, properly used might be helpful or protective,
both prophylactic and cathartic. They are preceded by the selec
tion o f special verses from the Bible, in which the miracles
performed by God, the prayer by which Moses produced
healing, or the animadversion against the action of wizards and
sorcerers in Egypt and elsewhere are mentioned. All these are
put together under various groups, and thus a highly protective
*1 am g ra te fu l to M r. V ivia n G aster fo r p erm ission to q u o te fro m his

fa th e r’s b o o k The Samaritans.
6. Slouschz. N . p. 235.
22
amulet is produced having the characteristics o f ancient mystical
speculations, which acts as a powerful protection against evil,
disease, and all physical troubles. These amulets have come
down to us in both a very elaborate form and also in very
reduced forms; the contents are practically the same, but whilst
in the more elaborate ones all the verses quoted from the Samar
itan Pentateuch are given in full, in the reduced form they are
merely represented by one word selected from each sentence.
Thus meaningless words are strung together which can only be
understood if each word is traced back to its original complete
verse. The same thing is found in the Greek and Latin magical
conjurations which have remained unintelligible to this very
day, because no one recognised in them portions of long senten
ces and endeavours were made to elucidate them by putting
together into a sentence words which could not give any
meaning at all. Later on these amulets were reduced to a much
smaller compass, either to make them more wearable, or else
because o f the material used, i.e. pure parchment became
difficult to obtain: then the initial letters only were used, so
that instead o f single words we find a large number of letters,
vowels and consonants, sometimes whole lines being joined
together, as in the M agical Papyri, which no one has been able
to fathom. These combinations of letters and vowels have been
described as meaningless words of horrible sounds used by the
magician for the confusion o f the demons to wishes to exorcise,
or else for the purpose of impressing the wearer. It will now be
the task o f scholars to try and reconstruct these magical words
and letters by tracing them back to full words and then to the
complete sentences.’7
It appears that the craftsmen-silversmiths often included in
their repertoire that o f m anufacture o f kameoth p robably calling
in the more learned scribes to w rite the inscriptions that the
latter had long been accustom ed to putting on to parchm ent
amulets. T h e silversmiths, w orthy people though they undoubt
edly w ere, do not appear to have been p articularly learned in
T alm u dical and K abbalistic lore, and even their ability to copy
inscriptions w ith exactitude and accuracy could not always be
relied upon. T h e result is that in addition to difficulties in calli
graphy— the cursive H ebrew script, Sephardi or Ashkenazi,
does not lend itself to easy reproduction b y engraving on to
7. G aster, M . The Samaritans p. 80 ff.

23
m etallic surfaces— the student has to m ake allowances for w rong

spellings, for omissions o f words or groups o f letters, for unneces
sary and meaningless signs and symbols often being inserted
to fill a space in addition to difficulties associated w ith the
norm al w ear and tear o f the surface o f w hat is often a very thin
and soft metal.
T h e amulets w e are describing are generally fairly small
m etallic objects and are designed to be w orn as pendants on a
necklace or to be tied to the clothes, to the arms or to the
wrists. T h e y are usually 2" X 3" and are m eant to be carried on
the person at all times. N early all are fitted with small m etallic
loops or lugs b y w hich they are suspended from the neck or
affixed to the clothing. For suspension one or two loops are
used, but for affixing to the arms, four loops are usually fixed to
the back o f the am ulet in the case o f the large rectangular types
(typically w orn on the arm ). T h e sleeve amulets are curved
so as to conform to the shape o f the arm; the pendants are
usually fiat.
T h e metals used were com m only those w ith w hich the crafts
m en was most fam iliar and accustom ed to work; silver itself, o f
a debased quality (probably 7 5 % at its best) was most fre
quently used. T h e popularity o f the use o f silver is doubtless due
to the fact that am ong the A rabs (particularly in N orth Africa)
silver, because o f its white colour and brightness was considered
to be a lucky m etal.8 This feeling was doubtless shared b y the
Jews w ho lived am ong these A rabs but since silver was expen
sive, tinned copper was popular for the less opulent and untinned
copper and even iron or brass is not infrequently encountered.
Gold is very rare.
It appears that the loops are fitted before the engraver took
over the blank amulets because on occasion, the inscriptions
encircle the soldered areas very closely and m ay even run on to
the loop itself. Pendant amulets are usually small but occasion
ally very m agnificent ones are found. O u r largest exam ple, a
m onum ental object, is 4 "X 4 " (10 X 10 cms) in size and must
have m ade quite a splendid breastplate. T o facilitate descrip
tion, the amulets have been divided into the following shapes.
1. Rectangular: These are usually m eant to be w orn on the
sleeves. T h e y are fairly large (3" X 3^") and are fitted with four
8. W esterm arck, E . II , 20.
24
loops. As a rule, they are curved to fit the curve o f the lim b
whereas those m eant to be w orn suspended are flat.
2. Circular: T h e smaller circular amulets are about i | " in dia
meter and are fitted with two loops for suspension. L arger
circular amulets are convex (about 3 inches in diam eter), are
also fitted w ith tw o loops and are apparently intended to be
worn on the arm.
3. Triangular (Pendants): T h ese vary in size and are always
m eant to be suspended from the neck. T h e y are fitted w ith two
loops.
4. Ovoid: U sually fitted w ith two loops for suspension, with
others, on a necklace.
5. Pentagonal: R ectangular w ith the upper border carried to a
point, and often scalloped so that they look like small minarets.
T h ey are fitted w ith one or tw o loops at the apex for use as
pendants.
6. Hexagram: Shaped like a Magen David, they are usually small
objects and are fitted w ith a single loop.
7. Miscellaneous: Hand-shaped; knife-shaped; heart-shaped or
scalloped.
T h e edges o f some o f the silver amulets, particularly the
Iraqi ones, are often reinforced to reduce w ear and tear. This
is usually done b y neatly soldering twisted silver wire to their
edges with silver solder— a form o f gadrooning. For the same
reason, the edges are sometimes scalloped. T h e arm amulets are
reinforced b y a characteristic filigree w ork applied to the face at
its edges w hich ornaments the face w hile at the same tim e it
reinforces the structure o f the am ulet and protects the inscription
from w ear and tear. Filigree w ork is occasionally found on other
amulets and, being a typical Persian form o f silver work, it is
found on m any originating from that land.
W ritten amulets, inscribed on parchm ent or on pieces o f
treated goat skin are usually tightly rolled and fitted into am ulet
cases. These cases i f they are m ade o f silver, are often hexagonal
on section but m ay be cylindrical in shape. T h e cases are
inscribed w ith shemoth and fitted w ith loops for suspension as if
they themselves w ere also to be considered am uletic. T h e
Yem enite Jews seldom used silver amulets but preferred parch
ment w hich, in small rolls suitably inscribed, were carried en
cased in silver am ulet cases.
25
CHAPTER SIX
The Mystic State, Ecstasy, and its

Relation to the Use of Amulets
I T H A S B E E N S T A T E D that the mystic state, to w hich we
refer very frequently in this book, is something unusual if not
indeed, frankly abnorm al. It has been defined as a condition o f
mind in w hich hallucinations o f hearing and o f vision occur and
w hich w e now know can be induced b y a large variety o f physi
cal, chem ical and psychical means. Indeed, it has been suggested
that the basis o f all these conditions is a physico-chem ical altera
tion in the metabolism o f the brain.
F or m any centuries this state o f mind has been known to
different hum an communities, both prim itive and advanced.
T h e trances into w hich devotees o f m ystical cults in any p art o f
the world are plunged bear such a great resemblance to one
another that it is fair to assume that the experiences are com
parable and that they m ay w ell be due to some similar underly
ing psychological deviation.
Thus, there appears to be a sim ilarity between the psychologi
cal experiences undergone b y a Sham an in his tent, a Bantu
witch-doctor in his hut and an anchorite m editating in his
chapel and, mutatis mutandis, those o f Elijah in the wilderness
leading to his heavenly invocations and those o f St. Paul in the
desert. Sim ilar too are the frankly m ystical revelations such as
those o f St. Teresa o f A vila, or those o f H ieronym us the Areopa-
gite.
In this chapter as w ell as in other places in this book we fre
quently refer to m ystical works, m ystical activities and mysti
cism generally. It is necessary to define these terms so as to
26
The Mystic State, Ecstasy, and its Relation to the use o f Amulets
avoid misunderstanding and to show how such m ystical activi
ties are involved in w riting, m aking and w earing kameoth.
T h e classical w ork in this connection is that o f the psycholo
gist W illiam Jam es, whose description o f the condition is well
known and is p robably the most lucid that is available. Jam es
describes a mystic as a person w ho has had a m ystical experi
ence. M ystical experiences themselves he identifies as having
four characteristics:
1. T h ey are ineffable, i.e. T h e y cannot be com m unicated to any
one else as they defy description.
2. T h e y are noetic, i.e. ‘T h e y are illuminations or revelations
full o f significance and im portance and as a rule they carry
with them a curious sense o f authority for after tim e.’
3. T h e y are usually transient, not lasting longer than h a lf to one
hour.
4. ‘A lthough the onset o f the m ystical state m ay be facilitated
or induced b y prelim inary volun tary operations, ... yet, when
the characteristic sort o f consciousness has once set in, the
mystic feels as i f his ow n w ill w ere in abeyance and indeed
sometimes as if he was held and grasped b y a superior power;
this is the state o fpassivity.n
Such an experience is not one that can be shared b y every
body, nor indeed is it common. Som e say that, ow ing to the
com parative rarity o f this sort o f consciousness, it should be
considered abnorm al.2 A n attem pt at classification o f the varie
ties o f m ystical experience has been m ade. This is now set out,
amplified b y such inform ation as has become available since the
classical w ork o f Jam es appeared m ore than fifty years ago.
1. T h e simplest, w hich is only a deepened sense o f the signi
ficance o f a sentence or o f a formula.
2. T h e feeling o f ‘having been there before’ (déjà vu) w hich
James believes to be related in some w ay to the epileptic ‘aura’
or to the ‘dream y state’, but w hich we now know to be some
times due to lesions in the tem poral lobes o f the b rain .3
3. A trance-like state resem bling awakening from an anaes
thetic.
1. Jam es, W . L ecture X V I .

2. Stace, W . T . C h ap . I.
3. C ole, M . and Z an gw ill, O . L . (1963) J . Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat.
a6, 37.
27
4. T h e norm al post-orgasmic state.

5. Petit mal.
6. M igraine with its associated sensations o f flashes o f light
during the attack.
7. Tem poral-lobe epilepsy or an epileptiform discharge from
the tem poral lobes in diseases o f these areas o f the brain.
8. D rug-induced states, e.g. Those induced b y anaesthetics,
mescalin, or lysergic acid.
9. D eliberately induced states whose induction is facilitated b y
physical methods such as fasting or flagellation or b y un
pleasant self-inflicted m ental conditions such as rem aining for
long periods in terrifying situations.
A ll the above states have one thing in comm on viz. the sup
pression o f norm al sensation or awareness to a greater or a
lesser degree and the substitution for it o f some abnorm al or
unusual psychological condition. This substituted state o f mind
m ay be very close to the norm al, as indeed must be the case in
the post-orgasmic state when a sense o f relaxation follows a
norm al physical and em otional experience, or it m ay be
grossly abnorm al as in tem poral-lobe epilepsy resulting from a
cerebral tumour.
T h e induction o f these abnorm al states can be achieved b y a
variety o f methods, some o f them exceedingly old w hich have
been known and practised for centuries all over the world
particularly in C hina, T ib et and India. In these countries the
favourite method is to induce the mystic state b y concentrating
on a single simple action, e.g. b y slow and steady respiration or
b y constant repetition o f a single syllable. T h e syllable parti
cularly favoured b y the Buddhist mystics is ‘O m ’ . H owever, any
repetitive action or monotonous thought w ill have the same
effect.
In other societies, chem ical induction o f the mystic state
is practised. Thus in South A m erica, the properties o f mescalin
has long been known and its ingestion has been practised b y the
priests and witch-doctors.4 In the same w ay and for the same
purpose, the Bantu w itch-doctor induces a m ystical state in
him self and his clients b y inhaling the vapours produced by
burning suitable herbs over a fire in a hut. T h e object o f these
4. H u xley, A . (1954) The Doors o f Perception.

28
manoeuvres is to direct the conscious thought aw ay from extra

neous influences so as to enable the peculiar hypnoid state to
supervene. ‘T o the m edical mind these ecstasies signify nothing
but suggested or lim ited hypnoid states on an intellectual basis
o f superstition and a corporeal one o f degeneration and
hysteria’. 1
St. Ignatius in his m anual Spiritual Exercises recommends the
disciple to expel sensation b y a graduated and gradual series
of efforts and to im agine ‘holy scenes’ .5 U ltim ately, no state
o f im agery remains, the individual then passing into a state o f
‘rapture’ w hich is insusceptible o f verbal description. Such
m ethodical and deliberate experiences are especially designed
to induce ‘rapture’, ‘ecstasy’, or a state o f mysticism. It must be
difficult to convey an exact description o f such a state o f mind
which was known and condem ned b y T alm u dical authorities
and indeed has never been looked on w ith favour in classical
Jewish literature.6 ‘Protestantism too has abandoned anything
m ethodical in this line’ so that ‘apart from w hat prayer m ay
lead to, Protestant m ystical experience appears to be entirely
sporadic’ . 7
W e have so far dealt w ith the m ore scientific consideration
o f the m ystical experience, but the w ord ‘mysticism’ is popularly
used in a variety o f loose and inaccurate ways. Sometimes any
thing is called mysticism w hich is misty or vague. It so happens
that mysticism is often associated with anything ‘m isty’
because o f the similar sounds o f the words— -‘there is nothing
misty or vague about mysticism’ . 2 Because mysticism and m ys
tery have a similar etym ological origin all sorts o f fraudulent
behaviour m ay acquire prestige b y suggesting that it is m ystical
in nature. Visions and voices are in themselves not m ystical
phenom ena though, w hen they do occur they tend to impress
their hearers or seers w ho like to think o f them as m ystical
occurrences. T h e y are usually nothing more than hallucinations
and must be firm ly labelled as such. Q uite often they are part
o f the sym ptom atology o f certain m ental diseases, although a
5. Jam es, W . toe. cit.

6. Sanhedrin 65b. ‘H e w ho starves him self and goes and spends the night
in a cem etery so that he should be overcom e b y a spirit o f unclean
ness.’ nitoiD r r n rVs? m ® n » ’ i s p " n : n ]Vi -]Vim i»xs? r r s n & n
7. Stace, W . T . loc. cit.
29
B*
single experience o f a visual or an auditory hallucination need
not necessarily label the person w ho has experienced it as m en
tally pathological.
M oreover true mystics, and b y such are m eant people w ho
have had a m ystical experience, are w ell aw are w hich visions
and auditory hallucinations are m ystical and w hich are not.
Thus St. Teresa o f A v ila was subject to hallucinations o f sight
and o f hearing but was said to be able to distinguish quite
clearly between those w hich had a m ystical im port and those
w hich did not.
It must be re-emphasised that ‘because o f the com parative
rarity o f this mystic kind o f consciousness, it should w ithout
doubt be assigned to the sphere o f abnorm al psychology’. 7
W hilst in Hinduism , Christianity and Islam such an experi
ence is interpreted as a union w ith G od or w ith the Absolute, in
the case o f Jewish mysticism this is an excessively rare claim.
‘T h e Jewish mystic almost invariably retains a sense o f distance
between the C reator and his creature’ . O n ly A bulafia and some
later H asidic mystics claim ed to have had this state o f union
— adherence or devekuth— but the vast m ajority claim ed no
m ote than a more or less clear view o f G o d ’s appearance on the
Throne as described b y Ezekiel. Descriptions o f the heavenly
halls or the hekhaloth occupy most o f their literature.8
Such descriptions as have survived from this old literature o f
the actual occurrence o f m ystical states and o f men engaged
in m ystical studies seem to suggest that they have entered into a
state o f auto-hypnosis and their experiences can be interpreted
in this w ay. T h e story o f R ab b i N ehunya ben H akana is typ ical.9
It appears that the R a b b i had gone into a trance-like condition
and his pupils found difficulty in arousing him from this state.
U ltim ately a method was adopted to awaken him that can only
be described as a most ingenious application o f hom eopathic
doses o f the very principle o f turn’ah itself to enable the R ab b i to
descend from the presence o f the Shekinah in safety. T h e full
description o f the procedure need not concern us nor should
too m uch im portance be read into this story except to show that
in Judaism , the concept o f mysticism seems to m ean ‘that
8. Scholem , G ., Major Trends. L ecture I I .

9. Idem, Jewish Gnosticism p. 10.
30
which is secret, hidden or esoteric’. In this, it differs from the

concept o f mysticism in other religions.
Elsewhere this concept o f mysticism does not exist. Indeed,
the usual mystic is only too keen to subject other people to the
benefits o f his peculiar experiences; Dionysius the A reopagite is
an exception in that he warns against disclosing his teachings to
the ‘uninitiated’.
T h e amulets o f the Jews m ay thus be stated to be the products
o f a non-mystic group w ho indulged in esoteric and secret
experiences. It was this secrecy that aroused the opposition o f
the R abbinate so strongly and it is this esotericism that to this
day is one o f the differences that exist between the H asidic and
non-Hasidic approaches to religion.
Discussing m ystical states, James remarks ‘M y own con
stitution shuts me out from their enjoym ent entirely and I can
speak o f them only at secondhand’ .10 T h e same m ay be said o f
most o f us. It is only at secondhand that w e know o f these
conditions. H owever, as psychological states o f affairs they
should be clearly recognised and understood.
These states o f mind, carefully described and still easily
recognisable, can be found in early Jew ish literature from as
early as the fourth century. T h e consequences o f these attitudes
can be observed in the beliefs that m otivate the makers and
users o f amulets up to very recent times i f not, indeed, to this
very day.
I f the findings in this chapter are subjected to a critical
psychiatric analysis, one is forced to the inescapable conclusion
that the condition being described is that o f a m ild degree o f schizo
phrenia. This disease exists in all grades o f severity from the
forme fruste to the full-blown picture and between these two
extremes a whole spectrum o f degrees is known and has been
described. T h e descriptions w e find in the lives o f our mystics
help us to identify the variety o f the disease but w e cannot assess
the grade o f severity in the individual mystic because personal
exam ination is not possible so that the assessment o f the severity
must be done b y inference. N one the less, it is possible to state
that some o f our mystics must have been suffering from fairly
severe degrees o f schizophrenia whereas others, whose m ystical
experiences had been lim ited in num ber or had been induced b y
io . Jam es, W . loc. cit.
3i
chem ical or b y physical means, were p robably no m ore than

individuals with a personality which had a tendency towards
this condition whose behaviour in norm al circumstances was
p robably quite normal.
32
CHAPTER SEVEN*
Kabbalism, Hasidism and the

Spread of Kabbalistic Lore
T H E J E W IS H C O M M U N I T I E S o f the N ear and M iddle
East and o f N orth A frica have a continuous history that
stretches uninterruptedly since at least the time o f the destruc
tion o f the Second Tem ple by Titus. Between the 7th and 1 ith
century, when the Gaonim ruled in Sura and in Pumbedita, they
were indeed the premier Jewish communities o f the w orld and
within their great centres o f learning the Torah was cherished
and the Gemara com pleted and canonised. T h eir descendants
have m aintained this tradition o f learning and o f the love o f Jew
ish literature to the present d ay and they have kept alive a deep
knowledge o f these classical Jewish books for centuries.
It is not surprising therefore, that in the amulets o f these
Jews, verses from the Torah and from the Talmud are consistently
and frequently found. This literature is the religious life blood
o f Judaism and the am uletic inscriptions reflect this great
interest and their trust in the pow er o f the words and verses
derived from these writings.
But one o f the puzzles w hich must confront every one who
studies H ebrew amulets originating from the M iddle East is to
explain the connection between the inscriptions on these pieces
and those found in m ediaeval W estern Jewish m ystical
literature and particularly in the work o f an authority such as
E leazar o f W orms. Shem after shem is observed w hich has been
obviously and carefully copied from Sefer Raziel, this author’s vade
*1 am grateful to Prof. G ershom G . Scholem for permission to use excerpts

from his book, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, in this chapter.
33
Kabbalism, Hasidism and the Spread o f Kabbalistic Lore
m ecum for the am ulet maker. W h at connection can there be

between this m ediaeval mystic o f a R hinelan d town and an
engraver o f H ebrew amulets in Afghanistan or the Y em en
in the 18th century? T o understand this, it is necessary to discuss
the history o f postal services in general, o f Jewish postal services
in particular and o f mysticism in Judaism and particularly to
follow the origin, grow th and spread o f Hasidism as part o f
the mystic developm ent.
T h e history o f ordinary postal services is a subject in itself and
is dealt with com prehensively in several articles1. It would
appear that postal services existed in Persia at the time o f Cyrus
and that the M acedonian kings and their Ptolem aic successors
carried on this service. Later, the m atter cam e to be neglected
and governm ents in m ediaeval times felt that it was not one o f
their functions to provide a postal service. As a result, the
m ediaeval guilds and the universities took over these duties and
m aintained private postal facilities for the benefit o f the m er
chant members o f the guilds and for the exchange o f inform ation
and ideas amongst scholars. In Renaissance times governm ents
renewed their interest in postal services being particularly con
cerned in having some control over international letters by
means o f a censorship. B y the time o f the Reform ation, govern
m ent postal services were w ell established and the first Post
O ffice A c t was passed in E ngland in 1657.
But the Jews have always had some sort o f private postal
service between their various centres.13 Excluded as they were
from m ediaeval universities and guilds, they relied on the
integrity o f the Shaliah w ho travelled extensively, usually for
the purpose o f collecting funds for various charitable purposes
and in support o f Jewish centres o f learning, to w hom also was
entrusted correspondence between dispersed members o f dif
ferent families. This unofficial postal service was considered so
im portant that R abbenu Gershon ben Ju d ah was able, at the
Synod o f M ain z, called in the year 1,000, to institute his famous
Takkanoth o f w hich the fourth dealt with postal correspondence.
In this takkanah it was forbidden, on pain o f excom m unication,
for anyone to open a letter w hich was not addressed to
himself. This particular ordinance m et with universal approval
1 E n cy clo p a ed ia B rittan ica (19 4 7 ). 18:303.

la . R abin ow itz, L. (1948) Jewish Merchant Adventurers.
and was endorsed and accepted all over W estern as w ell as

Eastern Jew ry. From that time, correspondence flowed
freely in ensured privacy between the widespread communities
o f the diaspora and knowledge, inform ation and books were
quickly and safely conveyed from one part o f Jew ry to another.
Doubtless the writings o f so eminent an authority as R ab b i
Eleazar o f W orms would have been carefully copied and carried
all over the diaspora but even w ithout this relatively rapid
means o f spreading K abb alistic inform ation, the interest in and
growth o f mysticism and o f mystic movements in Judaism would
itself have led ultim ately to this dissemination.
R egarding the spread o f Hasidism, it is necessary to define our
terms. W e believe that the grow th o f mysticism in Judaism
was restricted to K abbalists or mekubalim and that most o f these
people w ere, at one time or another, associated w ith the m ove
ment o f Hasidism. T h e inscriptions on the amulets w e are des
cribing must certainly have originated from or have been
prepared for the use o f Hasidim. T h e non-Hasidic Jews, particu
larly those latterly called the misnagdim, had always set them
selves rigidly against amulets, condem ning them as so much
superstition and relying strongly on H oly W rit and on the strong
opinion o f authorities such as M aim onides to justify this
attitude.
But even the most staunchly m aterialistic non-H asidic Jews
have always had to contend against frail hum an nature,
particularly hum an nature in times o f trouble. Since the history
o f the Jews is such that trouble is seldom absent from their midst
at any given m oment, the urge to seek protection from danger by
any means, even i f it be associated w ith a tinge o f heterodoxy
and superstition was a very real tem ptation. T h e popularity o f
amulets am ong the m ore superstitious com m on people and
particularly am ong wom en at the time o f childbirth, at w hich
time even today this sex is particularly liable to fantastic fears
and quaint superstitions, is a measure both o f the degree o f the
stresses and o f the frailty o f hum an nature. H owever, the truly
religious looked upon the use o f amulets w ith a m ixture o f
amusement, tolerant contem pt and scorn though they did, on
rare occasions, display dow nright and stern opposition towards
those w ho m ade or used them.
‘Hasidism itself is a special manifestation o f m ystical thought
35
w hich has been found amongst Jewish people for at least 1800
years.’ In the early history o f this m ystical developm ent in the
2nd and 3rd century, the mysticism displayed is usually
referred to as Merkabah mysticism and appears to be part o f the
Gnosticism that existed am ong Jews as w ell as am ong Christians
o f that era. T h e Christian Gnostics, being considered a heretical
sect, were most rigidly rooted out by the early Church but
am ong Jews the m ystic w ay o f thought, as understood and
defined b y them, was not considered heretical so that it was not
suppressed but existed alongside orthodox Judaism for m any
centuries, a little hidden and often subjected to faintly con
temptuous criticism but still kept alive b y its devotees and
treated w ith m ild tolerance b y the R abbinate. Merkabah
mysticism had had its d ay and its literature has been almost
com pletely lost. ‘A little o f this is still to be found am ong some
o f the apochryphal books e.g. the visions o f the heavenly
traveller Enoch as set out in Ethiopic and Slavonic Books o f
Enoch, literature w hich for the Merkabah mystics was inter
preted as accounts given to R ab b i Ishmael b y M etatron o f his
metamorphosis and o f the hierarchy o f the Throne and the
Angels’ .2 T h e preoccupation with the Throne o f G od is charac
teristic o f Merkabah mysticism w hich derives its very nam e
from Maaseh Merkabah w hich deals with the first vision o f the
prophet Ezekiel. Since the disappearance o f the literature o f the
Merkabah gnostics and mystics over the centuries, some small
portions have been recovered from various m anuscript sources.
It is to Scholem that we must be grateful for having helped to
elucidate this very com plex and difficult subject and it is to him
that we are largely indebted for the rediscovery and assembly o f
such few records o f the Merkabah literature as are available in
various libraries and Genizoth in various parts o f the world.
Scholem and other authorities describe this literature under
the general term o f ‘H ekhaloth’ literature, so called because it
was concerned with the Hekhal or the Palace o f G od. These
early mystics were prim arily concerned with the various
Hekhaloth or H eavens o f w hich there were seven, each m ore
glorious than the one below until the Throne o f G od itself was
reached. In this literature, M etatron the A rchangel figures pro-
2. Scholem , G . Jewish Gnosticism, Merkabah mysticism.

36
minently. H e is supposed b y some to be no less a personage than

Enoch him self after his translation to H eaven, and although his
name is mentioned only three times in the Babylonian T alm u d,
he derives his authority from a tradition o f the 4th century
according to w hich M etatron is the angel o f w hom it is said
‘Beware o f him for m y N am e is w ithin him ’.3 It is indeed w ithin
him ; M etatron, b y gematria calculation is equivalent to Shaddai,
which is p robably the explanation o f the mysterious Nam e
within a Nam e.
It is thus early on that the distinction is m ade between mystic
Judaism and ordinary R abbin ical Judaism , the latter being
concerned w ith the developm ent o f the M ishnah and o f the
Talm ud and the former being preoccupied w ith the develop
ment o f that strange literature w hich has to a great extent dis
appeared. H owever, since mysticism always makes its greatest
appeal to people in times o f trouble, it was not until the time o f
the Crusades that a resurgence o f mysticism took place in
m ediaeval G erm any, ‘w here the savage persecution o f the
period and the Jew s’ ow n constant readiness for m artyrdom
m ade a proper soil for the developm ent o f this particular exotic
plant’.4 So great was the influence o f the Jews o f m ediaeval
G erm any on Hasidism at this stage that their contemporaries
actually called the R hineland mystics ‘Haside Ashkenaz’ i.e.
the pious men o f Germ any.
Scholem states that ‘the rise o f Hasidism was the decisive
event in the religious developm ent o f G erm an Jew ry. O f all the
factors determ ining the deeper religion o f that com m unity, it
was the greatest until changes took place in the 17th century
under the influence o f the later K abbalism , w hich itself origin
ated at Safed in Palestine. Strictly speaking, it was the only
considerable religious event in the history o f G erm an Judaism .
Its im portance lies in the fact that it succeeded as early as the
M iddle Ages in bringing about the trium ph o f new religious
ideals and values w hich was acknowledged b y the mass o f the
people; in G erm any and for the G erm an Jewish com m unity at
any rate, the victory was com plete. W here the 14th century
K abbalism o f Spain failed— for it becam e a real historical factor
only m uch later after the Expulsion o f the Jews from Spain and
3. Exodus 23:21.
4. Scholem , G . Major Trends, L ecture II I.
37
after Safed had become a new centre— G erm an Hasidism

succeeded’.5
M ediaeval Hasidism in G erm any was p ractically established
b y that rem arkable fam ily w hich for centuries provided the
Jewish communities in the R hineland w ith their spiritual
leaders, the Kalonym ides, who cam e to the R h in e from Italy
and w ho in Speyer, W orm s and M ain z form ed an intellectual
aristocracy am ong the com m unity. T h e three m en who m oulded
G erm an Hasidism all belonged to this fam ily. Sam uel the Hasid,
who lived in the m iddle o f the 12 th century, his son Jehudah the
Hasid o f W orms, and the latter’s disciple and relative E leazar
ben Jehudah o f W orm s w ho died in 1238. A ll three exercised a
deep and lasting influence on their contem poraries, so m uch so
that o f Jehudah the Hasid it was said b y a contem porary that
‘H e w ould have been a prophet i f he had lived in the time o f
the prophets’ . A round him there developed m any legends
w hich have been preserved in the Maaseh Buch. 6 It was left
how ever to E leazar o f W orms, the most zealous o f all the dis
ciples to leave a group o f writings, m any o f w hich have never
been published and w hich only exist in m anuscript form, w hich
is a rich storehouse o f early H asidic and m ystical thought.
E leazar o f W orms, the author o f Sefer Raziel, is .well known
for his great halachic work Ha-Rokeah w hich has been repub
lished m any times. M a n y o f his other writings are o f consider
able interest for a study o f Jewish mysticism. His book, Sefer
Raziel was w ritten about 1230 but it was not until 1701 that the
first edition appeared in print in A m sterdam ,7 although m any
m anuscript copies o f it had previously existed. This book has
had a m arked influence on Hasidism in general and upon
Jewish mysticism and am ulet makers in particular. It was well
known in m anuscript form am ong the Spanish Jews and indeed
to a w hole school o f mystics w hich developed around G erona in
Spain, and existed there for m any years.
W hile Moses A bulafia, the Spanish Jewish mystic, originally
expounded his doctrine o f prophetic K abbalism in Italy and
later followed this up b y a further developm ent in Spain, ‘it
was in the years following 1275 that the book was written in the
5. Ibid.
6. Gaster, M . Maaseh Buch.
7. E leazar o f W orm s, (1701) Sefer Raziel, Am sterdam .
38
heart o f Castile w hich was destined to overshadow all other

documents o f K abbalistic literature’.8 This was the Z°âr or
the “ Book o f Splendour” . This book attained a unique position
in Jewish literature in that it becam e canonised with the Bible
and the T alm u d and this position was achieved within about
two centuries and raised the Z°har to foremost em inence in
K abbalistic literature. T h e author o f the Zoâr, it is now almost
certain, was the Spanish K abb alist Moses de Leon w ho to the
end o f his life stoutly m aintained his anonym ity but whose
identity has been fairly fully established quite recently b y close
and careful studies o f the linguistic and historical aspects o f his
magnum opus. For this w e have to thank Scholem .9 T h e Z°âr had
an immense influence on the mystics o f the Spanish school with
their centres in G erona and in 1492, w hen the expulsion from
Spain took place, m any o f these mystics fled, sailed from Spain
and landed in Palestine, ultim ately settling in Safed where they
established their school and produced their literature. From
Safed a stream o f mystics spread all over the M iddle-E ast and
Europe and it is to these that we p robab ly owe the popularity
and the dissemination o f the various form ulae from the Sefer
Raziel and from the Z°âr out to the remotest portions o f the
eastern diaspora.
O ne o f the foremost authors o f com pendia o f the form ulae
w hich are found on amulets was R . Moses Zacuto (1625-1697)
a native o f Am sterdam w ho spent all his life in various cities o f
Europe and w ho received m uch o f his inform ation on practical
K a b b a lah from Benjam in H alevi w ho had him self originated
from Safed. Z acu to ’s writings reproduced the form ulae w hich
originated from the K abbalists o f that holy city, indeed, he
frequently states that m an y o f his shemoth were derived from no
less an authority than the Ari, (R. Isaac Luria) although
Zacuto him self was a renowned K abb alist in his own right.
Z a cu to ’s work, the Sefer Shoreshey Hashemoth is a treasure-
house o f shemoth and o f practical K a b b a lah .* A lth ough it has
never been printed, m any copies o f this book exist in m anuscript
*1 am grateful to Professor G . Scholem for brin gin g this book to my

notice.
8. Scholem , G . op. cit. L ecture V .

9. Scholem , G . ibid.
39
form and are cherished and preserved b y devoted mekubalim and

students in m any countries.
T h e spread o f mysticism in European Jew ry was a later
developm ent and flourished most successfully am ong the Jews
o f Poland, o f G alicia and o f Austria w ith the B aal Shem T o b
(c. 1700-1760) as its leader. H owever, its influence was greatly
restricted by the strong opposition o f the misnagdim w ho took up
the antim ystical attitude. As a result o f the successful progress
o f this attitude, the great m ajority o f the Jews in Russia,
G erm any and L ithuania did not come to subscribe to the
m ystical doctrine but, w ith the exception o f a small group in the
last nam ed territory— (the C h a b a d )10— remained stoutly un
m oved b y the zaddik, the hasidim and their antics. Nevertheless,
even am ong this sturdily rational group, amulets w ere in regular
but concealed use in childbed and in times o f personal troubles
and difficulty. But the amulets in use amongst these Jew s o f
Europe were usually tailor-m ade for the occasion i.e. w ritten on
paper or on parchm ent specifically to hang around a particular
m other’s childbed. M etallic amulets were rare and w hen used,
were usually very simple in character, a letter n on a pendant
being the commonest found (Plate 19). These German-Jewish
amulets have m ade their w a y through W estern Europe and it
was not uncomm on, h a lf a century ago, for a child even in
England, to be given an am ulet o f this type b y his godm other.
T h e chain is now complete. W e have been able to trace the
H ebrew inscriptions on our amulets from their origins, some o f
these inscriptions being at least 1800 years old, through the
Hekhaloth literature o f the Merkabah mystics to Ita ly and South
ern France and from there northwards to the lands o f the Rhine
w here their study flourished until the thirteenth century when,
w ith the Crusades, the H asidic schools were broken up and
their students dispersed. T h e precious writings and manuscripts
were spread southward to Spain where, in C atalonia and Castile
these manuscripts were preserved, studied and copied faith
fully. After the Expulsion from Spain in 1492, the mystics and
their manuscripts travelled to Palestine where, in Safed, the
new thoughts took root and burgeoned once more. T h e revived
m ovem ent flourished and cam e to its clim ax under the influence
io . Chabad.— Initial letters o f ¡ISH ni’3 , HMDn

40
o f the Ari (R. Isaac L uria 1534-1572). From Safed the mystical
thoughts, words, expressions and shemoth were transmitted to the
entire European and oriental Diaspora, to the remotest part o f
the Y em en, to the furthest shores o f the M aghreb.
It is doubtful i f any other people than the People o f the Book
could present such a tortuous history o f trouble, persecution
and w ithal, preservation o f their writings in the most perfect
form. Doubtless there is a m oral to be draw n from this involved
tale.
41
CHAPTER EIGH T
Deciphering, Calligraphy
I T M U S T BE considered axiom atic that every portion o f an
am uletic inscription has a purpose and is m eaningful and it is
never justifiable to postulate that a group o f letters has been
inserted m erely to fill up a line or for any other trivial motive.
I f this statement is accepted, failure to read p art o f an inscrip
tion usually means that the significance o f that particular group
o f letters has not been appreciated and that their m eaning has
not been interpreted correctly. T im e and again one can put an
am ulet aw ay confident that everything has been com pletely
read only to notice on a later occasion that an apparently
meaningless ju m b le o f engravings is m eant to represent several
letters w ith very definite significance.
T h e w riter o f amulets took his duties very seriously and tried
to suit his customer as far as possible, as m any o f the amulets
are ‘tailor m ade’ for specific events. This, however, is more usual
in the written amulets rather than in the m etallic ones as the
latter are expensive and w ould hardly be renewed for every
occasion. H owever, broad protection against m any ills are
occasionally but less frequently offered on amulets w ith very
long inscriptions so that even the expensive m etallic amulets
could be used w ith assurance o f effectiveness on m any different
occasions. T h e actual engraver o f the am ulet itself does not seem
to have been o f the same intellectual stature as the m an who
wrote the form ulae. T h e engraver probably copied his inscrip
tion from a m anuscript or from m em ory to the best o f his ability
and, since few amulets are m et with corrected inscriptions
although errors are frequent, one must conclude either that the
learned scribc was intim idated and was satisfied to let matters
hr, or that hr was never shown the am ulet on completion at all,
42
liis form ula only being used, or else that a corrected am ulet was
invalid so that corrections could only be m ade at the cost o f a
new piece o f work. T h e actual shape o f the m etallic am ulet
itself was p robably a m atter o f arrangem ent between the en
graver and his client, but each country developed amulets o f
certain traditional shapes w hich can be identified and their
place o f origin thus recognised. As we have said, the scribe was
called in b y the engraver to give him the text or the form ula
only.
M ETH O D OF IN T E R P R E T A T IO N
'I'he inscription on the am ulet should be copied out carefully

line b y line and the lines themselves num bered. In the case o f a
circum ferential inscription, an effort should be m ade to find the
beginning and the end o f the inscription itself. This is indicated
sometimes b y a full stop, occasionally by a colon (:) but more
often b y ( Y ) . Should none o f these marks be found, it is worth
remem bering that m any o f the inscriptions com m ence at the
top right hand corner o f a pendant or at the top right hand
corner o f a rectangular piece and that they are often preceded
3
by the letters or D© . 3
O nce the start o f the inscription is found, one tries to identify
fam iliar groups o f letters. T h e group ]»t2>snp w hich appears in all
inscriptions o f the 42-letter N am e o f G od and "WS w hich can
often be observed, derived as it is from the initial letters o f the
words o f the second verse o f Psalm 121 w hich is very frequently
used, are two groups o f letters that come to the mind. T h e
names o f angels should be noted; w hile the five com m oner ones
on the m etallic amulets are U riel, R aphael, G abriel, M ichael
;ind N uriel and they keep recurring with the m nemonic
pD N ‘A rgam an ’, other names o f angels appear particularly on
Kabbalistic amulets and often on those copied from Sefer Raziel.
In copying out the names o f the angels, it should be noted that
tlie final two letters -el are often condensed in a variety o f ways
e.g. H.«.«'«.
As one copies the inscriptions one notes that, being in
Hebrew, all the norm al ones read from right to left but occasion
ally one comes across one in w hich the inscription itself is
written out norm ally and then backwards.
43
C A L L IG R A P H Y
T h e actual calligraphy o f the inscriptions varies. D ifferent

styles are clearly favoured b y engravers from different countries
and these differences can be used to help to identify the country
o f origin. Thus the Persian m etallic amulets are beautiful objects
and the letters are usually large and boldly engraved. T h e
w riting is in square rather angular H ebrew Ashuri characters in
a low repoussé. Errors are relatively infrequent and filigree
decoration on the face o f the amulets is comm on. T h e q uality o f
the silver is good and the amulets are obviously the production
o f a cultured and artistic com m unity.
A m ulets from Iraq again, do not show this type o f repoussé
work but are often reinforced at the edges w ith silver wire
(gadrooning). T h e script is w ell engraved and usually in
Sephardi cursive w riting, only the superscription, often the
eight-letter N am e TUnnS’ , being in square Ashuri script.
K abb alistic names o f angels and m agical squares abound.
T h e few amulets from Afghanistan w hich w e have studied, are
circular small silver objects w ith the inscriptions in large square
Ashuri characters. T h e silver is thin, soft but o f good quality.
Am ulets from Morocco are often inscribed w ith K abbalistic
signs and in addition, are adorned w ith small pendants bearing
symbols whose m eaning is considered later. T h e q uality o f the
silver used is not as good as that o f the Persian or the Afghani
types.
T h e amulets from Kurdistan show a typical form o f cursive
script w hich is quite different from the Persian, the Iraqi or the
M oroccan. T h e q uality o f the m etal is good and the engraving
very adequate. N o gadrooning or filigree work is found on these
amulets but m arked differences can be observed in the calli
graphy especially in the unusual forms o f ‘zayin’ and ‘lam ed’
and in the form o f ‘el’ .
Am ulets from Kazakstan and Herat are similar in style and
content to the Iraq i and Persian ones. M a n y are engraved on iron
and since w ork on this harder m etal is m ore difficult than on
the softer silver, the letters tend to be more angular. T h e use o f <
for ‘el’ is noteworthy.
Turkish amulets are quite unusual. T h e y are engraved on
heavy brass w ith relatively few letters and without any means o f
44
affixing to the clothes or for suspension from the neck being

provided. T h ey are rectangular in shape and their inscriptions
¡ire similar to other oriental Jewish amulets w e have described.
T hey were doubtless m eant to be w rapped up and kept on the
person.
T h e Italian Jewish am ulet is an artistically beautiful object as
could be expected from a com m unity that has lived for several
thousand years am ong an artistic people. T h e am ulet case is
called a ‘Shaddai’ because this shem is always prom inently
engraved on it1. U sually this is the only shem on the am ulet but on
one single one, we have seen an additional shem, âmarchad.
T h e engraved silver m etallic amulets are often w ritten in
beautifully clear script and are usually easily legible though
sometimes attempts are m ade to use archaic forms o f script
(particularly in the case o f the letters ‘zayin’ ) whose age cannot
be reconciled w ith the estimated age o f the am ulet itself. In this
way a script w hich closely approxim ates to that o f Assyrian
Hebrew o f the 8th century m ay be found on an am ulet w hich
could not possibly have been m ade m uch earlier than the 18th
century. Doubtless the antique script has a charm o f its ow n and
adds to the m ystery and impressiveness o f the am ulet itself.
A p art from the incised letters, a form o f engraving in low
relief is com m only found w hich is m ade b y chasing aw ay the
space between the characters so as to leave the letters themselves
standing out. This type o f inscription is usually in an angular
square script, very stylised but very beautiful. T h e letters, w ith a
little practice, soon becom e easily legible.
A third form o f inscription, and the most difficult to read of
all, is the one w hich is occasionally found on amulets m ade o f
very thin sheets o f silver w hich is lettered b y indenting the back
so as to m ake the letters stand out in high relief (repoussé).
These are sometimes almost com pletely illegible at first glance
and can only be deciphered b y copying them out laboriously
letter by letter and then interpreting the inscription afterwards.
M uch effort is often needed to fill in the gaps in the words and
in the lines. Photography o f this type o f inscription, even using
oblique lighting, is generally unrewarding.
In order to increase the mysterious effect o f the inscription,
i. Gusin, S. G ., (1963).
45
the peculiar letters used by writers o f m agic are found on

engraved amulets though their appearances are m ore rare than
on written amulets w hich almost invariably show some o f
these peculiar characters somewhere or other in their text. T h e
peculiar letters on close inspection are seen to bear some uneasy
resemblance to ordinary H ebrew Ashuri characters but they
possess rounded angles and tend to end in small circles. Sefer
Raziel2 devotes several illustrations to showing such letters
(Fig. i) but gives no adequate explanation for them or for
X ’K ' f T W H 2 a H - H
f / I X T I T W A i I > A
Figure i : T h e K ab b alistic alphabet. T h e letters bear an uneasy resemb

lance to H ebrew characters but end in ringlets w ith rounded corners
{Sefer Raziel p. 44b).
their use and B udge3 makes a gallant but unsuccessful attem pt

to explain their significance. H owever, G aster4 has probably
found the true reason behind them and their use. A ccording to
him, the ancient Sam aritan alphabet w hich had fallen into
disuse, had become the mystic alphabet and its letters were used
on charms down to recent times; ‘Sometimes distorted out o f
recognition and distinguished b y the fact that the corners are
2. Sefer Raziel. p. 44a, 44b.
3. Budge, E . A . W . p. 402ff.
4. Gaster, M . Studies and Texts. 1:607.
46
rounded o ff in small ringlets’. In support o f this hypothesis one

need only rem em ber that w hen E zra the Scribe (5th century
11.c.) canonised the Bible as w e know it today, he introduced
I'rom Assyria the square H ebrew characters that w e still use and
know as the Kethab Ashuri and that the T orah , w hich had
Ibrmerly been written in the antique H ebrew script, has since
that day to this been copied in Kethab Ashuri. H owever, during
t he period o f transition, w hich must have lasted several hundred
years, the use o f the new ly adopted alphabet was becom ing
popularised and a reluctance to use the new characters for
Iranscribing that most H oly Nam e, the N am e o f G od or the
Tetragram m aton, persisted for some while. T h e very earliest
scrolls from the D ead Sea Caves ( ± 1 0 0 b.c. to ± 1 0 0 a.d.)
abound in writings in w hich the w hole o f the text is w ritten in
Kethab Ashuri except for the Tetragram m aton w hich is written
iu ancient H ebrew characters.5 This reluctance to release one’s
last hold on a cherished traditional object is a very hum an one
and can be easily understood by anyone w ho has observed, even
in modern times, the peculiar actions, words and writings that
even educated modern men and wom en constantly perform as a
reminder o f traditions o f long ago. H ow else can one explain the
crossed fingers, the reluctance to w alk under ladders or the urge
to ‘touch w ood’ i f not as a rem nant o f an unforgettable m em ory
o f long past practices o f m agical and protective significance?
Not every single character o f these peculiarly distorted and
adorned letters is legible or explicable today— it w ould be
remarkable i f this w ere so— but enough has com e down to ex
plain the broad principles on w hich the construction o f these
peculiar characters is based.
K abbalistic signs are not freq u en tly, found on m etallic
amulets. T h e designs that do occur are simple and are often used
lo divide the space available into compartments, each o f w hich
contains a separate inscription. T h e hexagram is a very comm on
symbol. O ne single cruciform inscription has been found w hich
may w ell have some Christian significance in view o f the
presence o f a crescent on this same am ulet. (See Plate 7.)
O th er K abbalistic signs in the forms found illustrated in
Srfer Raziel occur on amulets o f K abbalistic content. H ow ever
¡5. W iirthw ein, E . p. 104 et seq.

47
these signs are found more frequently on amulets w ritten on
parchm ent. T h eir significance is not explained in Raziel but
their presence helps to classify the type o f the individual am ulet
into the K abbalistic or the non-K abbalistic.
O ccasionally an am ulet is inscribed in its text w ith the
nam e o f the person for w hom it was m ade. These are nearly
always identified b y their own names and b y the names o f their
mothers w hich m ay well be a clue to the antiquity o f the cult, as
the persistence o f the m other’s nam e in w hat is known to be a
strictly patrilineal society is noteworthy. In some, the names are
found inscribed on the reverse side but in such a case, the name
o f the father is invariably used for identification. W e interpret
this to m ean that inscriptions on the back o f the amulets are
used sim ply to indicate ownership in the traditional Jewish
form whereas those in the text are o f m agical significance.
Since m agic is a serious business to its devotees, there must
never be the possibility o f any doubt in identifying the user.
‘ Mater certa, pater incertus est’ is usually put forw ard as the reason
for using this form o f identification but to their credit one sub
mits that this argum ent probably never entered the minds o f
our innocent engravers o f amulets w ho were guided in this
matter b y long tradition, fortified by the statement that ‘A ll
forms o f incantation are performed in the nam e o f the m other’.6
6. Sabbath 66b. Rashi. M 3i n n w n 1? T ’» *73
48
CHAPTER NINE
Classification of Amulets
A T T H IS S T A G E , with the inform ation already at our
disposal regarding the shemoth, it is perhaps justifiable to try and
enter into the m ind o f the am ulet m aker to see w hat goal he is
striving for. It must be accepted that both he and his clients
were honest and had im plicit confidence in the efficacy o f the
amulets else these would long ago have fallen into disrepute and
disuse. T h e persistence o f their m anufacture and use over the
centuries makes it fairly certain that there must have been a
certain num ber o f clinical successes to their credit which,
doubtless exaggerated b y the am ulet m aker for his own ends
(amulets were not cheap) and b y the w earer to increase his or
her prestige, contributed no little to the persistence o f the cult.
Control experiments and ‘double-blind’ trials were quite
unknown in those days, and a little fortuitous success w ent a
very long w ay.
T o d ay, we have an increasing knowledge o f psychosomatic
disease and an awareness o f the im portance o f suggestion and
the psyche as a cause even o f m any diseases w hich w ere con
sidered until quite recently to be entirely somatic. W e are able
to explain, although still rather im perfectly, some o f the reasons
for the successes that were claim ed by so m any o f the users o f
the amulets by suggesting that their dram atic results must have
been in those cases suffering from diseases o f psychosomatic
origin. Sim ilar successes can, and often are, achieved by the
use o f suggestion, placebos and a doctor’s strong personality.
It can be stated with confidence that while an individual am ulet
could not be guaranteed to do any good, a not inconsiderable
am ount o f good resulted from their use.
A t the same time it is not right to take an unsym pathetic view
49
Classification o f Amulets
o f a people w ho were generally ignorant o f current m edical

practice and always poor. M oreover, since orthodox m edicine
itself had in those times very little m ore to offer the patient
than w hat the am ulet m aker promised and sometimes achieved,
one can hardly blam e the people for turning to quasi-m agical
practices which, i f they did no good, could at an y rate be relied
on to do no harm , a state o f affairs that any current m edical
practice o f m ore than a century ago w ith its blood-letting,
blistering, firing and cupping could certainly not im prove upon.
Looked at from this point o f view , H ebrew amulets can be
divided into six groups, classified according to the objective
they were m eant to achieve. T h ere m ay be a certain am ount o f
overlapping o f intent, but broadly speaking, the six main
groups stand out quite clearly. T h e y are as follows:
1. Generally beneficial and benedictory amulets.

2. Amulets for promotion of health.
3. Amulets for protection against the Evil Eye.
4. Amulets for prevention o f miscarriages.
5. Amulets for promotion of fertility.
6. Amulets for protection of the mother and the child in child
bed.
1. Generally protective and beneficial amulets. These form the

majority of Hebrew amulets. The following are the most com
mon and most obvious inscriptions bearing this intent:
,’kd ,-]nn b'm /’oV ,“]Vd i n r ,KnioK ,iraN
.nrroNrw ,iao ,onD“i “ixn1?
2. Amuletsfor the promotion of health. Bearing in mind the fact that

it was prohibited to use amulets as a direct means o f cure but
only as a prophylactic measure, these inscriptions are far from
common. They certainly include the following:
.XniON ,TXD ,TX
3. Amuletsfor protection against the Evil Eye. These inscriptions are

extremely common, usually combined with varieties 1 and 4
but occasionally appearing as solitary inscriptions, especially on
the smaller silver amulets. Several of these inscriptions can be
interpreted as being partly benedictory, but the majority are
probably intended purely as protection against the Evil Eye.
7 11 23 3 0
They are as follows: .KBPS KTS , ®» , » ,VD2 ,’ D ,*] V ,")»Xnn
50
4. For the prevention of miscarriages. dViS? N 57733 »SlBIl1?
.ID’ ’ NOS ,3133 1N03
5. For the promotion of fertility. 31i3HV ,1173'’’?

6. For protection of mother and child in childbed. The relative fre
quency of these inscriptions is quite noteworthy and may be used
to indicate how often the dangers associated with childbirth
came into the people’s thoughts and how seriously they were
considered. The names mainly concern Lilith and the utiliz
ation of Psalm 121, which was considered specifically protec
tive against her activities, is very common. It is considered that
the following shemoth were undoubtedly used specifically for cases
in childbed:
M r3N v d ’3x ,i33T’ ,*i’?3s»d ,•’1303D ,•’130 ,nimnn mn .m’?1'’? ,fin
*,nop *,i33x *,nono» * > ,n *,m o *,nnx *,irpn *,ioi*i»n
'.n o o n s * > n \ r r m v V p
It m ay perhaps be surprising to find protective agents against
the peculiar dangers that occur during parturition and the
immediate post-partum period, both for the m other and for the
newborn child, figuring so prom inently in am uletic practice and
reflected in the relatively large num ber o f amulets m ade for this
purpose. But childbirth, even until as recently as 100 years ago
was a dangerous experience and m aternal m ortality was, by
modern standards, quite appalling. Infant m ortality has, as a
matter o f fact, only shown a real decline in the last century so
1hat it is not at all surprising that the Jews, particularly the
lla sid ic Jew s, p h ilo p ro g e n itiv e to a d e g re e (like th eir co
religionists all over the world) and relatively ignorant o f w orldly
matters should have sought every measure in their pow er to
prevent the tragedies o f childbirth and o f infancy.
T h e means they used originated m ainly from an ignorance o f
the true cause o f the trouble (an ignorance they shared with the
general populace) and from a profound knowledge and b elief in
M idrashic literature and legend w hich ascribes most o f the ills
during the difficult times o f labour, parturition and the im m e
diate post-partum state to Lilith. Lilith herself was reputed to be
A d am ’s first wife who, forever banished to the outer darkness,
1. A zulai, H . J . D . Joseph be-Seder par. 6.
♦Alternative names o f L ilith as given b y H id a 1. (See p. 116)
51 JA M E S W H ITE LIBRARY
A N D R E W S UNIVERSITY
BERRJEN SPRINGS, Ml 4 9 1 0 4
persistently attem pted to take her revenge on his descendants
at their most vulnerable period, viz. during and im m ediately
after parturition. Innum erable amulets inscribed with the m any
names o f Lilith bear testimony to the frequency o f the troubles
and to the frantic and frequent attempts m ade to halt the
m iserable succession o f tragedies.
T o d ay, w ith our well-established system o f m edical care, our
control o f infection and a generally better understanding o f the
causes o f m any o f the diseases o f pregnancy and o f parturition,
we m ay find it difficult to appreciate the state o f mind, often
resembling panic, that overtook a w om an w ho found herself
nearing her time in a society not prim itive enough to be fatal
istic and not know ledgeable enough to be able to do anything
about it to prevent tragedy. European m edicine itself until
recently could also do no m ore than place on record a very high
proportion o f mothers dying in childbirth w ithout being able to
do very m uch to prevent it. C hildbed fever with its high mor
tality, frequent m orbidity and shocking sequelae was ever in the
thoughts o f a pregnant w om an. T h e first com m andm ent to
appear in the B iblical text, ‘Be fruitful and m ultiply’ 2 though
always followed, was not an unm itigated jo y. A w om an felt at
that time that she was about to go through the V a lle y o f the
Shadow o f D eath. She clutched at any straw and the amulets
provided just such a straw. Nevertheless the com m andm ent to
be fruitful and to m ultiply had to be observed without question
under all circumstances. A ll sorts o f hardships befell couples who
w ere unfortunately childless and to be childless was considered
to be m an’s greatest curse. T h e amulets for prom oting fertility
were designed to overcom e these difficulties. Am ulets o f this
kind have had a very long history indeed. Phallic amulets and
the various ‘Venuses’ found in the caves o f prehistoric men are
p robably such am uletic objects whose prim ary duty was to
prom ote fertility. O u r amulets, m uch m ore sophisticated, are
the direct descendants o f these crude representational ancestral
forms. But it is noteworthy that the Jews, the ‘People o f the
Book’, em ployed m ainly w ritten and inscribed amulets for pro
tective purposes, not bits o f wood, stone or other natural or
carved sym bolic objects.
R em arkably enough, no Jewish amulets have been found
a. Genesis 9:1.
52
whose object is to increase virility or to restore potency. In view
o f the fact that these objectives have been most earnestly pur
sued b y m any peoples, whether Eastern or W estern both in
ancient and in m odern times, and particularly in view o f the
fact that the A rab and M editerranean population amongst
whom most o f our kamea writers lived have always sought aphro
disiacs and stimulants for their rejuvenation, sometimes in the
most unlikely and revolting ways, this absence is quite astonish
ing. T h e bizarre and rem arkable objects that have been worn,
eaten or even worshipped for the sole purpose o f increasing the
potency o f the ageing or not-so-ageing m ale finds no echo among
our Jewish amulets or inscriptions. Several species o f animals
have been brought to near extinction and whole galleries o f
ancient votive objects bear witness to the keen and unrem itting
search that has been, and still is undertaken, w ith this sole
purpose in mind. Doubtless polygam y has been partly respon
sible for this state o f affairs, the need to fulfil their m arital
obligations bearing m ore heavily on polygam ous peoples than
on the Jews who, since the time o f R abbenu Gershon (960-1040)
have been a strictly monogamous com m unity. M oreover, the
Jewish laws o f Niddah and the strong teachings, precepts and
commandments in support o f chastity as well as the orthodox
view that sex is intended for the procreation o f children have
undoubtedly played their part in m aking the need for amulets
to increase virility unnecessary. W ith m odern times come
modern ailments but the lack o f am uletic inscriptions to treat
impotence seems to indicate that, living his norm al life in his
own com m unity, the religious Jew felt little need for this type o f
therapy.
It is not to be expected that the T alm u d, that astonishing
collection o f w orldly inform ation, religion, advice and legend
should fail entirely to have something to say about this matter.
It refers3 quite briefly to the subject on one occasion only, and
advises eating garlic for its aphrodisiac qualities. This single
occasion is the only time the m atter receives attention.
3. B . Kama, 82a: ‘ It is custom ary to eat garlic on the Sabbath eve for the
im provem ent o f m arital relations ... F ive qualities are attributed to
garlic: it satisfies hunger, warm s the body, cheers the countenance,
increases the sexual impulse and kills worms in the bowels. Some say it
also adm its love and disperses jealousy’ .
53
CHAPTER TEN
Non-Hebrew Inscriptions and

Ornaments, Colours
IN S T U D Y I N G a fairly representative num ber o f amulets we
have been able to detect the influence o f Jewish m ystical
literature o f different periods in some o f the inscriptions that
appear on them. For exam ple, even the early Hekhaloth literature
o f the fourth century is represented by the w ord Azboga w hich is
explained in one o f the Hekhaloth as the Ogdoas or the shem
.1
ha-sheminiuth Extracts from the Babylonian T alm u d occur and
oblique references to Talm u dic matters are still more common.
W hile the explanation o f m uch o f the H ebrew w ritten inscrip
tions is therefore possible from a study o f Jewish literature, the
explanation o f the non-H ebrew inscriptions and o f the orna
ments and ornamentations o f various kinds that are used must
be sought for, w e believe, in still older tradition.
Since some o f our amulets were known to have come from
M orocco and N orth A frica and folk m em ory being w hat it is,
w e thought, after exam ining M oroccan and N orth A frican
H ebrew amulets, that it should be possible to find examples o f
similar ornaments am ong the amulets o f the very old and
original inhabitants o f these countries. W e know that the A rab
population in these regions has only had Islam imposed upon
it in the 6th century which, in terms o f folk m em ory, is com
paratively recent times. W e also know that H ebrew amulets
have been in use long before this time in the Jewish com m unity
that had existed in N orth A frica for a very long time before the
A rab conquest. Slouschz2 for exam ple states that ‘T h e physical
1. Scholem , G . Jewish Gnosticism, p. 66.

2. Slouschz, N . p. 62.
54
Non-Hebrew Inscriptions and Ornaments, Colours
characteristics o f the inhabitants, their mode o f living, their

traditions and customs and the absence o f the names C ohen and
Levi, all go to show the antiquity o f Jewish settlement in these
parts’. Speaking about the Jews in C yrenaica he continues ‘W e
know that in R om an antiquity there existed a com m unity at
Horion w hich attributed its origins to K in g Solom on and which,
in the 6th century, was converted at the point o f the sword’ ; we
also find vestiges o f a second ancient Jewish settlement, ‘V icus
Judaeorum A ugusti’ 3. Furtherm ore he considers that ‘This
region can be identified w ith the Sepharad or Hesperides o f the
prophet O bad iah . By a piece o f good fortune, there was un
earthed a seal that must have belonged to an ancient Israelite; it
bore, in ancient H ebrew characters o f the classical epoch, “ T o
O badiah, son o f Y ash u b ” , the same name as that o f the prophet
just m entioned’ .4
T h e Greeks began to colonise C yrenaica in the 7th century
B .C., the time o f the founding o f Cyrene, after w hich the w hole
district was named. T h e Greek settlements prospered and, from
the period o f the Ptolemies the Jews were attracted in such
large numbers to the district w hich w ent by the nam e o f
Pentapolis, ‘the Five Cities’ that Josephus looked upon it as
‘T h e continuation o f Ju daea beyond E gyp t’. T h e various
colonies that w ere established b y the Greeks in this p art o f
A frica prospered and Strabo o f C appadocia, an author living in
the year 80 b . c . is quoted by Josephus to the following effect
‘and it had come to pass that E gyp t and C yrene, as having the
same governors, and a great num ber o f other nations, im itate
their w ay o f living and m aintain great bodies o f these Jew s in a
peculiar m anner, and grow up to a great prosperity w ith them
and make use o f the same laws as that nation also’.5 W ith this
inform ation in mind, w e turned our attention to C arthaginian
amulets because Carthaginians lived in this very area and, being
colonists o f the Phoenicians and heirs to their traditions, they
were a Sem itic people, and it was probable and could be expected
that they w ould have some o f the pictorial representations
found on our later H ebrew amulets represented in their orna
ments, m onum ental inscriptions and even on some o f the
3. Idem, p. 68.
4. Idem, p. 69.
5. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities X IV :7 -
55
amulets recovered from archaeological excavations in that area.

T o our great satisfaction, this has in fact proved to be the case.6
‘T a n it Pene Baal was a celestial Goddess, perhaps basically
lunar’ .7 T h e crescent and disc w hich are frequently seen on m any
kinds o f objects from W est Phoenician sites were p robably
alw ays m eant to indicate this goddess and her consort Baal-
H am m on, but other symbols are also seen on her stelae, notably
the upraised right hand, a “ Caduceus” and the “ Sign o f T a n it” ’ .
T h e hand is clearly benedictory and protective and is a symbol
w hich exists today in am uletic form in all A rab lands including
Tunisia.
Slouschz reports that ‘T h ere are m any kinds o f kameot,
talismans and amulets w hich the Jewish child wears from the
d ay o f its birth. First comes the hand (or hand o f Fatm a) with
five fingers, worked in m etal w ith strange designs. This hand is
found engraved in all the houses o f the more backw ard Jews. It
is w orn as an am ulet round the neck or on the heart’ .8
W e have found hands, some plainly m ade, others more
elaborate and still others engraved w ith shemoth am ong our
amulets, also crescents and discs; the direct line o f the tradition
has therefore been established firmly. T h e m eaning o f the hand
has come to be forgotten over the centuries and it was taken over
b y the A rab latecomers w ho equated it w ith the hand o f Fatm a
w ho was M ahom m ed’s daughter. Am ongst these latter people,
hands are supposed to be a protection against the E vil E ye .9
T h e well known injunction against m aking a graven im age o f
any kind is observed very strictly b y the engraver o f H ebrew
amulets and greatly handicaps his artistic efforts. H owever,
apart from hands, some very stylised flowers are sometimes
found, the more com m on variety being a six-petalled simple
composite flower in the centre o f the am ulet. A round the
periphery o f such amulets are engraved inscriptions in straight
forw ard square lettering. These amulets are known to be Iraqi
in origin.
O n several amulets o f triangular pendant shape a lily-like
flower is sometimes found, the elongated form o f this flower
6. Cintas, P. pp. 133, 144.

7. Charles-Picard, G . and G. passim.
8. Slouschz N . p. 283.
9. W esterm arck E. I. p. 445 et seq.
56
being used to fill the centre o f the triangular pendant with

divided inscriptions on either side o f the flower itself.
O n still other triangular amulets the figure o f a bird has
been engraved. It is a dove-like creature standing in profile and
doubtless represents the ‘ C ongregation o f Israel’10; other
‘doves’ are encountered in silhouette cut-out forms. No other
representations o f any anim al or flower has been observed on
any o f the m any amulets examined.
From several o f the larger amulets still smaller amulets have
themselves been suspended, several o f them in the form o f small
metallic cases like mezuzahs w hich are shaped like fish and are
also considered as protective against the E vil Eye. H owever,
other objects are also sometimes found suspended from these
large amulets. Several have been found adorned with a sickle
moon w ith a disc w ithin— -clearly the crescent and disc o f
Carthage. From one exam ple a perforated flattened bullet has
been suspended.
This particular am ulet originally cam e from M orocco. N ow
W esterm arck11 describes a charm called a ‘Tsebrid’ w hich is
written on a flattened bullet and w hen w orn on the skin around
the neck is supposed to m ake the bearer im m une to bullets. It
is not to be expected that strict segregation o f charms and
amulets is likely to have been practised am ong their superstitious
wearers in an y particular country. Just as this particular Jew
reinforced his H ebrew am ulet with an A rab charm , so do m any
Arabs in M orocco carry Jew ish charm s upon their persons and
respect the tombs o f Jewish rabbis. M a n y Jews are known to
have been em ployed in m aking amulets for their A ra b neigh
bours.
C O LO U R ED BEAD S A N D C O LO U R ED STONES
Coloured beads and bright stones are often found attached to

or adorning silver H ebrew amulets. T h e stones are hardstones
and are always those whose colour is red or a shade o f red. R ed
is a protective colour and has been known and used for protec
tion against haem orrhages and fluxes from time im m em orial12.
10. Cant. Rabbah, I.
11. W esterm arck E . I. p. 209.
12. Budge, E . A . W . pp. 22, 236.
57
T h e principle o f similia similibus curantur doubtless applies in this

instance to explain the use o f the colour in amulets particularly
those concerned w ith protection in childbed, illness and
wounding. Blue on the other hand is a ‘lucky’ colour that has
been know n as such in the M iddle E astfor 5000 years. Itw asu sed
as a sign o f luck b y the Assyrians and as a protection. Indeed
Assurnasirpal, K in g o f Assyria records that ‘I caused bricks to
be baked with blue (enamel) and placed them over the doors’. 13
This was doubtless done to protect these buildings from the Evil
Eye. T o this very d ay blue is considered to be a lucky colour b y
the inhabitants o f the A rab world whose partiality for painting
the walls o f their rooms in blue is well known. Sm all beads o f
blue pottery not infrequently adorn oriental Jew ish silver amulets.
T h e traditional Jewish acceptance o f blue as a ‘good’ or
lucky colour goes back for m any years. T h e sisith contained
blue threads and the T a lm u d 14 gives the m atter serious con
sideration, ‘R ab b i M eir asked, w h y is blue different from all
other colours?’ Because the colour o f the sea is blue and the
H eavens resemble the sea in this respect, the Heavens again are
similar in colour to the Th rone o f G lory for it is w ritten “ A nd
they saw the G od o f Israel: and there was under His feet as it
were a paved work o f a sapphire stone, and as it were the body
o f the heaven in His clearness (Ex. 24:10)” . Furtherm ore it is
written “ A n d above the firm am ent that was over their heads was
the likeness o f a throne, as the appearance o f a sapphire stone.”
(Ezek. 1:26).
From these tortuous lines o f thought, reinforced as necessary
b y quotations from H oly W rit, it can be deduced that blue was
considered to be a ‘good’ or ‘fortunate’ colour and the blue
beads found on the amulets are to be thus explained.
13. Laessoe, J . p. 104.
14. Hullin, 89a.
58
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Magical Triangles, Squares,

Hexagrams and Pentacles
IT A P P E A R S that i f any inscription is placed w ithin a geo
m etrical figure, it acquires some m agical virtue because o f this.
M an y examples o f such inscriptions can be adduced. T h e best
known exam ple o f an inscription m ade in geom etric form is
A B R A C A D A B R A which, w hen properly set out, forms an
equilateral triangle, base uppermost.
A B R A C A D A B R A
B R A C A D A B R A
R A C A D A B RA
A C A D A B R A
C A D A B R A
A D A B R A
D A B R A
A B R A
B R A
R A
A
This form is sometimes repeated and inverted so that two

equilateral triangles are placed base to base and a parallelogram
results.
59
Magical Triangles, Squares, Hexagrams and Pentacles
A
R A
B R A
A B R A
D A B R A
A D A B R A
G A D A B R A
A C A D A B R A
R A C A D A B RA
B R A C A D A B R A
A B R A C A D A B R A
B R A C A D A B R A
R A C A D A B RA
A C A D A B R A
C A D A B R A
A D A B R A
D A B R A
A B R A
B R A
R A
A
I f the two equilateral triangles are interlaced, the six-pointed
star, the H exagram or the well known Shield o f D avid is formed.
T h e six-pointed Star o f D avid, although its history does not
entitle it to its name— there is no historical or archaeological
evidence to connect it specifically with D avid him self— has
been recognised b y the Gentiles as a sym bol o f the Jews, o f
Israel and o f Jew ry in general for several hundred years. T h e
Jews themselves, while having no real claim to this symbol, have
accepted and acknowledged it since the f6th century only,
indeed the Star o f D avid appears for the first time in 1527 on an
engraved stone in the Jewish cem etery in Prague.
T h e T alm u d gives one exam ple o f a triangular inscription
— the w ord Shabriri1. It is used as an incantation against thirst
at night ‘L et him say to himself, A , son o f B, m y m other told
me to be on guard against Shabriri, Briri, R iri, Iri, R i’.
T h e pentacle, pentagram or five-pointed star w hich is the
Shield o f Solomon is said to be a m uch older geom etric sym bol
— it appears on Babylonian inscriptions2— -but it is not a
1. Pesachin, 112a.
2. Budge, E . A . W . pp. 40, 433.
60
Magical Triangles, Squares, Hexagrams and Pectacles
H ebrew symbol and this type o f star does not appear on H ebrew
amulets at all frequently.
H ebrew amulets reflect this state o f affairs. T h e w ritten
amulets abound in triangles, squares, rectangles o f various forms
and hexagram s. T h e pentacle is not found though its use in
A rabic amulets is very comm on. T h e makers o f Jewish silver
amulets, because o f the smaller size o f the surface at their
disposal, have had to restrict the use o f geom etric figures to a
m inimum because as a rule they tried to get as long a written
inscription as possible on to their narrow canvas. In spite o f
this, geom etric figures are found occasionally and by com bining
the inform ation gained from the study o f several smaller inscrip
tions, it is possible to arrive at certain conclusions.
T R IA N G L E S
It is believed that by gradually reducing the size o f the indi

vidual words o f an inscription, the evil spirit will become
eased out o f its victim and its influence w ill be reduced as the
words themselves becom e diminished. M an y inscriptions can be
Figure s: C an t. 7:6. A rran ged so that the letters o f each w ord are grad
u a lly dim inished. T h e potency o f this p articular form ula apparently
depends on the w ord A rgam an p l I K and its association w ith the five
angels (Sefer Raziel 40b).
61
found in w hich this is done. A b racad abra— itself not found in

our H ebrew amulets— is the best known exam ple and Shabriri
another, but on some o f the com m oner amulets verses from the
Bible appear treated in this w ay. Thus one meets Cant. 7:3.
‘ T h y navel is like a round goblet, w hich w anteth not liquor: thy
belly is like a heap o f w heat set about w ith lilies’ as w ell as
3
several others. Sefer Raziel uses Cant. 7:6 as an illustration
(Fig. 2.) ‘T h ine head upon thee is like Carm el, and the hair o f
Figure 3 : Amulet fo r childbirth: T h e tw o triangles are interlaced to form a

hexagram w ithin a circle.
Circumference: A d am and E ve, H u tz, L ilith, the First E ve. Sham riel,
H asdiel, Sinvai and Sansanvai and Sem anglof. Fourteen-letter N am e.
Ps. 9 1:1 1. A m en , Selah.
Around hexagram: T h e 42-letter N am e.
In hexagon: Exodus 11:8.
In the nam e o f K u p h — (six anagram m atic forms).
Outside the circle: T h e four Rivers o f Paradise. (From Sefer Raziel Ed.
1701, p. 43a).
thine head like purple, the king is held in the galleries’ . T h e

significance o f this passage arises from the fact that it contains
the w ord ‘argam an’— purple— w hich is the m nemonic for the
3. Sefer Raziel (1701) Am sterdam , p. 40b.

62
five angels U riel, R aphael, G abriel, M ichael and Nuriel. In

the same book there are also recorded, in tw o different editions,
the two famous H ebrew amulets that have probably been repro
duced m ore frequently than any others. In both instances the
two triangles are placed w ithin a circle but whereas in one4 the
triangles are intertwined form ing a H exagram , in the other5
they are placed base to base. (Figs. 3, 4.)
%
&
Figure 4: A m ulet for childbirth.

Outer circle: A d am and E ve, H u tz, L ilith, the First Eve. Sham riel,
H asdiel Sinvai and Sansanvai and Sem anglof. Fourteen-letter N am e.
Ps. 9 1:1 1. A m en, Selah.
Inner circle: 42-letter N am e.
Two triangles base-to-base Upper triangle: E x. 11:8.
Lower triangle: In the nam e o f K u p h (six anag-
ram m atic forms).
Outside the circle: T h e Four R ivers o f Paradise. (From Sefer Raziel E d. 1870,
p. 34b).
R E C TA N G L E S
M an y rectangles, divided into different numbers o f boxes are to

be observed on am uletic inscriptions. E ach box contains one or
more H ebrew characters. T h e rectangular groups with three
4. Ibid, 43a.
5. Sefer Raziel, (1870) W arsaw p. 34b.
63
letters inscribed in each box are p robably biblical quotations,
this being the general rule w hen groups o f letters appear in
triplets. In this w ay, Psalm 121 has been found with the initial
letters o f each w ord o f the Psalm inscribed in a rectangle o f 20
boxes (5 X 4 ). T h e initial letters o f D eut. 7:14 have been found
occupying a rectangle o f 8 boxes (4 X 2 ). Still others are frequently
seen. T h eir interpretation is not always easy. But it is the rule,
w hether in rectangles or not, that when H ebrew letters are found
in groups o f three that a biblical verse is being referred to b y the
particular inscription. T h eir variety is endless and it is often
extrem ely difficult to identify the verse. Even when using such
an elaborate reference book as Z acuto’s work, it is often a very
laborious task; it would appear that not all the varieties o f
inscriptions have b y any means been recorded and explained
and that considerable latitude was perm itted or assumed by
writers o f amulets in their use o f inscriptions. W e know indeed
that m any eminent K abbalists invented their own shemoth, so
that, if the clue is once lost, it m ay well be impossible to find
it again.
SQUARES
W hile m agical num erical squares have been considered by some

to be a Jewish invention6, this is p robably not the case. T h e
A rab mathem aticians, preoccupied as they were with numbers
and with the science o f numbers and inventors o f our modern
numerals, are more likely to have been the inventors and
developers o f this interesting and attractive branch o f num er
ology. Thus in M orocco, it is noted that am ong the A rab
population strict rules must be observed for m aking m agical
squares for the benefit o f specific individuals7. These involve the
use o f the client’s name as well as the name o f his mother. Like
H ebrew letters, each A rab ic letter represents a certain num ber,
the character o f these names, w ritten in A rab ic, are converted
to their num erical equivalents and added together. T h e
numbers thus obtained play an im portant part in m aking the
m agical square or ‘je d w al’ .
6. Budge, E. A . W . p. 390.
7. W esterm arck, E. 1:144.
64
W esterm arck gives tw o examples o f such squares8. A com

plicated one consisting o f 16 numbers in four rows o f four
numbers each and a more simple one, rather resembling the
Jewish m agical square w e shall describe below w hich contains
different numerals in each block o f a nine-block square, the
centre block being occupied by a num ber derived from the
client’s nam e and m atronym ic. T h e ‘je d w a l’ is com pleted by
w riting a verse from the K o ran around the square and enclosing
the w hole in a small case o f leather or o f brass; it is then w orn by
the person for w hom it is made.
M uch more elaborate m agical squares exist. B udge9 describes
seven different varieties nam ed after the seven planets o f w hich
the most com plicated is composed o f 81 different numbers in
nine rows o f nine each whose sum, w hether added diagonally,
horizontally or vertically comes to 369.
T h e simple num erical m agical square we have met in H ebrew
amulets is one o f the nine different numbers 1— 9 placed in
three rows o f three numbers each w hich add up in vertical,
horizontal or diagonal directions to 15. (Fig. 5.) It w ill be
1 2
1 n T
n |x | 1
Figure 5: The Nine-box magic square, as found in a parchm ent Ashkenazi
am ulet. T h e numbers are indicated b y H ebrew letters: top row 492,
second row 357, third row 816.
observed that the letter n whose num erical equivalent is five, is

the sym bol o f the Tetragram m aton and is placed in the centre
and that the total 15 or il’ (Y ah )* is the sum o f the figures in any
direction. Since Y a h is the nam e o f G od Himself, the significance
o f these findings should not be overlooked in assessing the m agi
cal and protective properties and powers o f such a square.
O th er non-num erical groups o f letters w ritten in H ebrew
characters and placed in squares are common. Thus the name
• ¡ r , 15 (5 + 1 0 ) is a num ber that is never w ritten as such because the two
characters “ y o d ” and “ h i ” are two o f the four characters form ing the
T etragram m aton; it is alw ays w ritten as 1t5(6 + g ) . For the same reason
V(6-t- 10) or 16 is always w ritten as 10(7 + 9).
8. W esterm arck, E . loc. cit.
9. E. A . W . Budge, p. 390.
65
Shaddai ’ “I® is often found inscribed w ithin a square on three

separate lines in three o f its perm utations so arranged that
‘Shaddai’ can be read as such in at least tw o directions. In a
similar w ay a three-lined square is m ade w h ich uses the w ord
rpnx ehyeh (Plate 3).
M ore interesting still is a m agical square w h ich w e have seen
once and w hich consists o f six letters on each side or thirty-six
letters in all (Plate 9). W hen deciphered, this was found to
consist o f the shem T aftafiah in the vertical and horizontal outer
row o f letters— then the shem A gla sim ilarly inscribed in the
m iddle row o f letters and the rem aining central four squares
being occupied by the Tetragram m aton itself. W e can interpret
the w hole inscription as a straightforw ard invocation to G od,
using the Tetragram m aton in a properly concealed m anner,
stating that ‘T h ou are m ighty for ever O L o rd ’ (the interpreta
tion o f A gla) and finally using the w ord T aftafiah w hich is the
nam e o f an angel, similarly concealed.
A m ong the m any hundred o f shemoth explained in Z a cu to ’s
classical work the Shoreshey Hashemoth ,10
m an y m agical squares
are to be found. O n ly a few o f the m ore simple and typical
examples are adduced to illustrate the general principles under
lying their construction. For exam ple, one is:
V a n V
V V a n
n V •? a
a n V
This is a 16-lettered square w hich is said to be specifically
effective against evil dreams; it is derived from the initial letters
o f the first four words o f Psalm 91:5. A noth er exam ple is com
posed o f 25 letters.
2 a n V
V *1 1 a n
n V 3 a
a n V 3
a |n V 3
10. Z acuto, Moses. Sefer Shoreshey Hashemoth, M .S . H eb. 8°, 3361 H ebrew
U niversity L ib rary, Jerusalem .
66
This square is effective against miscarriages and is derived from

the initial letters o f the first five words o f Exodus 23:26.
Rather more com plicated in structure is the square inscrip
tion consisting o f 25 boxes. It reads as follows:—
•>n 1» rr ii
n ’n Vd ?r
n’ *11 Vd 1»
1» rr *11 ’n Vs
Vs “ja n' n ’n
It is composed o f the initial and final letters o f the first five

words o f D eut. 7:15 and is protective against ‘all sicknesses’ .
Stranger still are the squares, one o f sixteen boxes (four each
side), the other o f twenty-five boxes (five a side) viz:—
b T n i | X
n i ■
t 3
X B T n | j
3 n i T
s X B t |n
1 3 n i
n | i x B Î
1 n 3 n
t n Î X |B
T h e 16-letter square is composed o f the second, fourth, sixth

and eighth letters o f the alphabet; its pow er lies in its ability to
‘destroy an enem y’ . T h e second or 25-letter square is composed
o f the first, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth letters o f the alphabet
and it ‘protects against plague’. Both are said to be ‘tested and
tried’ .
T h e rectangular inscriptions are infinite in variety and in
scope. As an exam ple, a simple 12-box square composed o f 48
letters is here explained. T h e inscription is:
* n n n | » a ’?’ tw n vnK
b Vb h nan x B tn sp y
im r x ’ 13 357pT VlBX
It is explained that b y using the first letters in the 12 boxes we

read ’HX mrP rrnx. B y using the twelve second letters
snp» "pn? nVirr is read. By using the twelve third letters, "paur 1
571 VBB is read and b y using the twelve fourth letters on the
67
12 boxes “JNai “[DNS 'llaiT appears. Translated this means ‘Ehyeh,

Jehovah, A donai, m ay he send thine aid from (his) holiness,
m ay he guard three from all evil (Blessed be His nam e), may
H e guard thy going forth and com ing in.’
H EXAGRAM S
It is to be expected that H exagram s— the Magen David— should

be com m on in H ebrew amulets o f the last few centuries and
indeed this is noted to be the case. As a rule these amulets are
small, usually about i" in diam eter and they were apparently
very popular in Jerusalem from w hich city most o f them seem to
have originated. T h e y bear simple inscriptions, often —
Zion— in the centre and not infrequently six letters are inserted
in them, one in each o f the six ‘wings’ . T h e most common
inscription is i n 1*773— ‘K in g D avid ’ (Plate 21)— but n’BBDtJ
a six-lettered nam e o f an angel is also a popular inscription, as
is D^BnT — Jerusalem.
68
CHAPTER TWELVE*
Hebrew-Christian Amulets and

Hebrew-Arabic Amulets
*1 am indebted to the Jew ish Publication Society, Philadelphia for per
mission to use extracts from the late D r. J . T rach ten berg’s book The Devil
and the Jews in this chapter.
S IN C E T H E E A R L I E S T known times, Christians have

believed that Jews were a folk w ho possessed a knowledge o f
m agic w ith special powers o f healing. This b elief has persisted
for centuries in spite o f the obvious fact that these powers do not
seem to have protected the Chosen People from the persecutions
by those very folk who accused them o f possessing the m agical
ability that should have protected them from these regular
onslaughts. Doubtless it was fostered to a certain extent by
the undoubted success o f m any Jewish m edical men whose
ancient tradition o f eminence in this field runs true and seems to
be manifested to the present day.
Lucius o f Samosate (2nd century) chides ‘T h e fool w ho sub
mits him self to the incantations o f a J e w ’ to cure his go u t1.
Procopius reports that both a Byzantine general and the Em
peror Justinian him self resorted to Jewish diviners.2 O rigen, the
great theologian o f the 3rd century, boasted a wide knowledge
o f H ebrew literature and did not hesitate to single out m agic as
a specifically Jewish pursuit.3 Chrysostom o f Antioch, a bitter
enem y o f the Jews, incensed b y members o f his flock who
attended Jewish services, participated in Jewish fasts and
1. R einach, T , Textes d’Auteurs Grecs et Romains relatifs on Judaisme. Paris
1895, p. 165 ff.
2. Josephus, The Jewish War. V L 5 , 4.
3. O rigen , Commentary upon Matthew quoted in T rachtenberg, J Jewish Magic,
C h . 8.
69
Hebrew-Christian Amulets and Hebrew-Arabic Amulets
festivals and even considered an oath taken in a synagogue more

binding than one m ade in a church, stated that Christians were
attracted to the synagogue b y the offer o f charm s and amulets.4
T h e H ebrew language, the tongue in w hich the sacred
Scriptures were written, had come to be considered an especially
effective m agical m edium in ancient times; am ong Jews it was
believed to be the sole language understood by the angels,
and the syncretistic m agic o f the Hellenistic period favoured
words and names from the H ebrew . Indeed, a num ber o f late
m ediaeval amulets w hich were form erly thought to be o f Jewish
origin because o f their H ebrew inscriptions are now known to
have been m ade b y and for Christians exclusively.5
Th ere were also a num ber o f very popular legends, part and
parcel o f m ediaeval culture, w hich strengthened the conviction
that Jews were master magicians. T h e Solomon cycle o f legends
merits especial attention since it seems to have m ade a particu
larly strong impression on the m ediaeval im agination. These
legends possessed two m ain elements; the wise m onarch’s
dominion over devils and demons and his utilisation o f this
pow er for m agical ends. So deeply did the b elief in his m agical
suprem acy enter into m ediaeval thought, that nothing m ore
was required to authenticate the worth o f a form ula or an
am ulet than to trace it to him, and the most popular m agical
works drew their authority from his reputation.
Luther, like the m ediaeval com m unity in general, equated
alchemists w ith Jews. D id not the contem porary alchemists
quote the names o f A braham , A dam , Moses, Solomon in addi
tion to such names as Bezaleel, D avid, Elijah, Isaiah, Elisha,
Izakiel, Zachariah, M alachi, D aniel, Ezra, Job — as authorities?
L uther stood on the sure grounds o f unassailable tradition.
T h e reputation o f Jews as manufacturers and pedlars o f
amulets is satirized in an anecdote recounted by Luther. A
Jew brought to C ount A lbrecht o f Saxony an am ulet which
w ould m ake him imm une to all weapons o f attack; A lbrecht
forced the Jew to take his own medicine: to test the efficacy o f
the am ulet he hung it about its owner’s neck and ran him
through w ith his sword.6
4. W illiam s, A . L . Adversos Judaeos, C am bridge (1935), p. 13a.
5. T rachtenberg, J . The Devil and the Jews, C h ap . I V .
6. K irchof, H . W . Wendunmuth, T ubin gen (1865), I I I p. 256.
70
T h e mezuzah was also an object o f suspicion and, at the

same time, o f desire. T h e Jews o f the Rhineland had to cover
over their mezuzoth for, as a 13th century author com plained,
‘T h e Christians out o f m alice and to annoy us, stick knives into
the mezuzah openings and cut up the parchm ent’. That it was
regarded as a m agical device b y Christians we know, for a 15th
century w riter admonishes his readers to fix a mezuzah to their
doors even when they occupied a house owned by a non-Jew,
despite the danger that their landlord m ight accuse them o f
sorcery. Even Gentiles in high places were not averse to using
these m agical instruments themselves. Tow ards the' end o f the
14th century the Archbishop o f Salzburg asked a Jew to give
him a mezuzah to attach to the gate o f his castle but the R a b
binic authority to w hom this Jew turned for advice refused to
countenance such use o f a distinctively religious sym bol.7
It is not surprising therefore that amulets are found on w hich
H ebrew inscriptions occur w ith particularly Christian connota
tions. O ne such is illustrated. (Plates 42, 43). O n one side,
written in H ebrew are Names o f G od w hich are easily recognis
able as an ordinary Jewish inscription o f a particular type— the
12-letter N am e— on the other side however, is the face o f a
bearded m an intended to represent the traditional face o f
Christ enclosed in a pentagon w ith the H ebrew nam e o f Jesus
5
— Yeshu or Y ehoshua in H ebrew (, n®rr ,'S'W' ,W) placed in the
five corners o f the pentagon.
So great was the dem and for these H ebrew inscriptions on
Christian amulets that they were m ade in vast quantities and
cast in lead so that numbers o f them have been unearthed from
time to time. T h e y are particularly com m on in Provence,
where their finding often arouses interest as signs o f a reputed
early H ebrew settlement; they are o f course nothing o f the kind
being no m ore than ordinary amulets m ade for the protection o f
Christians w ho were leaving Europe via the ports o f Southern
France and the M editerranean as crusaders or pilgrims on the
perilous sea-journey to the H oly Land; these crusaders doubtless
carried m any such amulets w ith them. It is a cynical thought
that the same crusaders w ho acted so brutally to the R hineland
Jews should have sought protection on the hazardous part o f
7. Moses b . E liezer Sefer Hasidim Tinyana, Piotrkov, 1910, p. 7a.

71
their jo u rn ey b y using amulets originating from the very same

people they had so cruelly m altreated on the earlier part o f the
same travels.
O n the ordinary H ebrew amulet, Christian inscriptions must
occur very seldom. H ow ever, w e have observed one in which
an inscription has been arranged in a cruciform m anner and sur
rounded b y a cruciform outline. (Plate 7.) T h e inscription itself
is entirely Jewish but whereas a portion o f it is surrounded by
this cruciform surround, another portion is lim ited b y a cres
centic surround. In addition, small symbols o f the crescent and
disc, the signs o f T a n it and o f B aal respectively are attached to
the larger amulet. These suggest that t h e . m aker, almost
certainly a M oroccan Jew , was putting all the symbols he knew
into the m aking o f this particular am ulet, a good exam ple o f
‘shotgun’ therapy.
H E B R E W -A R A B IC AM U LETS
Since the Jewish population in A rab lands have resided there

for m any centuries and since the A rabs themselves are known
to be great believers in the efficacy o f amulets, this character
istic being known from time im m em orial8, it is not surprising
that amulets w ith inscriptions both in A rab ic as w ell as in
H ebrew should be found. O n to one am ulet w e have seen
w hich had been adorned w ith the symbols com m only found
am ong Arabs and originated from Tunis, a H ebrew inscription
was added later. T h e inscription itself has been engraved b y
someone who was certainly not an expert H ebrew scholar as he
has misspelt a w ell known biblical quotation. This syncretism
need not be unexpected. T h e Jews in M oslem lands, in their
cap acity as jew ellers or silversmiths, were em ployed by the local
population to fabricate silver am ulets.9 Some o f these workm en
achieved great reputations for the effectiveness o f their products
and it is quite natural that the simple craftsman, not entirely
unconvinced o f his own wares’ beneficent effects, should have
thought it prudent to reinforce their virtue by adding some
H ebrew inscription as cam e w ithin his lim ited knowledge. This
explains the ‘Tseb rid’ suspended from a H ebrew amulet. T h a t
8. W esterm arck, E. I. p. 2o8ff.
9. Ibid, loc. cit.
72
there was some exchange o f m agical inform ation at the rela

tively low social and intellectual levels w e are considering is not
to be w ondered at. H owever, this type o f cultural infiltration
incurred the most violent antagonism and w rath o f the orthodox
Jew w ho interpreted it as an obvious exam ple o f the ‘w ays o f the
Am orites’ and who, while he him self m ight have condoned the
use o f H ebrew on his own am ulet, albeit with misgivings and
some reservations, was not prepared to m ake any concession at
all to the writings or symbols o f Islam. This explains the rarity o f
m ixed inscriptions. W here an A rab ic am ulet has been converted
into a Jewish one, it has usually had its previous inscription
erased, the ornam entation alone being allowed to rem ain and it
is this ornam entation w hich gives us a clue to the origin o f the
particular piece.
T h e hand-shaped amulets w e mentioned earlier have also
been adopted b y the A rabs from the earlier inhabitants o f the
M aghreb and those that have been used b y Jews often have a
H ebrew inscription on them. T o the M oslem user o f amulets the
hand itself, representing as it did the hand o f Fatim a, was
enough. But the Jew required rather m ore from his kamea, w hich
is the possible explanation o f the H ebrew inscriptions on the
hands (Plates 10, 11).
73
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Paired Amulets, Amulet Cases,

Amuletic Rings
A S A G E N E R A L R U L E every am ulet is com plete in itself.
Indeed all the various methods o f shorthand are used to reduce
the length o f the inscription w ith the object o f getting all the
necessary writings on to a single surface o f an object w hich
should be small and easily portable.
But sometimes even the most effective form o f shorthand
fails to m ake the inscription small enough to fit a single amulet.
This is particularly so in the case o f the m etallic ones w hich have
two and sometimes only one surface available for inscription and
this one surface relatively small in area. T h e amulets inscribed
on p aper or on parchm ent do not present this problem because
larger pieces o f m aterial are easily available and their size, when
tightly rolled or folded, can still be accom m odated w ithin a
small compass. Indeed, tight rolling and folding has been res
ponsible for the destruction and loss o f m any o f these amulets
and has thus tended to m ake old ones rather rare. A n old amulet,
like an old siddur or an old mahzor, once it becomes dilapidated,
is usually destroyed by burning or b y burial and then replaced.
N ot a few amulets have been found for this reason in various
genizoth in different parts o f the world.
Since he cannot with safety leave out any portion o f a
particular inscription, the engraver o f m etallic amulets uses
several methods to increase the area o f the surface at his dis
posal; he can use paired amulets i f he means these to be worn
on the arms, (Plates 35, 36) or he can string several small
amulets together on a necklace or again he m ay use several
hinged plates o f m etal so that a sort o f book m ade o f sheet metal
74
Paired Amulets, Amulet Cases, Amuletic Rings
is available for him (Plate 39). Finally, he often uses the am ulet
case itself on w hich to inscribe some supplem entary shemoth
(Plate 20); all four methods have been found and examples o f
each are not rare.
P A IR E D AM U LETS
In these, the first h a lf o f an inscription is placed on one am ulet

and the rest on a m atched second one. Th ere seems to be no
regular m ethod o f dividing any particular inscription and it
appears that the point at w hich the break is made is an arbitrary
one. T o cover the available surfaces o f the am ulet and to make
it more satisfying from an artistic point o f view , several addi
tional shemoth are engraved on to any rem aining area o f the first
portion. O n the second one o f the pair, at the latter end o f the
inscription, the space left over is often filled with shemoth and the
name o f the person for w hom the particular pair o f amulets was
made (Plates 33, 34). It is obvious that, i f the second o f a pair
o f amulets is being exam ined, more difficulty is likely to be faced
in deciphering as the inscription itself m ay w ell start in the
middle o f a sentence. H owever, these paired amulets are rather
rare and one learns to recognise them after a while.
T h e following inscriptions have been found on paired
amulets:
3 57
(a) T h e 72-letter N am e o f G od ( " D©).
(b) Psalm 121.
(c) Psalm 91.
T h e last two inscriptions are uncom m on in this form as they
more frequently appear on the single face on one am ulet and the
engraver m anages to get them on to this single surface w ith a
little bit o f crowding. But the 72-letter N am e, w hich consists o f
no less than 216 separate characters is seldom found in its
entirety on a single m etallic am ulet and usually requires two
amulets— m ade to be w orn one on each arm — to com plete the
inscription. Those we have exam ined show no consistency at the
point o f the break but if one examines a properly m atched pair,
the second one takes up the inscription where the first one is
broken off. A n y spaces left in these paired amulets are not left
blank but are occupied b y other shemoth, owners’ names, etc.
75
A M U LE T CASES
Because the m aterial was less expensive, paper and parchm ent
amulets must have been used more frequently than m etallic ones
particularly silver ones, and some means o f protection o f these
relatively delicate m aterials had to be found. In addition, since
an am ulet was m eant to be w orn constantly, it had to be covered
in some w ay to enable the w earer to visit the toilet— M aim o-
nides instructs the am ulet w earer to protect the H oly Names by
covering the am ulet in a leather case.1
These leather cases are often found. T h ey do not appear to be
decorated in any w ay, being purely functional.
M etallic am ulet cases however, can be very beautiful artistic
objects. T h e y are small cylindrical or hexagonal tubes closed at
one end with a m atching silver stopper at the other. W hile both
types are often covered w ith inscriptions, the hexagonal tubes
perm it the engraver to exercise his artistic ability to produce a
really beautiful object. T h e very small am uletic objects w hich
are suspended from larger amulets or from am ulet cases are
often circular discs adorned w ith an engraved hand, small
silver bells, or a series o f small silver fishes— the traditional
shapes for protection against the E vil Eye. These am ulet cases
usually originate from the Y em en w here m etallic amulets were
not ordinarily in use but where small rolls o f parchm ent or o f
skin were inscribed w ith suitable am uletic inscriptions and
being kept in the cases, form ed b y far the most comm on type o f
am uletic protection in that lan d .2
HINGED AM U LETS
H inged amulets apparently originate from Syria. By hingeing a

triangular piece o f m etal at each end o f a rectangular central
portion, the craftsman contrives to have three separate surfaces
at his disposal for the inscriptions. A t the free apex o f each
triangle is a m etallic loop and the w hole am ulet is m eant to be
tied on to the arm by these loops. O ne such is illustrated (Plate
39). T h e inscriptions are quite com m on shemoth and the w hole
object presents a rather tine and unusual piece o f personal orna
mentation. It is known as an Avzam.
1. M aim onides. Mishneh Torah, Hil. Sefer Torah 10:5.
2. K a fih , J . pp. 271-274. T h e Yem enite Jew ish amulets are usually in-
76
AM U LETIG RINGS
T h e use o f m agical rings goes back to very remote times in

Jewish legend. K in g Solomon, that wonder-worker o f old, was
credited w ith the possession o f one such ring in w hich was
mounted his m agical stone the Shamir. B y means o f this stone
(the stoiy o f its acquisition alone is in itself a piece o f fantasy in
the finest traditional form) K in g Solomon was able to cut the
stones necessary for building the T em ple at which, as w e all
know, no iron tools were to be used (I K ings 6:7). A nother
am uletic ring in the possession o f this great king was one in
scribed w ith the strange letters ,TJ— the initial letters o f
1
l a y HT D ‘this too will pass’— a memento mori to be kept on hand
to hum ble pride and point out the transience o f hum an posses
sions and o f life itself.
Rings w ith am uletic inscriptions are sometimes found. T h e y
usually originate from Baghdad and the inscriptions they carry
bear witness to the Hasidic outlook o f the Baghdadi Jews and to
their [Kabbalistic leanings. T h e following are some o f the
inscriptions observed on these am uletic rings:
“iDion xntv nits? , i m ,apsr pns’ m a x ,11 bxa

bi?a T x a ’an /wm’ p psa® ■’an ,*rn *]ov p n x n»a ,xia2n irrbx ,n»n
•iVan nxVa ntra ,oin
W hile most o f these rings are silver ones, some are found w ith
the inscriptions engraved on red hardstones set in the rings.
Doubtless the ring form o f am ulet was once relatively com m on but
the poor q uality o f the m etal and the fragility o f the w hole object
has been responsible for the loss o f m any o f these b y the natural
processes o f w ear and tear. T h e y are even today rather rare
objects.
scribed on parchm ent and often the inscriptions are washed o ff in w ater
or in vinegar and the resulting inky fluid is sw allow ed; this practice
accounts for the difficulty in finding this type o f am ulet. G en erally
benedictory am ulets only are w orn in uninscribed ornam ental am ulet
cases. T h e form ulae they use are sim ilar to those found in Sefer Shoreshey
Hashemoth.
77
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Amulets in the 17th, 18th and

19th Century
I T IS D I F F I C U L T to im agine the confused state o f Europe in
the early part o f the 17th century. A t the end o f the T h irty Y ears
W ar in 1648, a host o f impoverished, ragged and often crippled
refugees had fled from Poland and the surrounding devastated
countryside and were swarm ing all over the Continent begging
their w ay from place to place. T h ey m ade a deep impression on
all who met them and provided the subjects for m any o f the
etchings o f R em brandt who lived in H olland at that time.
Am ongst these miserable homeless folk w ere m any Jews whose
large numbers soon overwhelm ed the accom m odation facilities
o f the established communities o f their co-religionists in G er
m any and in H olland and w ho very often m ade a living b y the
sale o f am ulets.1 M an y biographers o f that time rem ark on this
great influx o f refugees.2 It is therefore not surprising that a vast
am ount o f am uletic literature, often o f a grossly ignorant type,
cam e to be poured out from the Jewish printing presses o f
H olland and o f G erm any. T h e firm belief in the value o f amulets
even am ong the w ealthier and m ore enlightened people, made
o f any person w ho peddled amulets and w ho looked to be an
individual o f good repute, someone to be sought after and his
goods were to be bought eagerly.
T h e rise o f the false Messiah Shabbethai Zebi (1626-1676)
w hich took place in the m iddle o f the 17 th century had tre
mendous repercussions on Jew ry. Alm ost the w hole o f M iddle-
1. M arcus, J . R . p. 212.
2. G liickel o f H am eln, (1962) The Life. trans.Beth-Zion A braham s,
London, East and W est L ib rary.
78
Amulets in the ijth , 18 th and igth Century
Eastern Jew ry was overwhelm ed b y this m an’s splendid person
ality and before long he had found a few disciples to sing his
praises and to tell o f his m iracle-m aking and m any adherents
to follow their lead. In a very short time this m an w ith the
flam boyant, flashy and by no means norm al personality, but
well-educated in Jewish learning, found him self pushed forward
by the mass o f the people in a surge o f hope for an early redem p
tion and was quickly identified b y his hysterical and zealous
supporters as the T ru e Messiah; this he never denied. H e started
on his travels, interview ing princes and potentates and impres
sing all by his serious behaviour and his rem arkable personality.
Even the Sultan him self was visibly impressed, though being a
typically w ily oriental potentate in his own right, he did not
allow him self to be transported too m uch and in due course,
when the enthusiasm o f his own exaltation had died down, he
had Shabbethai arrested and later, when the false M essiah had
become discredited and had apostatized to Islam, had him
imprisoned and sent to a remote A lb an ian village, D ulcigno,
w here in due course he died.3
T h e Shabbethaic legend persisted for a long tim e am ong his
supporters. A p art from support and donations from these, Sh ab
bethai in his time used to raise funds by m arketing the amulets
he prepared for all purposes and w hich he sold to the trustful.
Both the false M essiah as w ell as his im m ediate circle wrote and
sold m any amulets. T h eir form ulae were traditional but in ad
dition, they also included the nam e o f the false M essiah him self
in the form ula. U nw illing to disclose this and to write this nam e
in full because o f its heretical im plications, they took care to
obscure Shabbethai Z eb i’s nam e b y w riting it in various codes.
‘A tbash ’ was the code most favoured, the various letters in
Shabbethai’s nam e being transposed according to this code as
well as according to other codes. It becomes very difficult to
identify Shabbethai’s nam e because o f the m ultiplicity o f codes
that were used in an attem pt to disguise the heresy and Shab
bethaic amulets must be very rare and are only available for
study in a certain few collections; they contain the nam e 'K 33
o f w hich the first and third letters are supposed to be w ritten in
‘A tbash ’ and the second and fourth in plain, thus spelling
‘ Shabbethai’.
3. Schnur, H . C . p .i5 9 ff.
79
Amulets in the lyth, 18 th and igth Century
T h e effects o f this spate o f amulets together with the heresy

thus com m itted, left a stain on the study and use o f these objects
w hich spread over the w hole subject and from w hich it has
never been entirely cleansed.
It is w ith this know ledge in one’s m ind that one is able to view
the famous Eybeschiitz controversy w hich shook G erm an Jew ry
in x752. It appears that in A lton a in the m iddle o f the eighteenth
century, ecclesiastical differences arose between R . Jacob
Em den, a highly respected R a b b i o f H am burg and R . Jonathan
Eybeschiitz w ho cam e from Prague and had been appointed
to the C h ie f R ab b in ate o f A ltona, H am burg and W andsbeck.
Eybeschiitz took up his position as C h ie f R a b b i o f this congrega
tion in 1750 and following w hat was at this time accepted cus
tom, he began m aking and selling amulets. V e ry shortly,
rum ours began to circulate that the amulets o f the new R ab b i
were not to be considered lawful. Indeed he was accused o f
having inscribed on them the nam e o f Shabbethai Zebi w hich it
was alleged could be discovered, in code form, on the amulets
he produced. W hile the nam e o f Shabbethai itself never
appeared in plain w riting, Em den and his supporters, after
careful exam ination o f certain o f Eybeschiitz’s amulets cam e to
the conclusion that the reading o f some o f the m ore obscure
shemoth w ith w hich they w ere not fam iliar and w hich they could
not explain in any other w ay, could only be interpreted, i f the
letters were transposed according to certain systems o f temurah,
as the w ord Shabbethai Via© and on this the charge o f heresy
was m ade. O n this m atter the whole case hinged, no one appar
ently considering it w orth w hile to raise the point w hether am u
lets should be used at all and w hether the principles on w hich
they were based were valid; they w ere so deeply entrenched
in com m on usage and had had such a long history behind
them that this particular point never entered anyone’s mind.
A fter m uch recriminations and m any published polemics and
since Eybeschiitz him self refused to retract and adm it his guilt,
Em den and his supporters lost patience and in due course and
w ith proper cerem onial, they pronounced Eybeschiitz a danger
ous heretic unfit to hold office as a rabbi. Eybeschiitz took the
m atter up and enlisted the support o f the civil authorities w ho
ruled that to prevent disturbances amongst the Jew ish popula
tion w hich had already upset the com m unal life, the m atter
80
Amulets in the iyth, 18 th and igth Century
should be dropped. Eybeschiitz was reprieved and after the

matter had settled down, he published his book ‘Luchoth
Eduth’ as an apologia and explanation o f the w hole affair. His
opponents o f course, published books giving their ow n point o f
view.
‘Luchoth E duth ’, as it nam e indicates, consists o f numerous
testimonials from various ecclesiastical eminents in Europe and
the N ear East all o f w hom expressed their appreciation o f the
high standing and honourable character o f Eybeschiitz and very
few o f w hich mention amulets at all. T h a t portion o f the book
which deals with amulets is the work o f Eybeschiitz him self and
is contained in a very w ordy preface. In this preface, w ritten in
the turgid, allusive style so beloved b y Jewish ecclesiastical
writers o f that period, Eybeschiitz denies the w hole charge and
refers to his previous excellent record. H e puts forw ard statistical
evidence to prove that since using his amulets, the same ones
that had been so roundly condem ned b y his opponents, there
had been a m arked drop in m aternal m ortality am ong the
women in childbed in his com m unity. T h a t this was due to the
efficacy o f the amulets is im plied in every sentence and Eybe-
schiitz rests his case on the firm foundation o f post hoc ergo propter
hocA
M oreover, continues Eybeschiitz, these shemoth to w hich his
opponents had taken such objections are indeed not heretical
ones at all. Indeed, considering the m any permutations and
types o f temurah that were em ployed to work out the dread name
"TQ© ‘Shabbethai’ from them, Eybeschiitz feels that he has not
been fairly treated and that any group o f letters could be made
to represent any other group i f sufficient permutations were
used. In this statement, Eybeschiitz was quite right. But he
should have been aware o f the classical w ork o f Cordovero, the
4. Eybeschiitz, J . p .i5 (a ). ‘H ere is a copy from the records o f the C h evra

K ad ish a o f the T riu n e Congregation (H am burg A lto n a, W andsbeck).
B y order o f our masters, the W ardens o f the C h evra K adish a, w e have
been instructed to exam ine the records o f this body and found, in the
actual handw riting o f the aforesaid w ardens, a full list o f the dates and
months o f those w ho had died. W e found that, from T am m u z 539 to
the end o f E llul 540, sixteen w om en, because o f our m any sins, died in
childbed. From T ishri 531, w hen the illustrious R a b b i Jonathan
arrived until T ishri 532, three w om en died in childbed; T h e L ord
said “ It is enough, stay n ow thine h an d ” . (I C h r o n .2 i:i5 )’
81
Amulets in the iyth, 18 th and igth Century
Pardes, in w hich the renowned K abbalist, b y the use o f four or
five permutations shows how the T w enty-tw o letter N am e can
be converted into the first 22 letters o f Birchath Cohanim— the
Priestly Benediction— and sim ilarly how the Forty-tw o letter
name is convertible to the first 42 letters o f Genesis 1:1.
T h e w hole m atter raised a furore am ong Jew ry both in the
East and in Europe and the use o f amulets must have declined to
a certain extent. H owever, they were not com pletely given up
and m an y years later in the eighteenth century, their use
received new support from the form idable erudition and
immense knowledge o f H aim Joseph D avid A zulai.
O ne can hardly study H ebrew amulets for very long before
encountering the nam e o f A zulai. It is necessary to consider this
m an’s career and life w ork m ore fully in order to understand the
great influence he wielded on Jewish m agical thought and on
the w riting and use o f amulets in the latter h a lf o f the 18th
century. His m em ory was to persist in A lgeria and Tunis as late
as the 20th century until, w ith the establishment o f the state o f
Israel, m any o f the Jewish communities in N orth A frica moved
away.
R ab b i H aim Joseph D avid A zu lai was born in Jerusalem in
1724 from an old rabbinical fam ily; he died in Leghorn in 1807.
E arly on the ‘H id a’, as he cam e to be called, showed signs o f
being an iluy and started to write explanations on various
halachic problems; at a tender age he began to show preaching
ability. His learning, devoutness, eloquence and literary style
m ade him the natural choice for a shaliah or representative to
travel on fund-raising cam paigns for the support o f Jewish seats
o f learning, this being the usual method o f financingyeshivoth in
Palestine. His dignified bearing, handsome appearance and
attractive personality m arked him out as a suitable person for
such a vocation. T h e city o f H ebron, an ancient seat o f tradi
tional schools o f learning and o f yeshivoth, secured his services
and during his lifetime he m ade three voyages, travelling
through North A frica and Europe, visiting the various Jewish
congregations and collecting donations w hich he transmitted to
Palestine.
H id a’s learning and interest in K abb alistic matters m ade him
a welcom e guest at any gathering o f the religious in the 18th
century. In addition, his great K abb alistic knowledge caused
82
Amulets in the iyth, 18 th, and igth Century
him to be received enthusiastically in Christian circles where, as

rationalism and revolutionary talk was becom ing widespread
among the radically m inded philosophers o f those times, the
interests o f the more traditionally m inded people becam e
directed towards religious forms in general and towards m ysti
cism in particular. It is recorded for exam ple, that the great
scientist Fabre him self sought out an interview w ith H id a to get
an explanation o f some obscure K abbalistic p oint.5
A ll his life H id a had been very interested in ancient Jewish
manuscripts and in every town he visited he m ade a point o f
exam ining and classifying all such manuscripts he could lay his
hands on. His great reputation as a savant and as a K abb alist
helped him to gain admission to various royal, church and state
libraries w here he was extended special privileges. As a result o f
this interest, he becam e very w ell read in m ystical matters and
his deep knowledge o f the Kabbalah becam e w idely known and
respected so that he was rem em bered long after his death.
Slouschz6 records that an oath ‘In the nam e o f R a b A zu la i’ was
often in use am ong the Jews o f Tunis as late as 1912, m ore than
one hundred years after the death o f H ida. It appears that his
name had become a legend.
H ida m ade a living by the sale o f charms and amulets w hich
he produced, calling on his vast knowledge o f the Kabbalah for
the form ulae and being particularly fond o f using form ulae from
the works o f R a b b i Isaac L uria w ith w hich he was fam iliar and
m any o f whose original manuscripts he possessed.
M ost o f H id a’s amulets follow well-recognised forms and con
tain well-known form ulae but special abbreviations to be used
specifically for charm s are to be found in his four small treatises
Kaph Ahat, Joseph be-Seder, Shomer Israel and Sansan le-Yair .1
These books consist m ainly o f forms o f prayers to be used on
suitable occasions together with the names o f angels and for
m ulae o f B iblical verses, but they also include instructions for
writing kameoth.
A fte r his death, H id a’s au to g rap h ed sign atu re was itself
5. Benayahu, M . p.52.
6. Slouschz, N . p.206.
7. A zu lai, H . J . D ., Avodath ha-kodesh (1879) W arsaw . Contains the seven
treatises i. Moreh be-Ezba, ii. îppmen Shamir, iii. Kesher Gadol, iv.
Kaph-Ahat, v . Joseph be-Seder, vi. Sansan le-Yair, vii. Shomer Israel.
83
Amulets in the iytk, 18 th and igth Century
considered to have am uletic properties and was carefully pre

served b y the devout. H e him self lived a hum ble life and avoided
publicity. Nevertheless, his great erudition, his reputation and
his travels m ade him w idely known and respected and because
o f this high reputation, his known leaning towards the use o f
amulets led to a resurgence in Jew ish interest in this subject for
another generation so that in the early i gth century, the use o f
amulets becam e popular once again all over the oriental D ias
pora and m any o f the amulets w hich are found today take their
origin from this time.
84
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Errors and Corrections, False Premises

T H E R E L A T I V E L Y I G N O R A N T engraver o f amulets was
apparently very prone to error in his work. T h e fact that so
m any mistakes are encountered suggests that the artisan or
craftsman either copied out inscriptions w hich he did not under
stand or else that he engraved them from memory. H e was
clearly not aware o f the origin o f the shemoth or o f the inscriptions
he was engraving so that he frequently m ade mistakes and was
unable to detect them. V e ry rarely the mistake is corrected, the
offending letter being lightly scratched out and the correct one
substituted. Since this is very obvious and would usually have
given him aw ay to his client, such corrections are rare, the
m aker preferring to let the mistake pass uncorrected. O ccasion
ally however, an om itted letter is inserted above the line.
O f greater interest is the rather m ore com m on error in the
use o f “p i ’’ ‘Y o h ach ’. These four letters are the first four o f a
seven-letter shem m ade up o f the final letters o f the seven words
o f Psalm 9 1:11. T h e orthographical sim ilarity o f ‘p i ’ and
nnv, w hich latter is a p art o f the Tw elve-letter N am e and is
an anagram m atic form o f the Tetragram m aton, evidently m ade
the writer believe he was using a variant o f the Tetragram m aton
itself. M an y inscriptions are found w ith this w ord *pV used
as a shem in its own right w ithout "pD w hich completes the whole
shem. O ne particular inscription uses *pv quite frankly as a
substitute for Jeh ovah — -and reads ‘ M a y Y o h ach protect me,
m ay Y oh ach save me, m ay Zam archad assist me! (Plate 20),
the significance o f both names being obviously quite unknown
to the writer. Indeed had he but know n that Zam argad was
the name o f the K ingdom o f Lilith he w ould almost certainly
not have invoked Z am arch ad ’s aid.
85
Errors and Corrections, False Premises
O th er errors in transcription have been found. O ne o f these,

3
srtsxj? f ie r i xsntia N N (Plate 5) is a misspelling o f r p m xsnin sin
XJ’IlX Up and w hich can only be explained by postulating that the
engraver had never read the sentence in its original form but
had engraved it from m em ory as he had heard it dictated to
him; the sentences, in the Sephardi pronunciation, are phoneti
cally identical.
T h e use o f Zjamarchad as a nam e to be invoked is in itself inter
esting. Zamargad is the K in gdom o f L ilith 1 and w ould for that
reason be inhabited by demons so that the line o f reasoning is
fairly clear— the inscription and invocation is designed to render
Lilith, her band o f demons and her w hole kingdom quite harm
less. T h e indiscrim inate use o f £amarchad and âmargad can
easily be explained b y the phonetic sim ilarity o f the two strange
words; one could hardly expect the am ulet writer, still less an
engraver o f amulets to check his sources o f reference. As it is
written, the invocation is quite understandable and m eaningful
although perhaps a little tortuous.
In the parchm ent amulets w e have exam ined, we have still to
find a single error in transcription. This is not to be wondered
at. T h e parchm ent amulets w ere w ritten by a Sofer or scribe who
is a different type o f person to the relatively ignorant silversmith-
engraver. T h e tradition o f the Sofer goes back for thousands o f
years and to these scribes is entrusted the duty o f m aking copies
o f the Torah. Such is their accuracy and so hedged about is their
occupation w ith ritual cleansing ceremonies, lustrations and
precautions against errors, that generations o f these scribes have
transmitted the biblical literature to us in a com pletely unal
tered form so that the Massoretic text, as w e know it today, has
remained unaltered for at least one thousand years— a truly
remarkable achievement.
A traditional habit o f accurate work ensures that these scribes
could be trusted to copy out inscriptions with fidelity. T h e
parchm ent amulets examined, whether Sephardi or Ashkenazi,
O rien tal or W estern, are noteworthy because o f their neatness,
the beautiful calligraphy and the clear script. E ach one is a
m iniature work o f art in itself.
1. Tar gum, J ob 1:15.
86
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Shiviti Amulets

T H E ‘S H I V I T I ’ A M U L E T S form a special and interesting
group. T h ey are large and handsome pieces w hich are usually
made o f better quality and thicker gauge silver than the average
kamea and are known to have come from Persia. A ll are charac
terised by a superscription o f the first h a lf o f Psalm 16:8 and the
text ‘ I have set the Lord always before m e’ is particularly appro
priate for this type o f am ulet w hich is m ade in the form o f a
pendant and is intended to be w orn as such on a necklace. For
this purpose one or two loops are fastened to its top. T h e T etra-
gram m aton, w hich is the second w ord o f the H ebrew verse,
occupies the centre o f the superscription and is alw ays engraved
in large and very bold Ashuri characters; it is this that im m e
diately and easily enables one to identify the variety (Plates 12,
14, 15, 16).
W hile the circum ferential and other inscriptions vary, Psalm
67 in its entirety is very com m only used as the m ain inscription
on these amulets together w ith Genesis 49:22 w hich is almost
constantly present.
T h e first verse o f Psalm 67 ‘T o the ch ief m usician on
Neginoth, a psalm or song’ appears as a superscription in the
English Authorised V ersion so that in this translation, the psalm
consists o f seven verses only. In the original H ebrew text,
this particular verse is the first verse o f the psalm itself which
thus consists o f eight verses. O n the amulets in question, the
first verse is engraved as a horizontal superscription above the
rest, the rem aining seven verses being usually engraved on the
branches o f a seven-branched candlestick, one to each branch.
T h e candlestick gives this am ulet its alternative nam e o f ‘M eno-
rah ’ . Since it is not possible to engrave the verses in full on each
87
The Shiviti Amulets
branch, the system o f shorthand know n as ‘Serugin’ 1 is em
ployed and only the first or second words o f the verse are
engraved in full, the rem aining words being indicated b y their
initial letters or first two letters only.
V ariants o f the typical form o f Shiviti amulets are found.
Thus the menorah m ay be absent, the w hole o f Psalm 67 being
then engraved, in serugin, as an ordinary inscription occupying
about eight lines (Plate 15). A nother variation occurs when
a sim ilarly shaped am ulet is headed, as usual, b y Psalm 16:8 but
beneath on the eight lines is engraved, not the initial letters o f
the 67th Psalm, but the 42-letter N am e o f G od followed by
Genesis 49:22 (Plate 16). In still another variation, the shape o f
the am ulet is a triangular pendant; it is headed b y Psalm 16:8
and on the rest o f the surface is inscribed Genesis 49:22 (Plate
14). O n some o f the amulets the 42-letter N am e is found and
biblical verses e.g. Num bers 8:14. Also found are some shemoth
e.g. Zam archad, A gla, the names o f angels, etc.
O n the reverse side o f these Shiviti amulets the nam e o f the
owner often appears. H e is here identified b y his ow n nam e
and by that o f his father, w hich is the usual form al Jew ish form
o f identification. This is in contrast to the names o f the owners or
bearers o f amulets w ho are occasionally referred to on their
inscribed faces. These are almost always identified by the nam e
o f the owner and that o f his m other, because ‘A ll forms o f incan
tations are performed in the nam e o f the m other’.2
O ften appearing on the reverse o f the Shiviti amulets is an
engraving o f a scorpion as w ell as o f one or tw o objects looking
rather like skep beehives (Plate 13). Pictures o f scorpions are
often carried as protection against their stings in countries w here
they are found3 and their presence on the amulets must be
ascribed to this protective power; presum ably the beehives m ay
be protective against bee-stings. In one exam ple, a beehive has
1. Tomah 38a, R ashi. Serugin is explained as a form o f shorthand in w hich the

initial or first two letters only o f each w ord are w ritten. T h e series o f
letter is unintelligible to anyone unless he is fam iliar w ith the original
text. In this w a y the use o f Serugin is p articularly suitable for m agical
amulets because the words are secret and known only to initiates.
2. Sabbath 66b, Rashi.
3. Charles— Picard, G . & C . p. 157.
88
The Shiviti Amulets
been found engraved w ith the 22-letter N am e upon it; the
significance o f this p articu lar engraving is not known.
Several types o f script are found on these amulets. Firstly and
most com m only is an Ashuri script in low relief. This is usually
very an gular and can sometim es be a little difficult to read. T h e
second form is a cursive Sep h ardi H ebrew script w hich is often
stylised alm ost to the p o in t o f illegibility (Plate 16). A third
variety o f script, less com m only encountered, is found in some
amulets in the form o f a square Ashuri script o f traditional
appearance w hich is p articu larly com m only used for w riting
the large T etragram m aton at the head o f the amulet.
These am ulets were all designed for protection against the
Evil E ye. O n e is forced to this conclusion because on every
individual am ulet, alm ost w ithout exception, Genesis 49:22
appears and this verse is one that is always considered to be
specific against the E vil E ye.
T h e significance o f these amulets has led to a certain am ount
o f speculation. G ru nw ald in his article on ‘B ibliom ancy’ 4 has
explained that there is a tradition that the shield o f K in g D avid
was o f this particular shape and that it was decorated w ith a
design o f a menorah on w h ich was engraved the 67th Psalm in
full, one verse to each bran ch o f the candlestick. T h e special
m ystical significance o f this Psalm has also led to considerable
speculation am ong mystics.
,5
In his m ystical treatise Tirat E l E leazar o f W orm s gives the
m atter due consideration. W ithout the superscription, the
Psalm contains 7 verses and 49 words; the 5th verse, counting the
dageshed ‘m em ’ as 2, contains 49 letters. It is ow ing to the first
fact that this Psalm , together w ith Psalm 144, is used in the
ritual at the departure o f the Sabbath, and on the second finding
the reading o f the Psalm in the 49 days o f Omer between Passover
and Pentecost is based.
T h e conclusions one can draw from exam ining a series o f
these amulets is that they w ere m ade b y a group o f people who
were skilled m etal workers, com pletely masters o f their craft.
T h e makers w ere devout Jews, punctilious in their copying and
w ith a w ell developed artistic style o f their own. T h e y had
4. G run w ald, M . Jew ish Encylopedia, I I I , 202.

5. E leazar o f W orm s, Tirat-El, M S . O p p . 109, O xford.
89
The Shiviti Amulets
strong Hasidic leanings but apparently did not subscribe to the
m ore esoteric forms o f K abbalism such as is exem plified in
amulets o f neighbouring countries w hich are usually adorned
w ith diagram s derived from the Sefer Raziel.
90
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Construction of the Shemoth.

1. The Names of God
I T W A S T H E T R A D I T I O N A L opinion that protection
against the E vil Eye could be found in the tremendous pow er o f
the written Names o f G od, o f angels and o f biblical quotations
generally. These are the ‘shemoth’ or Names. Since the whole
o f the Bible was itself G od-given, any sentence or group o f
sentences from the Bible derived its pow er for good directly
from its divine source. Indeed, it is not necessary to w rite the
w hole sentence; abbreviations are com m only used and are con
sidered to be equally effective.
T h e abbreviations that are used conform to three m ain types:
i. Notarikon, 2. Temurah, 3. Gematria.
1. Notarikon is a popular form o f abbreviation, the word itself
being derived from the Greek. In this, the initial letters of the
words alone are inscribed, the effect of the series of letters being
considered to be equivalent to the full inscription itself. A long
succession o f initial letters can be very puzzling when first
encountered, but still more difficult to interpret is when the
system of notarikon is applied using the final letters of the words,
which is also apparently effective. This form o f abbreviation
reaches its ultimate when we meet the final letters of the first
five verses of Genesis in the frequently encountered shem Zamar-
chad.
Serugin1 or ‘trellis’ w ritin g2 is a form o f notarikon that has
a lim ited popularity. In this form, the first letter or the first two
1. Tomah, 38a.
2. Schechter, S. I I , p. 14.
91
Construction o f the Shemoth. i . The Names o f God
letters o f a w ord are used and whole psalms can be w ritten in

this compressed form on quite small surfaces.
2. Temurah. This is a form of cryptic writing in which substitu
tion is made for letters according to one code or another. The
commonest form o f temurah is that known as ‘Atbash’ in which
the first letter is substituted for the last letter o f the alphabet,
the second for the penultimate and so forth. Another form is
‘Albam ’ where, by a similar system of substitution, the first
letter is replaced by the twelfth, the second by the thirteenth etc.
Ginsburg3 gives no fewer than 24 possible permutations, but the
first two mentioned appear to be the commonest in use. In
another form of temurah which is even simpler and is known as
‘Avgad’, each letter is replaced by the one succeeding it, so that
a = b, b = c etc.
O n considering the systems o f substitution we have just des
cribed, it is obvious that by choosing an appropriate system, any
single letter o f the alphabet m ay be replaced by any other. In
deed, this was one o f the principal complaints o f Eyebeschiitz4
w hen w riting in his own defence, that his opponents had utilised
obscure forms o f temurah in order to change perfectly innocent
shemoth into the name o f Shabbethai Zebi.
Sim ple substitution according to these simple codes does not
end the m atter. By the use o f the method known as p’X 133
any letter in any one o f the nine boxes can be substituted for
any other letter in the same box (Fig. 6). In another form
»V j “133 P’ K
DD1 “IM iw n
pttJ pn
Figure 6: T h e code ‘"1 3 3 p ’ K ” . T h e 22 letters o f the alphabet (together

w ith the five final forms) arranged in 9 boxes o f 3 letters each. A cco rd
ing to this code, the letters in each box are interchangeable.
known as SBa on« eight boxes are utilised and the letters in any
box are also interchangeable. (Fig. 7). T h e variety is endless.
3. Gematria. In the Hebrew alphabet, each letter has a certain
numerical value. Thus ‘Aleph’ is equal to one, ‘Beth’ is equal
3. G insburg, C . D . p. 137.
4. Eybeschiitz, J . Introduction, passim.
92
WT sn son onx
Figure 7: T h e code “ 5?t33 DflX” . T h e 22 letters o f the alphabet arranged

in 7 boxes o f 3 letters each. A ccordin g to this code, the letters in each
box are interchangeable.
to two and so on until ‘T a w ’ which is equal to 400. In gematria

each letter is given its numerical value and other words, en
tirely different but composed of letters of equal numerical value,
are considered to be the equivalent of the originals. This form of
cryptic writing is often used so that, in a well known example,
Metatron (an archangel) and Shaddai (a Name o f God) are
equal, the sum total of the numerical value o f each word’s
letters being 314. Similarly Sefer Raziel5 points out that Adiriron
which appears only very rarely on amulets is, by gematria, equal
to the Twenty-two-letter Name.
THE NAMES OF GOD
W e shall now detail and describe, as far as we are able, m any

and com plex Names o f G od. T h e search for the N am e— the Inef
fable N am e or the Shem Hameforash has been the source o f m uch
speculation am ong Hasidim and mekubalim who, over the cen
turies, have seized happily on this exercise in complexities in the
hope o f one d ay becom ing possessed o f the Ineffable Nam e
w hich, b y definition, w ill enable its fortunate owner to exercise
pow er over m an, beast and all creation. Legend has it that
K in g Solom on him self was in possession o f the Ineffable N am e
and that by means o f the pow er derived from it he erected the
T em p le in Jerusalem , could understand the language o f all
animals and acquired his unique and all-comprehensive
wisdom. Since it is painfully obvious even to the most devoted
mekubal that he does not possess this wonder-working nam e, he
tries his best, b y a meticulous and lifelong search o f archaic
literature, to find a satisfactory substitute for it. This search has
now been in progress for about two and a h a lf m illennia and the
sum total o f the result achieved has been that m any extrem ely
com plex and w ildly impossible names have been put forw ard as
substitute names o f God.
F or indeed, the Jewish religion recognises but one G od with
5. Sefer Raziel 45a.
93
but one nam e— Y H W H — the four letters o f whose nam e con
stitute the Tetragram m aton. This nam e is treated with such
immense respect and veneration that it is never enunciated
under any circumstances whatsoever, and the nam e ‘A d o n ai’ is
substituted for it. Furtherm ore, b y virtue o f this derived
sanctity, ‘A d o n ai’ itself is a nam e w hich is not pronounced by
the devout w ho always substitute ‘Adoshem ’ for it, thus avoiding
the use o f the Tetragram m aton by means o f this double circum
locution. In the course o f prayer, when so required by the text o f
the L iturgy, ‘A d o n ai’ is norm ally used and pronounced but the
Tetragram m aton itself is never pronounced and even when the
portion o f the L a w is being read out during the Sabbath m orn
ing Service, the reader o f the parasha still uses the substitute
w ord ‘A d o n ai’ . For the devoutly religious J ew the word ‘Jeh o
va h ’ is a word that he never hears spoken aloud in all his
lifetime. Indeed, even when the Tem p le in Jerusalem was in
active use, the Tetragram m aton was pronounced aloud only
b y the H igh Priest and then only once a year.
T h e w ord Elohim is treated with similar reverence unless its
enunciation is required in the Liturgy, otherwise, it is pro
nounced ‘E lokim ’ by the orthodox. T h e other attributed names,
e.g. Shaddai and Sabaoth are on the other hand pronounced
phonetically and freely at all times.
These restrictions on the use o f the Tetragram m aton and
A donai are very old. T h e Talm u d, when referring to the first
nam e, often writes it as ‘Y o d H eh’, i.e. it spells out the first two
letters in the same w ay as it refers to A donai as ‘A leph D aleth ’.
Anthropologists will recognise in these obliquities, forms o f
taboo that are comm on in m any prim itive communities. It is
not unamusing to find a modern 20th century citizen obeying
these age-old taboos and using the circum locutions with com
plete lack o f self consciousness; this can be brought forw ard as
yet another facet o f their culture that goes to make up the
‘Eternal People’ .
T h e K abbalist in his search for the Ineffable N am e, as the
result o f studies by his predecessors extending over nearly two
and a h a lf m illennia is able to put forw ard several names o f
G od o f increasing com plexity and tortuosity. Some o f these
names have been known since at least the first century although
in some instances both the origin and the source o f the actual
94
names themselves have disappeared from knowledge. Various

methods have therefore been adopted at different times to
enable them to be reconstructed and remem bered. Som e o f
these names, because o f their great age, have acquired a certain
degree o f sanctity to K abbalists but the R abbin ate has never
been prepared to accept them and Rashi, the great com m enta
tor o f the 11 th century, and no sym pathiser w ith mystic thought,
states quite baldly about tw o o f the m ore elaborate ones, ‘These
they did not explain to us !’ 6
T h e b elief o f the mekubalim in the holiness o f these elaborate
and substituted names is not only not shared by the R abbin ate
but is indeed one o f the great objections raised b y the latter
against the writers and makers o f amulets w ho are particularly
fond o f em ploying mysterious names w hich m ade their w hole
w ork suspect and was a great stum bling block to its acceptance
by ordinary rabbinical Jew ry. In this attitude, orthodox
Judaism is supported b y no less an authority than M aim onides.
Since the Tetragram m aton itself is o f such sanctity that its
utterance is never perm itted and w riting it for ordinary p ur
poses is interdicted, various substituted names are in com m on
use on amulets w hich, to the initiated, represent either the
Tetragram m aton or other names o f G od.
THE MONOGRAMMATON OR SINGLE-LETTER NAME OF GOD
U sually this is the single-letter ‘H eh ’ n— w hich has a peculiarly

holy status. In W estern European Jew ish practice, this letter
alone is often the only inscription found on their m etallic
amulets. (Plate 19). T h e other single letter w hich is used in
Jewish writings to represent the nam e o f G od is ‘D aleth ’ 1 , but
in the amulets w e have exam ined we have only m et ‘H eh ’ used
as a single-lettered nam e. In K abb alistic amulets it is often
repeated, so that a series o f five similar letters nnnnn is some
times seen.
THE DIGRAMMATON. H’ ,**
These contracted forms o f the nam e o f G od are in frequent use.
6. R ashi, Kiddushin, 71a.

95
THE TRIGRAMMATON. mi , T ,w
A three-lettered nam e appears on occasion in am uletic inscrip

tions to represent the nam e o f G od. T is not uncom m on and is
sometimes found. G aster7 points out that is a comm on
K a ra ite contracted form o f Y H W H and that or occasion
ally are found on Yem enite inscriptions as substitutes for
the same nam e as well as 'V.
THE TETRAGRAMMATON
T h e use o f the Tetragram m aton is very common. H owever,

there are always some reservations about the propriety o f using
a nam e o f such sanctity and it is never used indiscrim inately and
on m any amulets substitute forms are used to represent it.
T h e substituted forms o f the Tetragram m aton are those in
w hich, b y temurah, the four holy letters are replaced b y others
according to w hichever system is used. By ‘A tbash’ the name
becomes fDSD; by ‘A lb a m ’, VOW and both forms are found on
amulets. A nother method used is ‘A v g a d ’ viz. by advancing
each letter one forw ard in the alphabet so that ¡Tin1 becomes
1VD, this particular form o f temurah being very com m only em ployed
for w riting the holy names on the reverse side o f the ordinary
mezuzah.
THE EIGHT-LETTER NAME TUnnX’
This nam e is particularly favoured b y scribes from K urdistan

and appears very frequently as a superscription on their m etallic
amulets. It is always w ritten in large and beautiful Ashuri
characters in contrast to the rest o f the inscription w hich is
usually w ritten in their own local script.
T h e construction o f this nam e is simple; it consists o f the
four letters o f the Tetragram m aton alternated w ith the four
letters o f A d o n ai8. T o reinforce its holiness, A z u la i9 informs
us that b y gem atria, it is equal to A m en.
7. G aster, M . Studies & Texts 1:263.

8. A zu la i H . J . D. Moreh be-Ezba par. 25.
9. Ibid par. 33.
96
Construction o f the Shemoth. i. The Names o f God
THE TWELVE-LETTER NAME
This is composed o f twelve syllables each consisting o f four

letters10 w hich are the twelve permutations o f the four letters
o f the Tetragram m aton. T h e y are, ,Tnn ,min /mil «nm’ ,inrn
’ inn ,nrn ,imn ,n m ,'nm ,mm. T h e perm utation nrrr w hich not
infrequently appears on an am ulet as a shem in its own right is
often m istakenly confused w ith ini'' because o f their calligraphic
similarity.
THE FOURTEEN-LETTER NAME
031&3
This is iro T IV© and is derived by temurah or simple substitu
tion o f each letter by the one succeeding it in the alphabet
(‘A v g a d ’) from mrp irnVx mrr.
THE TWENTY-TWO LETTER NAME
T h e derivation o f this N am e is obscure. It is A naktam , Pastam,

Paspasim, Deyonsin p o m D’ DDDD DUDS DilplN and is said to be
equivalent to mm “IN’ ■p&BT'l mm p i a ’ (N um b:24-25). It is a
nam e used very frequently on amulets and is m entioned in the
N ew Y e a r L itu rgy in the Priestly Benediction (Birchath Cohanim).
W hile the m ethod (or methods) o f substitution used to form this
nam e is not traditionally know n,10 a 22-worded invocation whose
initial letters form this nam e is known (Plate 47) and is likewise
given in the Liturgy. H owever, Sefer Raziel11 sim ply gives the
nam e as a holy nam e o f G od adding that, in G em atria, it is
equivalent to Adiriron ]1TT"TN.
R . Moses Cordovero (15 2 2 -1570 )12 goes into the method
w hereby the 22-letter nam e is form ed out o f the first 22 letters
o f the Priestly Benediction. U sing five different methods o f
temurah, Cordovero successfully performs the transformation.
THE FORTY-TWO LETTER NAME
This is a very ancient nam e and has been known since the
first century. It consists o f seven groups o f six letters each. T h e
10. Sefer Raziel, p. 24a.
12. Cordovero, M . Pardes Rimmonim, Sha’ar Peratey Hashemoth par. 14.
97
Construction o f the Skemoth. i . The Names o f God
famous first-century mystic R . N ehunyah ben H akana is cre

dited w ith the composition o f the hym n Anah be'koah w hich
consists o f 42 words, the initial letters o f which are the letters o f
the 42-letter name. T h e nam e was known to the Tannaim and is
mentioned in the T a lm u d though Rashi, com m enting on the
passage states quite sim ply that ‘the name was not given to us’.
3
T h e nam e itself is pTD Vr JttD pn ins “)D ttO’ 3 13
]D& SDp y ir X
D’ SlpW. This name is in very comm on use and is usually followed
by iVaattU the initial letters o f Tin aVlS?1? liTDH'a T D D Dtf *jna i.e.
‘Blessed be His glorious sovereign N am e for ever and ever.’
THE FORTY-FIVE LETTER NAME
This is derived from Proverbs 30:4 and is explained in the

Z o h a r14. It is seldom met in amulets.
THE SEVENTY-TWO LETTER NAME
This nam e consists o f 72 syllables, each consisting o f three

letters.15 (Fig. 8). T h e construction is well known; it originates
n n mis Vp s?nn in’? iVn nn nro ion nbb ©na aVs? tro 'V* ini
3D1? din ’n hnw n T nnh nm inn nba •>” -jVi Vns yiV in’? npn
V&v -n» Vnd n*?’ Vn f a nnn r* » m asm 'in “tm pis nn*7 in’ icn
u» nn1 aai is » m n V " aai id naa m nu nay ®nn tt iro rra
aia «n aa’ hnt i3n stn pja aai via
Figure 8: T h e 72-letter N am e. (Sefer Raziel, p. 23b).
from Exodus 14 :19-21. E ach o f these three verses consists o f 72

letters. T h e first letter o f the first verse, the last letter o f the
second verse and the first letter o f the third verse constitute the
first syllable o f the nam e. T h e second letter o f the first verse, the
penultim ate letter o f the second verse and the second letter o f
the third verse constitute the second syllable and so on until 72
syllables, each consisting o f three letters are formed. T h e total
num ber o f letters (216) makes this nam e a particularly bulky
and difficult one to engrave on to the available surface o f any
13. Kiddushin, 7 1a.
14. Z o h ar, E x o d u x 79a.
15. R ashi, Sukkah 4 5a; Sefer Raziel, 24b.
98
Construction o f the Shemoth. I. The Names o f God
one m etallic amulet. For this reason it is usually divided into
two roughly equal portions and each portion is engraved on to
one o f a pair o f amulets made to be worn one on each arm. A n y
available extra space on the surface o f the am ulet is filled in
with other shemoth. T h e division o f the 72-letter nam e is usually
an arbitrary one and the two halves are roughly, but not exactly
equal. For artistic reasons, any space that is left over on the
surface o f any pair o f amulets is filled w ith identical shorter
shemoth. (Plates 35, 36).
It is not to be expected that this unusual nam e can be used
for any ordinary purpose. Indeed it is more often referred to
than actually inscribed. In m ystical literature it is com m only
called the ‘Shem Vayissa V a y e t’.
OTHER NAMES OF GOD
Y ah — A contracted form of Jehovah.

Elohim — An ordinary appellative name of God.
El — A Syrian or Phoenician ordinary name of God.
Shaddai— ‘The Almighty’ or the Powerful One and particularly
used for protective purposes against magic.16
Adonai — A substitute name for Jehovah.
Sabaoth— ‘O f Hosts’.
Ehyeh — See Exodus 3:14.
‘Heh’ ‘V a v ’— An abridged form of Jehovah.
‘Heh’ ' I — Single letters used to represent the name of
‘Daleth’ J Jehovah.
16. T rachtenberg, J . p. 158.
99
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The Shemoth 2. Biblical Verses

T H E S H O R T E R shemoth w hich can usually be interpreted as
one o f the Names o f G od have been detailed as far as is possible
in C hapter X V I I . H owever, shemoth composed o f larger numbers
o f characters are found occasionally on some o f the larger silver
amulets and very frequently on parchm ent amulets where space
is not so precious. T h e y are often w ritten in a series o f groups
o f letters, three letters to the group and, while sometimes they
m ay be placed consecutively in linear form, they often occupy
separate boxes in rectangles o f different sizes with groups o f
three letters to each box (See Chap. X I).
T h e various lists o f shemoth w e set out below (Chap. X X I I ) ,
are derived from verses from the Bible which, when inscribed
on amulets are supposed to assist and protect the bearer in
various ways; these too, are “ W ords o f Pow er” .
T h e different lists are com piled from various sources, partly
from a very comprehensive list prepared by G runw ald &
K o h le r1 w hich has been extracted m ainly from the G erm an
Hasidic literature; this list has been supplem ented by a further
selection o f verses collected b y T rach ten b erg2 and still others
have been selected from R . Moses Z acu to ’s work.
Zacuto’s work is by far the largest and most com plete list o f
shemoth w hich is available. This book, the Sefer Shoreshey Hashe-
moth, though w ritten in the 17th century, still awaits publication
and exists only in m anuscript form but numerous copies are
available in m any libraries. T h e book contains several thousand
shemoth arranged in alphabetical order, all carefully explained
and w ith their origins and derivations stated. It is a treasure
1. G run w ald, M . and K o h ler, K . Jewish Encyclopedia I I I p. 202.
2. T rachtenberg, J . Jewish Magic C h ap ter V I I I .
100
house o f shemoth and is the life work o f one o f the most renowned
K abbalists o f all time.
G runw ald & K oh ler appear to have derived their list from
the Sefer Gematriot and from the Shimmush Tehillim, two books
that were w idely known and used am ong the E uropean Jewish
communities in the last few centuries and naturally the verses
are those that were used by European Jews. T h e Sefer Gematriot is
concerned w ith the Bible generally and the verses derived from
the Pentateuch, whereas Shimmush Tehillim gives lists o f verses
from the Psalms w hich m ay be suitably used on appropriate
occasions.
G aster’s3 list is o f course derived from his researches am ong
the Sam aritans and is given for comparison only.
A further list w e append is one w hich we ourselves have com
piled from the shemoth found on several hundred m etallic am u
lets which are o f oriental Hasidic origin. It w ill be observed that
while there is a fair am ount o f overlapping, m any shemoth used
by the oriental communities are not used by the Jews in Europe
at all. Particularly noteworthy is the almost com plete neglect
o f Genesis 49:22 by the W estern Jews. It w ould not be exag
gerating to state that the great m ajority o f the oriental amulets
bear this particular inscription in one form or another some
where in their text and its com plete absence in W estern amulets
is quite astonishing. W hether this absence is due to usage or to
the greater frequency o f the b elief in the E vil Eye am ong the
O riental Jews (the particular verse is said to be peculiarly
effective against the E vil Eye) is quite unknown.
M oreover, m any inscriptions in the list w e have ourselves
com piled find no place in the European lists at all. O n e cannot
help concluding that, as far as am uletic practice was concerned,
a w ide divergence had begun to occur between O rien tal Jews
and the Jewish communities o f the West.
T h e individual words o f the verses m entioned are seldom
w ritten out in full but are identified b y the initial letters o f each
word, or less com m only, b y the first tw o letters o f some words—
the form o f w riting called ‘trellis-writing’ b y Schechter4— the
literal translation o f the word serugin5. O ccasionally the final
3. Gaster, M ., Studies and Texts p. 400ff.
4. Schechter, S., I I p. 14.
5. Tomah, 38a.
101
letters o f the words are used, but this is less common. It is pos
sible to identify the verse fairly readily by using the alphabetical
list o f shemoth if the start o f an inscription can be found (See
C hapter V I I I ) . Sometimes, particularly on m etallic amulets
where space is at a premium , the full verse is not used as a shem,
portions only o f a particular verse being em ployed. For example
V m x represents only part o f the longer shem Vruxb'NiOl w hich is
formed from the initial letters o f Numbers 12:13. In order to
enable the shem to be identified in either o f its forms, both the
com plete as well as the shortened form have been set down and
are included in the list.
T h e purpose and intent o f each individual verse has been
noted. Sometimes the purpose o f the verse can be deduced quite
easily from its m eaning. For exam ple, ‘T h y right hand O Lord,
is becom e glorious in power; T h y right hand O Lord hath
dashed in pieces the enem y’ (Ex. 15:6) is an appropriate verse
for anyone who is about to be engaged in battle. Sim ilarly ‘Then
sang Moses and the children o f Israel unto the Lord, and spake,
saying, I w ill sing unto the L ord for H e has trium phed glori
ously’ (Ex. 15:1) is particularly suitable for anyone w ho wishes
to sing sweetly and to im prove his voice, an objective that w ould
be earnestly sought after by any cantor in the w orrying days
im m ediately before the H igh Festivals.
But some o f the verses do not seem to have the remotest con
nection with the objective they are supposed to attain and it
becomes necessary to invoke linguistics, obscure midrashim and
even the use o f puns to explain the connection. Sometimes the
link is so tenuous and the line o f thought so tortuous as to defeat
the efforts o f the most assiduous student o f linguistics or o f folk
lore. A n exam ple o f this circuitous line o f thought can be noted
in the use o f Genesis 48:16 w hich is comm ended as a prophylac
tic against the Evil Eye. T h e verse itself, ‘T h e angel w hich re
deem ed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let m y nam e be
nam ed on them, and the nam e o f m y fathers A b rah am and
Isaac; and let them grow into a m ultitude in the midst o f the
earth’, w ould appear on the face o f it to be broadly benedictory.
But in the original H ebrew , the expression a i 1? UTl is used for
‘and let them grow into a m ultitude’ and means literally ‘and
let them m ultiply as fishes’. Since fishes live beneath the surface
o f the w ater and cannot be seen, they are traditionally imm une
102
to the effects o f the Evil E ye .6 T h e reason for using this verse as

a specific protection against the dangers o f the E vil Eye is thus
explained.
A nother exam ple o f this devious line o f thought is in the use o f
Exodus 30:34 ‘A n d the L o rd said unto Moses, take unto thee
sweet spices, stacte, and onycha and galban um ’ as a protection
against m agic. It w ould not appear that this verse w ould be
particularly protective against m agic were it not for the tradi
tion that simple enum eration o f the constituents o f the incense is
in itself protective against m agical practices.7
A gain, the use o f a simple shem Genesis 25:14, ‘ill’, to quiet
crying children is com pletely inexplicable if the literal transla
tion alone is considered. It reads, ‘A nd M ishm a and D um ah and
M assa.’ H owever, the w ord ‘D um ah ’, in addition to m eaning a
tribe o f Ishmael, nam ed after a son o f Ishmael w ho happens to
be enumerated in the verse, also means the angel w ho presides
over the realm o f the dead8 and also means ‘silence’— and it is
this third m eaning w hich accounts for the shem’s value in this
p articular context.
T h e list o f Sam aritan verses is entirely unusual and their
shemoth are not found in com m on use either am ong Eastern or
W estern Jews w hether Ashkenazim or Sephardim . But it must
be rem em bered that the cleavage between the Sam aritans and
the Jews took place in 722 B .C . and to find even a few verses
being used for the same purpose would in itself be quite rem ark
able. Som e few verses, still in use both am ong Jews as w ell as
am ong Samaritans can be found in the short list Gaster has
collected. T h eir persistence is a tribute to the im m utable charac
ter o f m agical “ W ords o f Pow er” .
6. Berachoth, 20a.
7. T rachtenberg, J ., Jewish Magic, p. 106.
8. Ibid., p. 76.
103
CHAPTER NINETEEN*
The Shemoth 3. Angelology

A N A N A L Y S I S o f the names o f the angels w hich have been
found inscribed on m an y hundred m etallic amulets has been
m ade. It is im m ediately apparent that five are incom parably
more com m only used than any others. T h e five are U riel,
R aphael, G abriel, M ichael, and N uriel. These, together with
their m nemonic pJfiN ‘A rgam an ’ are b y far the commonest
found in the m etallic amulets from the O riental Hasidic dias
pora.
T h e im portance o f angelology to date a period has recently
been stressed. Y a d in states ‘A ngelology, w hich developed
speedily from D aniel onwards, em erged as a com plete and com
plex doctrine in the A p och ryp h a and Pseudepigrapha. There
the angels are divided into several classes, we find details o f their
names, their routine tasks, and particularly their role at the End
o f D ays. Such doctrines appear, though to a lesser degree, in
R abbin ic and early Christian literature and reach their clim ax
in the K abbalistic w ritings’ .1
T h e Z o h a r2 is quite definite that all angels are not equal in
degree and lists ten classes o f varyin g status and im portance
T h e y are Malachim, Erelim, Seraphim, Hayoth, Ophanim, Hashma-
lim, Elim, Elohim, Bene-Elohim and Ishim. M oreover to each
group, adds the Zohar, there is allotted another group o f
*M u ch o f the inform ation on the specific duties and functions o f indi

vid ual angels noted in this chapter has been derived from M argoliouth’s
Malachey Elyon. H ow ever, a great deal o f such inform ation is to be found in
Ginsberg, Legends o f the Jews.
1. Y a d in , Y . p. 229.
2. Zohar, E x. 43a.
104
angels o f lesser degree to serve them and to care for them. It is

not the intention to attem pt to enum erate the full list o f angels—
Schw ab3 lists several thousand and even his list is still incom plete,
so that the task is m anifesdy an impossible one, as the student o f
angelology must realise that there is literally no end to the
literature on the subject. H owever, w e shall attem pt to give
short descriptions o f the duties and functions o f such angels as
have been found most com m only in use on the amulets w hich
m ay be found today. This should give a fairly typical cross-
section o f am uletic angels and should give one a good idea o f the
purpose for w hich the particular am ulet is intended to be used.
But it must be understood that we are neither qualified nor are
we attem pting to do m ore than touch on the very fringes o f this
vast subject.
T h e highest group consists o f two angels only. T h e y are
M etatron and Sandalphon. M etatron is said to have been Enoch
w ho was translated into heaven, and Sandalphon is said to have
been Elijah w ho ascended to heaven in a fiery chariot. In the
next group are the archangels M ichael, G abriel, R aph ael and
U riel. W hile most o f the angels are reputed to have wide powers
and to be able to protect against a large variety o f troubles and
difficulties, some are considered to be particularly effective in
certain directions; thus Badpatiel VK’ BBia is supposed to protect
against miscarriages and R ap h ael is particularly invoked when
health is in jeopardy. A ll how ever, have a generally beneficent
and protective influence.
M ost o f the names o f angels consists o f an attribute w ith the
theophorous ‘el’ as a suffix. Since the H ebrew language is not
lacking in adjectives, innum erable hosts o f heavenly creatures are
available and m ay be summoned to assist the am ulet writer.
Angels have been the object o f invocation against the Evil
E ye, especially b y the K abbalists, since the M iddle Ages. T h e
habit extended well into the 16th century and was certainly
not restricted to Jews. It is usually Hasidim and mekubalim who
appeal to angels, other Jew s being less circuitous in their
approach to D ivine A id and tending to make a direct appeal to
G od w ithout the necessary intervention o f angels at all.
Am ulets prepared b y mystics for the protection o f their
3. Schw ab, M . (1897) Vocabulaire de I’Angelologie, Paris.

105
adherents can often be recognised b y the appearance o f the pecu

liar symbols that are so prom inently displayed in Sefer Raziel.*
Associated w ith these symbols are a host o f unusual angelic
names that take their origin either from the same source or from
the more esoteric portions o f K abbalistic literature. T h e type o f
am ulet that originates from non-Hasidic sources— it is a rather
rare object— seldom contains the names o f m any angels and
certainly never has any o f these unusual symbols. M ost o f the
angels’ names end w ith the suffix “ el” often rendered in peculiar
forms o f calligraphy e.g. K<.<c. • T h eir characteristics can usually
be determ ined by exam ining the first part o f their names but
M etatron should be rem em bered as his name is considered to be
‘Sim ilar’ to that o f his m aster’ 5 a piece o f inform ation that is not
easily understood until one realises that, b y the form o f cal
culation known as gematria, the sum total o f the letters o f his
nam e, 314, is equal to that o f ‘Shaddai’ . W here unusual names
o f angels are engraved, the m ore com m on kinds w e have men
tioned are usually not found on the same amulet. This suggests
that to the mekubal w ho wrote kameoth, certain angelic names
were suitable for certain specific purposes and that the five
angels in com m on use were p robably considered proper for
everyday and generally protective purposes. A clue to their
im portance is given b y M argoliou th 6. H e refers to an obscure
midrash w hich states that the angel M ichael is in charge o f our
safety from daw n to m idday, G abriel from m idday to sunset,
R aph ael from sunset to m idnight and N uriel from m idnight to
daw n. Invocation o f these four angels b y name w ill thus ensure
angelic protection for the full twenty-four hours o f the day and
explains the popularity and the frequent use o f the shem ‘A rga-
m an’ .
T h e details o f Sefer Raziel’s instructions for the use o f angels at
specific times is interesting. Raziel writes as follows: ‘W hoever
wishes to write an am ulet should first w rite the names o f the
angels responsible for that particular season, for exam ple: for the
season o f Nissan (Spring) Sam ael and ‘A n ael and Gansharish,
the nam e o f their master being O r Panaich. For the season
o fT a m m u z (summer) K ad m iel and Zadkiel and A chn iel, the
4. Sefer Raziel, pp. 44a, 44b.
5. Sanhedrin, 38b.
6. M argoliouth, R ., Malachey Elyoti p. 138, n 4.
106
name o f their m aster being A v a l A vh am . For the season o f
Tishri (Autum n) Barkiel and Ismariel and G abriel, the nam e o f
their master A lbrior. For the season o f Teveth (W inter) G abriel,
U riel and Barchiel, the nam e o f their master being R abiel.
Looked at another w a y : for the m onth o f Nissan U riel, for
Iy ya r A m riel, for Sivan Zaphniel, for T am m u z T ariel, for A b
Barkiel, for Ellul Paniel, for Tishri Zuriel, for H eshvan C hav-
riel, for K islev A doniel, for T eveth Zaphiel, for Shevat Jeriel,
for A d a r Sum iel and for A d a r Sheni Sandalphon. For Sunday
A riel, for M on d ay Aspam iel, for T uesday A riel, for W ednesday
H achviel, for Thursday Jehoiel, for F riday H adariel, for Satur
day Israel.
For the season o f Tishri G allizur and H adarniel, for that o f
T eveth Barziel and Sam am iel, for the season o f Nissan Sam iel
and A niel, and for the season o f T am m u z N am ziel and
Z arkiel.’ 7
Y a d in ’s statement that ‘These angelic doctrines appear to
have reached their clim ax in kabbalistic literature’ is am ply
confirm ed b y this short translation from Sefer Raziel.
Study o f the names o f angels in Sefer Raziel can be a most
frustrating and unrew arding occupation. N ot only does the
spelling o f the names vary in unpredictable fashion from one
edition to another, but m arked variations also occur from one
page to another in the same book and even on the same page.
T h e vast num ber o f these heavenly hosts staggers the im agina
tion and the liberal, not to say carefree w ay that the author
adopts o f allotting duties to these supernatural beings is breath
taking. T h e quotation given above is one o f the less com plicated
sets o f instructions w ith w hich this book is liberally adorned.
T h e general effect is entirely overw helm ing.
T h e following are some o f the com m oner names o f angels
w hich have been noted in the series o f amulets w e have studied
and w hich m ay be considered typical o f those used on amulets
in the last few centuries. Doubtless m any others can be found
i f a larger series were to be exam ined, but those enum erated
below are the more com m on ones and it is intended to deal with
these only. T h e y are considered in the H ebrew alphabetical
order so that the list can be com pared w ith the larger list o f
angels found in the com plete list o f shemoth in C hap . X X I I .
7. Sefer Raziel, 4 1b.
107
a v a r t i e l bx'tnax
A vartiel is an angel w ho is concerned w ith prevention o f mis

carriages. His nam e appears always associated w ith invocations
to assist wom en in childbed.
u r i e l Vxm x
O ne o f the four archangels, he is an angel o f light and also

o f Hades. It is he w ho wrestled with Jacob, interred A dam and
informed N oah beforehand o f the Flood. B y some he is identified
w ith Suriel and b y others w ith Ariel.
URPANIEL biTlEmX
B y gematria calculation, this nam e is equal to H ashm al, (V»tPn)

and therefore this angel is one o f the Hashmalim. His appcarance
is rare in amulets. M argoliouth points out that the nam e is liter
ally ‘T h e light o f the face o f G od’— *?X ’ID “TlX
ARGAMAN 1
|»J* X
T h e m nem onic for the five angels U riel, R aph ael, G abriel
M ich ael and Nuriel. Its use is excessively common.
BADPATIEL VX’ BDia
T h e angel concerned w ith the prevention o f miscarriages. His

nam e appears only on amulets that are m ade to assist wom en in
childbed.
BUHUEL Vxiaia
This nam e is a com pound angelic nam e w hich b y ‘A v g a d ’ , is

derived from Ehyeh-El.
GABRIEL V x i a j
G abriel is the archangel o f Strength. H e w ill open the Gates o f

H ell w hen the Messiah comes. W ith M ich ael’s assistance he is
108
said to have interred A dam . G abriel destroyed the arm y o f the

Assyrians and destroyed B abylon ; he is the guardian angel o f
Israel. It is G abriel w ho is said to have wrestled w ith Jacob, to
have aided Joseph and to have arranged Moses’ couch before he
died. H e is frequently invoked in amulets.
TAFTAFIAH il’ DtJDtJ
4
A n angel who appears in th century literature and whose name
is composed o f the first two letters o f the verses o f Psalm 119:69,
70, 76. This is one o f the seventy names o f Metatron.
YOPHIEL VN’ DV
T h e angel o f beauty and the teacher o f Shem.
METATRON p“1Dt2!3
M etatron is one o f the first group o f angels, sharing his position

only with Sandalphon. W hen Enoch was translated into heaven,
he was changed to M etatron w ho becam e one o f the archangels.
M etatron is in charge o f the various angels as well as being a
M aster o f H eavenly Song. H e is a guardian angel o f Israel and
w ill testify to the U n ity o f G od on the D a y o f Judgem ent. T h e
name appears on amulets not infrequently. Its seventy alterna
tive names are carefully enum erated in Othiot de R. Akiva, p. 353.
MICHAEL VXD»
A n archangel whose nam e means literally ‘W ho is like the

Lord ?’ H e is the greatest o f the angels who prays for the souls
o f the w icked and is the Leader o f the H eavenly Choir. B y some
he is identified with M etatron. M ichael is one o f the Seraphim
and with G o d ’s help destroyed the T em ple at Jerusalem as w ell
as Babylon. Like G abriel, he too is a guardian angel o f Israel
and so is the object o f frequent invocations.
SANDALPHON psVUO
Sandalphon is one o f the archangels; with M etatron he takes

precedence over all others, being placed alongside the throne
109
o f G od Himself. H e is identified, according to the Midrash with
the Prophet Elijah w ho was translated into heaven and his
duties consist o f w eaving garlands for the A lm igh ty.8 A s an
angel o f prayer, he is a heavenly singer. A nother o f his celestial
duties is to differentiate the sex o f the em bryo.9 Sandalphon’s
height is said to be equal to a journey o f 500 days, yet even this
height is not sufficient to enable him to see the H ead o f the
A lm igh ty so that he can place his garlands and he therefore
sings a Song o f E xaltation w hich causes the garland to rise and
settle above the H ead o f G od.
r a z ie l
R aziel, also called G allizur, was he w ho revealed the teachings

o f his M aker. H e makes known to the world that w hich is
decreed by G od, for he stands behind the curtains w hich are
draw n before the throne o f G od and sees and hears everything.
Elijah on H oreb heard that w hich R aziel called dow n and
passed his knowledge on to the world. This angel performs other
functions in heaven, standing before the throne w ith outspread
wings thus arresting the fiery breath o f the Hayot. R aziel was
2
also A d a m ’s teacher as Y op h iel was Shem ’s, akiel was A b ra
ham ’s, R ap h ael was J a co b ’s and G abriel was Joseph’s.
RAPHAEL VNBT
R ap h ael is an archangel called the ‘Rescuer’ . It is he gave the

Sefer Raziel to A d am but later retrieved it and handed it to
Noah. His function, as his nam e implies, is to cure diseases and
it was he who banished demons from the earth, healed A brah am
and soothed his pain after his circumcision. H e later cured
Jacob s injured thigh.
This list o f angels, o f necessity incom plete, w ill give some idea
o f the forces o f G ood w hich are most frequently invoked in
am uletic inscriptions. For a m ore detailed inscription o f the
functions and duties o f the less frequently m entioned semidivine
8. Hagigah, 13b.
9. Yalkut Reubeni, L ev. 12:2.
1 10
beings, it is necessary to refer to special works on the subject, e.g.
R. M argoliouth’s ‘M alachey E lyon’ or to the m ore readily avail
able G in zberg’s ‘Legends o f the Jew s’.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The Shemoth. 4. Midrashic Shemoth.

IN A B O O K o f this nature it is m anifestly impossible to try
to explain the significance o f every shem', to do this it w ould be
necessary to include large portions o f the vast M idrashic liter
ature that has grow n up over the centuries. M oreover, G inz-
berg’s w ork1 is available for any who m ight care to make
further researches into the various subjects in more detail.
In the following series o f short notes w e shall therefore deal
with the meanings o f some o f the com m oner shemoth w hich
appear most frequently, and in rather less detail w ith some o f
the more uncom m on ones. W hen possible, w e shall give refer
ences to such authorities as are usually readily accessible.
T h e series o f notes in this chapter are placed under headings
arranged in the H ebrew alphabetical order o f the shemoth.
T h e y are transliterated into L atin script according to the usually
accepted style.
azboga . nnm x
A very ancient shem, originally appearing in fourth century

literature. Its significance is that it represents the shem ha-
Sheminiuth2. B y some it is supposed to represent the actual
covering o f the Seventh H eaven (an Eighth H eaven) and it is
composed o f six letters arranged in three pairs, the sum o f the
num erical value o f each pair being eight. Sefer Raziel how ever
explains the nam e as being one o f the Names o f G o d 3 and
1. G inzberg, L . (1947) Legends o f the Jews, 7 V ols. Phila. J . Publ. Soc.

2. Scholem , G . Jewish Gnosticism p. 66ff.
3. Sefer Raziel p. 45a.
112
The Shemoth. 4. Midrashic Shemoth
Scholem considers it represents, in certain Hekhaloth literature,
the Shem o f the Dynam is (gevurah).4 T h e w ord appears in the
Liturgy used on the Eve o f the N ew Y e a r Service.
THE RIVERS OF PARADISE. 1 1 1 5 ^plT I ,] im
T h e four rivers o f Paradise are G ihon, Pishon, H iddekel and

Euphrates5. T h e y are said to bear the stream o f Life out o f the
G arden o f Eden. T h e y appear on amulets very frequently, both in
plain writing, when they usually occupy the corners ofa rectangular
area or in anagram m atic forms, occupying 16 lines. T h e first
eight lines o f the inscriptions usually consist o f relatively
simple anagrams (Plate 44) but the second eight lines usually
contain m ore com plex ones.
THE FIRST EVE. n31®X*1 71111
A d a m ’s first wife who, according to the M idrash was nam ed

Lilith. She is sometimes identified by the above term w hich
has the same pow er for protection as the other names o f
Lilith.
h u tz . pn
Th ere is some difference o f opinion as to the m eaning o f this
term. It is usually w ritten before the nam e o f Lilith and o f
the first Eve and has been interpreted as ‘outside!’ or ‘aw ay
w ith L ilith !’ H owever, it is pointed out that, by substitution o f
the final letter p according to ‘A tbash ’, the w ord becomes
mn i.e. ‘E ve’, and therefore the w ord itself is supposed to be
protective for m other and child against Lilith herself.
JOCHEBED. 1331’’
T h e m other o f Moses and o f A aron, Jochebed was a w om an o f

outstanding beauty herself and the beauty o f her two sons
4. Scholem , G . loc.cit. p. 69.
5. Genesis 2 :11 -14 .
113
caused her to be nam ed ‘Jochebed the Beautifier’.6 She herself

suffered no pains in giving birth to her tw o rem arkable sons.
H er duties are to supervise certain wom en in Paradise. V ery
rarely her nam e is found on amulets associated w ith shemoth
for the protection o f wom en in childbirth and o f their children.
JOSEPH.
Joseph, J a co b ’s favourite son, received w hat is believed to be

a particularly significant benediction at his father’s deathbed.
This in translation reads as follows: ‘Joseph is a fruitful bough,
even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the
w all.’ 7 As the exact m eaning o f the words in the original
H ebrew are obscure, a fair am ount o f differences o f opinion
have arisen as to their interpretation. H owever, all agree that
the fact that ‘Ayin (a w ell o f water) is m entioned is significant
and that, as lAyin also means ‘E ye’, the verse itself is pro
tective against the E vil Eye and that Joseph was blessed with
an im m unity from its effects. T h e full verse, portions o f the
verse, or the first letters o f the individual words o f the verse
are constantly recurring on a vast num ber o f amulets, being
used quite arbitrarily, often m erely to decorate an em pty
space. This is particularly so on oriental Jewish amulets.
Because o f this significant blessing, not only Joseph himself,
but all his descendants were considered to be im m une from the
effects o f the E vil E y e 8. A mere assertion that Joseph is one’s
ancestor is in itself supposed to be sufficiently protective.
LILITH JT’*?-’1?
Lilith, the m other o f all the dem ons,9 was created out o f the
dust o f the earth at the same time as A dam and was indeed
his first wife. E arly legend states that for his first 130 years
A d am lived w ith her and begat spirits, demons and ‘lilin’
upon her10. H owever, the union was not a success as she
6. Sotah, 11b.
7. Genesis 49:22.
8. Berachoth, 20a.
9. Z ohar I I 267b.
10. ’Erubin, 18b.
114
dem anded and was refused equal sexual rights with A dam ,
stating that as they were both m ade from the same earth, they
should be o f equal standing and that she should not be com
pelled to lie beneath him during intercourse11. H e rejected
her suggestion and she thereupon pronounced the Ineffable
Nam e and betook herself to her ow n kingdom , the kingdom o f
Z am argad12, near the R ed Sea, w here she set up her abode
and m ated w ith the demons w ho were w ell known to be living
there.
Lilith was most prolific, producing no less than one hundred
children every day. W hen she deserted A dam , three angels
were despatched to recall her viz. Sanvai, Sansanvai, and
Sem anglof. She refused to return, and this in spite o f being
told she w ould lose one hundred o f her children daily. H ow
ever, since she herself indulged in the practice o f strangling
her ow n children, she p robably felt that this was no great
hardship.
T h e creation o f Eve and the happy union between her and
A d am aroused in Lilith feelings o f jealousy and envy and she
has been plagueing their progeny ever since. She has a par
ticular aversion to the daughters o f Eve and waits at their
childbed to destroy mothers and their new born infants, taking
revenge b y strangling new born boys during the first eight days
o f their life. A t the end o f the eight days, circum cision confers
a lifelong im m unity upon the boys but the girls are susceptible
to her evil influences until their twentieth d ay; after that her
pow er for harm diminishes. A very typical story o f the activity
o f Lilith and o f the means used for overcom ing her has been
recounted b y H id a 13.
11. Alphabet o f Ben Sira. Q uoted in Ozar Midrashim 1, 47.

12. TargumJ ob 1:15.
13. A zu lai. H . J . D . Joseph be-Seder par. 6.
‘Elijah, blessed be his nam e, was w alkin g one day and m et L ilith. H e
said to her, “ U n clean one, w here are you going?” She replied “ I am
going to the house o f the w om an A the d aughter o f B w ho is in childbed
to give her a sleeping draught and kill her and to take her child and
eat it” . Said E lijah “ M a y you be interdicted from this by the N am e o f
the L ord, blessed be H e ! Be silent as a stone” . She replied “ O Lord,
release me and I swear by the nam e o f G od to forsake m y evil ways,
and as long as I see or hear m y own names I w ill im m ediately retreat
and not com e near that p articular person. I shall tell you w h at m y
"5
L ilith ’s antagonism and bitterness were not restricted to

wom enkind only. She appears to the Sons o f M an in their
dreams and causes them to have nocturnal emissions14 from
w hich source spectres— ‘lilin’— are produced so that the propa
gation o f the species is continued and ensured by the union
o f men w ith spirits in their sleep15.
A ll sorts o f means are used to circum vent the m align influ
ences o f Lilith and her demons and both m en and women
appear to be in need o f this protection. A ccording to the usual
am uletic practice, w earing an am ulet inscribed with her name
protects against her activities and this practice accounts for
the numerous amulets thus found inscribed. In addition,
various precautions are to be observed to obstruct and deflect
her activities; one o f the least objectionable o f these precautions
is not to sleep in a house alone16.
Elijah the Prophet, that great performer o f miracles, on one
occasion encountered Lilith, doubtless secure in the fact that
he was him self originally an angel and so im m une from her
attentions. E lijah’s angelic nam e is Sandalphon, and he is
one o f the greatest and mightiest o f the fiery angelic hosts.
H e imposed restrictions on L ilith ’s activities which, after dire
threats, she was com pelled to accept. T h e most im portant o f
these conditions was that i f any o f the numerous names o f
Lilith— and at least ten are given by H ida— were inscribed near
a childbed, and particularly if the inscription o f Psalm 121
was associated with it, Lilith w ould be com pelled to abandon
her right to injure that particular mother or her child. In
addition, the names o f the three angels who were sent to recall
names are so that w henever I hear or see them I shall have no power
to do evil or to injure and I swear to disclose m y true names to you.
L et them be w ritten and hung about the house o f such w om en as are
in childbed or around the child and im m ediately I shall run aw ay.
A n d these are m y names: “ L ilith, A b iti, A b izu , Am rusu, H akash,
O dem , Ik, Pudu, A y il, M atruta, A vg u , K a ta h , K a li, Batuh, Parit-
asha.” From all those w ho know these names and use them I promise
to run aw ay. T herefore han g the names in the houses o f w om en in
childbed or w ith the child or on an am ulet, and neither the child nor
its m other w ill ever be injured by me. A m en, A m en, A m en, Selah,
Selah, Selah ’ .
14. Ecclesiastes 2:8.
15. Zo h ar 1:54b.
16. Sabbath, 151b.
116
her to her wifely duties and whose message she disobeyed were
to be equally effective in neutralising her activities.
Lilith thus represents the classical exam ple o f the succubus
in Jewish m ythology. She undoubtedly derives from very
ancient sources appearing as Lilatu ‘a female dem on’ in
Assyrian literature and earlier still as L illaku in Sum erian
tablets o f the story o f Gilgam esh in w hich she was supposed to
have lived in a w illow -tree17. A connection between these
similarly nam ed demons can scarcely be denied.
Am ulets inscribed w ith the nam e o f Lilith alone can
possibly have been w orn b y men and indeed could be worn
by everyone w ith advantage at all times but those inscribed
w ith the alternative names o f L ilith or w ith the names o f
Sanvai, Sansanvai or Sem anglof were intended to be o f use
to wom en only, particularly near the time o f their delivery.
T h e usual custom was to w rite these shemoth on pieces o f paper
and hang them around the m other’s bed and even until
recent times, the Shir ha M a’ aloth ‘T h e Song o f D egrees’
(Psalm 121) was thus w ritten and used. M etallic amulets,
inscribed w ith this psalm were w orn by men as well as wom en
at all times and becam e an article o f decoration. T h e y are
extrem ely common.
MEZAMZITH. D'SOX»
T h e doctrine o f ‘concentration’ was propounded by the ‘A r i’

and is accepted b y his H asidic followers. It consists o f the
dogm a that G od is A ll-pervading. Since this is so, the ability
o f any person or object to exist at all can only occur if space
is created for it by the A lm ighty. This is achieved b y ‘concen
12 32
tration’ Q i S. It appears that this word as w ell as the word M ez-
13
amzemith iVfcS&Stt are both derived from ‘Zim zum ’ D S/ X. T h e
word itself appears in R a zie l18.
SANU. 130
T h e w ord Sanu is form ed from the initial letters o f three o f the

ingredients o f the H oly Incense19; enum eration o f the spices
17. K ram er, S. N . p. 33.
18. Sefer Raziel, 44b. Illustration,
ig . Exodus 30:34.
r l7
w hich were used for this purpose is itself considered to be

protective against m agical practices20.
SANVAI, SANSANVAI AND SEMANGLOF. ,12030 ,130
T h e names o f the three angels w ho were sent to bring back

Lilith w ho had fled from A dam to the shores o f the R ed Sea
w here she was occupied in associating w ith the demons who
are said to infest these waters and w here she was producing
one hundred children every day. Lilith refused to return in
spite o f these three angels’ demands but was in due course
com pelled to subm it to the will o f Elijah the Prophet whose
authority, as Sandalphon the A rchangel, was not to be denied.
She had to accept that the names o f the three angels inscribed
at or near a childbed w ould com pletely protect a wom an
against her evil efforts. T h e injunction holds good to the present
d ay and the three names often appear on amulets designed to
protect parturient w om en21. (Fig. 8.)
Figure 8: Sanvai Sansanvai and Semanglof. T h e ir first illustration and

m ention in the literature (Sefer Raziel, p. 43b). T w o alternative shapes
o f these angels are illustrated.
20. T rachtenberg, J . Jewish Magic p. 106.

21. Sefer R aziel, 43b. Illustration.
118
The Shemoth 4. Midrashic Shemoth
SEPH IR O TH . n iT B O
T h e Sephiroth are emanations from the En-Sopk. T h e y are:

Kether, Binah, Hahma, Gevurah, Hesed, Tifereth, Hodh, Netsah,
Tesod, Malchuth22. T h e y represent the ten Em anations or
principles o f the M ost H igh. O ccasionally they appear in
scribed singly or in groups on amulets.
’ a s h t s e i . "X W S
This shem, as explained in Sefer Raziel23 is composed o f the five

letters w hich im m ediately follow the Tetragram m aton in
Psalm 121. Since the Tetragram m aton appears five times in
this particular psalm, the shem is composed o f five letters.
By its use, the psalm w ith all its protective influences is
invoked, particularly for protection in childbed.
p a z p a z ia rr X B X D *
By using ‘A tbash ’, this nam e becomes n'flffll w hich is composed

o f letters derived from the T etragram m aton24.
z a f z a f ia . iT D X B X *
By using ‘A tbash’, this nam e is found to be composed o f letters

derived from the Tetragram m aton m m n .25
z a h z a h iy o th . nrn xn x*
These are emanations o f less im portant significance than the

Sephiroth26. O ccasionally the single form %ahzahiya rrnxnx
appears on an amulet.
22. C ordovero, M . Pardes Rimmonim, pp. 2 1-2 3 .

24. G ollan cz, H . p. xii.
25. Ibid p. xii.
26. Scholem , G . Major Trends, C h ap . V I n. 7.
* A ll th ese a re a m o n g the seven ty a lte rn ativ e n am es o f M eta tro n (see
Othiot de R. Akiva, p. 353).
The Shemoth 4. Midrashic Shemoth
ZAMARCHAD. 131135*
In this shem the use o f the final letters o f words reaches its
most extreme form. It is composed o f the term inal letters o f
Genesis 1:1-5 . T h e shem is a w ell known one being described
b y B udge27 and others28. T h e com plem entary shem YITD w hich
is form ed from the initial letters o f the same five verses must be
very rare; however, Budge mentions this one too, apparently
having found the two names on both sides o f one and the same
am ulet29.
T h e phonetical resemblance o f this mysterious nam e, the
origin o f w hich can almost certainly never be discovered by
the uninitiated to that o f Zam argad, the mysterious land w hich
is the kingdom o f L ilith 12, is to be noted. T h ere must surely be
some connection o f w hich w e are still unaware, between the
prim al wom an, first consort o f A d am and the first five sentences
o f the Bible in w hich the Creation is described. Zam archad is
often inscribed in two portions, the first three letters consti
tuting the first part and the final two letters the second portion.
13
It is also found in anagram m atic form as “W in s , ft f l , X . 01 13
B y using the final forms o f the letters where possible, the nam e
is m ade even more obscure.
27. Budge, E . A . W . p. 231.

28. T rachtenberg, J . Jewish Magic p. gg.
29. B u d g e , E. A . W . p. 2 3 1.
* A n o th e r o f the seven ty n am es o f M etatro n .
120
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Shemoth. 5. Other Shemoth

T H E G R O U P O F S H E M O T H w e describe in this chapter
is a miscellaneous collection o f those w hich do not fall into any
o f the categories described in the previous four. Som e have a
protective significance e.g. ‘A g la ’, others are sim ply inscrip
tions to establish ownership e.g. ‘L enokaz’ and still others are
invocations o f various kinds. T h e names are phonetically trans
cribed so as to facilitate recording in the transcriptions.
ag la . N*?1N
This is a well known shem w hich had gained popularity as a

protection against fires to w hich m ediaeval towns and especially
the closely-built m ediaeval ghettoes were peculiarly liable. So
great was its fam e in G erm any, that it was b y m any Gentiles
considered to have originated from the initial letters o f ‘A lm äch-
tiger G ott lösch aus.’ 1 H owever, its origin is in fact far earlier
31
than this, as it is composed o f the initial letters o f nVitf1? HI nnx
’HX ‘T h o u art m ighty for ever A d o n ai’ w hich occurs in the
second benediction o f the ‘Amidah.
adm eh . sm s
This is a com m on H asidic invocation derived from the initial

113 3
letters o f » "VNM ’ "n NnVN ‘O Lord o f M eir, answer u s !’ T h e
reference is to R a b b i M eir B aal Ha-Ness, a m iracle worker o f
the first century.
i . T rachtenberg, J . Jewish Magic, p. 262.

121
The Shemoth. 5. Other Shemoth
behanu.
A H asidic invocation composed o f the initial letters o f mtl?a

rrVsai n s s r n .2 ‘W ith the help o f G od w e shall achieve and
succeed’ . T h e use o f the single letter n to represent G od is
com m on practice. T h e invocation is often found on Iraqi
amulets.
b in u . ir a
This invocation, rather similar to the foregoing, is composed

o f the initial letters o f rrbsai fW ? 53
rHTM ‘W ith the help o f G od
w e shall achieve and succeed’ only on this occasion the is
used instead o f the n to represent the nam e o f G od. T h e invo
cation is sometimes expanded into Biainu la’ N’ a ‘W ith the help
o f the L ord G od o f Israel, w e shall achieve and succeed’.
rrVsn ntzraa Vsnsr ’ nVx m nn3
L E N O K A Z E H . »"T pil1?
T h e initial letters o f vVs? IT STEp Ntzni1? ‘T o the bearer o f this

kamea upon him ’.
S E Y A G V E -G E D E R . I’ D
‘A protecting hedge and a fence’.
S E Y A G L E -N O K A Z . T p llV I’ D
T h e initial letters o f IT SP)3p Nttni’? TO ‘A protecting hedge for

the bearer o f this kamea' .
SHEM IRAH O r SHEM U RAH . m i»ti>
‘A protection’ or ‘a shield.’
2. Bader, G . p. 16.
3. Gaster, M . Studies and Texts, I. 365.
122
CHAPTER T W E N T T - T WO
Alphabetical Check List of Shemoth

T H I S C H A P T E R w ill be devoted to reproducing a series o f
shemoth form ed from the initial letters o f certain biblical verses
w hich according to various traditional authorities, are signifi
cant and are effective against m agical practices or are useful
as protection against various ills. T h e original sources from
w hich these shemoth are derived are T alm u dical, M idrashic and
K abbalistic and m uch inform ation is available in the book
Shimmush Tehillim w hich deals particularly w ith effective verses
from the Psalms.
V ariou s authorities have been consulted to obtain this infor
m ation m uch o f w hich is readily available in the writings o f
G rünw ald and K o h le r1 and in T rachten b erg’s com prehen
sive book2; for inform ation on Sam aritan amulets, G aster’s
writings have been consulted.
W e provide hereunder three lists arranged in alphabetical
order so that they can be used for comparison.
List A: A list o f shemoth found on a group o f several hundred
m etallic oriental H ebrew kameoth. T h e purpose o f each indi
vidual verse is not stated, as the context o f the verse usually
indicates w hat intention should be ascribed to the quotation.
These shemoth m ay be considered typical o f those used by
oriental Jews.
List B : A list o f shemoth com piled from G rünw ald and
K o h ler’s very com plete list w ith w hich w e have incorporated
a smaller list collected b y T rachten berg and a small group
1. G rün w ald, M . and K o h le r K . Jewish Encyclopedia, I I I , 202.

2. T rachtenberg, J . p. 106.
123
Alphabetical Check List o f Shemoth
derived from Sefer Shoreshey Hashemothz. T h e first two authors

have draw n on that vast anthropological literature on G erm an
J ew ry that grew up in the 19th century as w ell as on the
Shimmush Tehillim, whereas Trachtenberg has uncovered a new
'1
source in the Sefer Gematriaot w hich he only knew in m anuscript
form and w hich is to this day still unpublished as indeed is
Sefer Shoreshey Hashemoth. In general, List B. can be considered
a fairly comprehensive one o f the effective shemoth in general
use am ong the H asidim o f the Ashkenazi communities and the
amulets on w hich they are found are usually w ritten on paper
or on parchm ent.
List C: This group has been com piled b y G aster5 from the
kameoth o f the Sam aritans w hich he has so painstakingly
described. T h e list is relatively short as one w ould expect
from w hat is to be found in a collection o f only 15 amulets.
It w ill be recalled that it took Gaster m any years before the
Sam aritans becam e sufficiently confiding to let him have the
originals o f their amulets to study and it is not likely that
Sam aritan amulets w ill be discovered in any numbers in the
usual collections o f such objects.
It w ill be observed that in spite o f the lack o f close com m uni
cation between the Sam aritans and the Jews for 2,600 years,
the ‘W ords o f Pow er’, i f Lists A , B and C are com pared, are
often found to be similar and identical— literally ‘fixed forever’.
L IS T “ A ” .
A L P H A B E T IC A L C H E C K -L IS T O F SH E M O T H
U SED O N O R IE N T A L JE W ISH A M U L E T S.
1. Amen. pN
2. Amen and Amen. ]»X1 pK
3. Ex. 3:14. (Initial letters.) rrnx rrna
4. 42-letter Name. 3
,S N
5. Name of Lilith. 3
U X
6. Name of Lilith. ■32
’I , N
7. 42-letter Name. 33
prp X
Z acuto, M . Sefer Shoreshey Hashemoth M S . Heb.8°, 3361 H ebrew U n iver
sity, Jerusalem .
Sefer Gematriaot, also altern atively titled Sefer Etiyahu, Jew ish T heological
Sem inary L ibrary, N .Y . Part o f M S . Enelow 919, pp. 38-85.
G aster, M . Studies and Texts I, p. 400ff.
124
8. Angel: Avartiel. bx’ DTax
9. Th ou art mighty forever O Lord. (Initial letters) xVlK
10. Incantation to be used on Sabbath Eve. *131® ^11 rpX
11. A diriron : Name o f G od. flTTHX
12. O Lord o f R abbi M eir answer us. (Initial letters.) SIB1X
13. Name o f Lilith. DUX
14. Angel: Unhael. *?XnJ1X
15. Angel: Uriel. bX’ HX
16. Angel: Urpaniel. VlClS'l'lN
17. Azboga. JWDTX
18. Angel: Ahaviel. VXMIIX
19. Name o f Lilith. V^X
20. Name o f Lilith. p’ X
21. Ex. 15.26. (Initial letters). TX
22. Angel: Ahzariel. VX'HDX
23. Angel: Achartiel. VXTHBX
24. Angel: Achathriel. b x’ i r o x
25. Angel: Amhiel. Vx’ nax
26. Ex. 23:26. (Initial letters.) XV&X ■p»1 “1D0 D DX iX'fiX
27. Name o f Lilith. irttX
28. Name o f Lilith. 101"1»X ,13"ir»X
29. Unknown. Xp"173X
30. Angel: Antiel. VX’ BJX
31. Initial letters Amen, Eternal, Selah, Evermore. 101X
32. Num. 12:13. (Initial letters). VjUX
33. 22-letter Name. DDplX
34. ‘Health’. xmox
35. Psalm 32:7. (Initial letters) . . . . '•’? “1H0 nnx :nS73 Vox
36. Argaman. Initial letters o f Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel,
Michael, Nuriel. pD X
.3
37. Angel: Badpatiel. Vx’ tiDia

38. W ith the help o f the Lord we shall perform and succeed.
(Initial letters). rrVsn rw si "Tt m r » 3 m m
39. Gen. 1:1-5. (Initial letters).
40. Angel: Buchuel. *?X 1313
41. Angel: Busthariel. 17X,'inD13
42. Name o f Lilith. niD3
43. 42-letter Name. “1t33
44. 42-letter Name. JDS "1133
45. Initial letters o f “ W ith the help o f the Lord, our God we
shall perform and succeed” . UX’ S
125
46. Initial letters o f ‘With the help o f God we shall perform
and succeed’.
47. Bilar,8 K ing of the Demons
48. Initial letters o f ‘With heaven’s aid’. N’ DSn NnVOS : D 1 3
49. Initial letters o f ‘In a good sign’. 31D p'O S :DD3
50. Gen. 49:22. (Initial letters). f]DV rniD ]3
:’D3
51. Gen. 49:22. (Initial letters). ]’» ’V» miD p :S?D3
52. Angel: Barkiel Vx’ pHS
53. Intitial letters “ Blessed be His glorious Sovereign Name for
ever and ever. 1 71
S oVl»1? UTD1?» 1133 13
D® “|V :lV»DB >3
54. Angel: Bethuel. *X 7 1/13
.1
55. Angel: Gabriel. bxnaj
56. Angel: Gadiel. ’iN'Tl
57. Gihon, a river of Paradise. ]im
58. Angel: Garzanel.
59. Angel: Garshanel. 7
* Nlttni
.T
60. 22-letter Name. lH
61. 22-letter Name. J’OJTH
62. Holy name (Azulai) gematria, “Jlin XDll“lp
.n
63. Monogrammaton. "n
64. Gen. 48:16. (Initial letters). VNun i n '?»;! naxnn
65. Angel: Hushmael. *?Nannn
66. Angel: Hiel. Vn’h
67. Angel: Hiphkadiel. VKnpD’ n
68. Name o f Lilith. trp>n
69. Angel: Harariel. *w nn
70. Atbash for Sabaoth. NDn®n
.1
71. Trigrammaton, Name of God. 1H1

.n
72. Hiddekel, a river o f Paradise. Vpin
73. The First Eve— Lilith. niwin mn
74. ‘Outside’.
75. Name o f Lilith. K
6 Scholem , G. (1926) Madaei Hayahaduth I, 112.
126
76. Angel: Hasriel. Vn’ IDH
77. 42-letter Name. 3pn
78. 42-letter N am e. 3pn
79. Psalm 145:16. (Final letters) in n
.D
80. 42-letter Name. BID
81. Name o f angel, Psalm 119:69, 76.
.’inniV l i o n ki '¡t* aVro pdb ,*ts iVdb ¡¡vdddd
82. 8-letter Name of God. TlJnnS'

83. ,l?57 03 3 1
Psalm 91:1. (Initial letters)......... p “in B' S ’3
84. 42-letter Name.
85. 42-letter Name. pTD * ’ 71
86. Digrammaton. iP
87. Angel: Yehemiel. Vu’-D.T’
88. Ex. 15:11. (Final letters). 3
TV D'VX HDOD ’D
89. Psalm 9 1:u . (Final letters). .~\\> nttf TON*?» "3 “|nV
90. Trigrammaton. ’V
91. Jochebed, mother of Moses and Aaron. H DV3
92. Joseph. r|DTl
93. Angel: Yophiel. gematria Metatron. TR'DY’
94. Digrammaton. ‘rt
95. Num. 6:24. (Initial letters) Y"
96. Trigrammaton (Yemenite). w’
97. 42-letter Name. ®’ 3
98. Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters) Anag. pV’
99. Targum Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters) Anag. o'?’
100. Num. 6:26. (Initial letters) wV1
101. Targum Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters ) Anag. '? '’0
102. Unknown. S*1W
103. Angel: Yephiel. Vn’D1
104. Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters) Anag. Vp’
105. 42-letter Name. flV
.3
106. Ex. 15:26. (Initial letters) ’3 3
"|XDn *• ’IN :TX
107. 14-letter Name. (Avgad) 03 3
1TD T TO If©
108. Initial letters, ‘M ay it be T h y will’ 3
TP p :T
109. Initial letters ‘M ay it be Thy will, Amen. 73 3
} N . . . :NT
110. 3 13 *>»3
Psalm 91:11. (Initial letters). . “J1? ¡TlX’ VDxVfi ' : *?
h i. Angel: Karmiel. ViCXnS
127
.b
112. Deut. 7:14. (Initial letters) mpSM “ipS? *]3
T T S1? ni n 7 ’*7
113. Lilith. n,17,’I7
114. Initial letters Targum Gen. 49:18. Anag. C 1?
115. Initial letters Gen. 49:18. Anag. p’V
116. ‘T o the bearer of this amulet’ 13
T"p *?
117. ‘T o the bearer o f this amulet upon his person’ SJTp’tt1?
118. Targum Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters) ’Ob
119. Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters). ’ pb
120. Psalm 91:10. (Initial letters).. n m 3
H Sn S1? iS’Vl “ISnV
121. Ex. 23:26. (Initial letters). . m p s i nVapa irnn s ’? saianV
12 2 . Psalm 9 1 :1 0 . (Initial letters) n'?‘,V iriB» ST n s ’? s” » Van1?
.a
123. Angel: Mavkiel. Vs’ Daa
124. Angel: Mahalkiel. Vs’ pVsfia
125. Angel: Mahalel. 7 S1?na
126. Angel: Metatron. pitJtsa
127. Name o f Lilith. HBVlBB
128. Angel: Michael. VSDB
129. Ex. 15:11. (Initial letters) V'1 D’ Vsa "pas 'a ¡’ DDa
130. See note ‘concentration’ . rPSBSB
131. ‘Atbash’ for Tetragrammaton. yaâ
132. Angel: Marniel. V sT ia
.3
133. 42-letter Name. 1)3

134. 42-letter Name. ED’ 133
135. Angel: Nuriel. VS’ T l
136. Angel: Natiel. Vx’ W
137. Forever, Selah, Evermore. n^D nU3:1D3
138. 22-letter Name. ,p03
.0
139. Angel: Sumiel. Vs’ BIO

140. Angel: Susiel. Vs’ OlO
141. ‘A protection and a barrier for the bearer o f this amulet’ .
rpuV m il I’ D
142. Targum Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters) V’ D
143. Targum Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters) ’ bo
144. Angel: Semanglof. f^ a o
145. Angel: Sandalphon. 1D*?130
128
146. Ex. 30:34. (Initial letters) 1
n*?IW) *]B O’ÖO :UD
147. Angel: Sanvai. ’130
148. Angel: Sansanvai. ’13020
149. Angel: Safriel. Vx'HBO
150. Gen. 49:22. (Initial letters) ¡115722 3

mi 'pS? ’Vs? tfDS?
151. Angel: Azriel.
152. Psalm 121:2. (Initial letters). 57
. . . vn D B ’“1TV "KS
153. Angel: Amriel. VN’i a y
154. Gen. 49.22. W 'V s nW 57
155. Each letter following the Tetragrammaton in Psalm 121.
"•am
.B
156. Psalm 145:16. (Initial letters). "pT HX nmB :’ NB
157. Name of Lilith. 1TO
158. 42-letter Name. ptB
159. A river o f Paradise, Pishon. ¡F S
160. Angel: Paniel. Vx’lD
161. 22-letter Name. DJ10D
162. 22-letter Name. D'DBOB
163. ‘Atbash’ for n W ir n’ SBSB
164. Angel: Pariel. V in a
165. Name o f Lilith. nTO’IB
166. A river of Paradise, Euphrates. niD
.X
167. Angel: Zadiel. ViTSnj;

168. Angel: ¿adkiel. ViTpTS
169. 2
Angel: uriel. *?iCTlX
170. A divine emanation. fTnxnS
171. 42-letter Name. IPX
172. Final letters of verses Gen. 1:1-5. ¿am archad 7
D-IQÜ
173. Gen. 49:22, (Initial letters). "IW ’ Vv m»!S :tP ?X 5
174. ‘Atbash’ for n’ mn’ iTBXBX
175. 42-letter Name. ins
176. A name for God. *pp

177. Name o f Lilith. HBp
178. Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters) Anag. Vp
179. Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters.) ’Vp
129
179a. Name o f Lilith. *p
180. Angel: Kaphkaphiel. TK’SpBp
181. 42-letter Name. ynp
182. 42-letter Name, lit. ‘Tear up Satan’. Snp
."I
183. Angel: Raziel. VxTl
184. Angel: Rahmiel. ■warn
185. Angel: Raphael. Vxdt
186. Psalm 32:7. (Initial letters). nVo m m on b Vd t i :onsn
187. Prov. 3:8. (Initial letters). . . ,. in i? 1? vm nxisn :ViVm
.S?
188. Psalm 128:1. (Initial letters). m V san t » ¡arroxrnp

189. Psalm i6:8._ (Initial word). VI’ W
190. Angel: Shahiel. h w ro
191. 42-letter Name.
192. Angel: Shachmiel. Vk ’ öd®
193. Psalm 121:1. (Initial letters).
194. Angel: Shalmiel. Vx'öV®
195. Angel: Shalkiel. Vx’ pVs?
196. Angel: Samuel. Vxna®
197. Angel: Shamriel. Vx’-ia®
198. ‘Albam ’ for Tetragrammaton. vvsv
199. 42-letter Name. Iptf
200. 42-letter Name. rrs ip®
201. Angel: Shathniel. Hwww
202. Deut. 53:4. (Initial letters). mir» uV ms min :’pa aVsn

203. Angel: Thariel.
L IS T “ B” .
IN IT IA L L E T T E R S O F E F F E C T IV E B IB LIC A L
234
V E R SE S !• - . .
1. Ex. 15:9. Against an enemy. Tin Kin t£>NNNNN

2. Lev. 5:19. For consumption. NHX
3. Can. 5:2. In time o f trouble. *?DT lp » VK
4. Num. 21:17-20. Against the Evil Eye. nnx ,,N
130
5. Ex. 15:1. For a sweet voice. 311 015 D^X VlVn X'l O’ X
6. Cant. 2:15. Against robbers. DID OpP tfVx
7. Num. 23:22. T o counteract magic. V“ID 0 OX
8. Ex. 15:15. Against robbers. D’ D IT OXX NIX
9. Num. 12:13 Against a fever. bl"13N
10. Gant. 3:11 For a newly married couple.
m x *?an sn x six n o»n Vsx
11. Psalm 83:14 In times o f war. “lVD D©X
12. Gen. 1:1 T o make oneself invisible. mnx X3 3
13. Ex. 40:2 O n entering a new home. 0 X0 X 71*73 nH3
14. Ezekiel 3:3 O n sending children to school. n nxn 103
15. Isaiah 41:24 T o counteract magic. 3 ’ 1101 OXn
16. Num. 11:12 Against the Evil Eye. ’ XX HHD Xnn
17. Deut. 32:11-12 T o win credence in a dispute.
XDn Vd’ d xm inn
18. Gant. 1:15-16 T o win a good name. “IS7X 3X7 VP SVI T n
19. Cant. 4:1-5 A t a betrothal. Vo’ STH T n
20. Deut. 29:28 For dream divination. S7S7 1*71 X*?n
21. Cant. 1:7 For dream divination. 3 DX nxi wVn
22. Gen. 39:2 For success. nx 31» XV XXI
23. Gen. 24:2 O n using a divining rod. TP X3 n 3 T2J XXI
24. Gen. 44:18 T o strengthen the voice. X3 T S?rX31 ’ XI
25. Gen. 46:17. T o win favour. XI111 ,X1
26. Ex. 30:34. Against magic. , 3 3 T110 *7p 0 XXI
27. Lev. 26:42 For good health after a fast. XIX X3 X1 ’ 3 X1 '’3 X1
28. Ex. 33:23 Against witchcraft. ’ Vi XXI DX1
29. Lev. 1:1 T o counteract magic. *700 X’ l 0 X1
30. Ex. 15:8 T o calm a raging river. 31 DID 3X1
31. Num. 26:46 T o win favour. 1PN31
32. Gen. 48:20 For a newly circumcised infant.
X1? 0X11DX *»*?■’ ’ 3 1? n 31
33. Gen. 44:12 For profitable trade. 3 3 n 1D1 n 31
34. Psalm 5:8 Against evil spirits. 3 pnx XDX n 31
35. Ex. 11:7 Against a fierce dog. ’ IDSX ’ XTl1? 31*7 17D,’I7 ’ 31
36. Num. 10:35-36 For safety on a journey. 001 XT’ pOI n 31
37. Gen. 32:2-3 Against robbers. X 031 *?m
38. Num. 14:37 T o cause an enemy to die. ,l?3 “i m Om
39. Isa 10:14 T o fatten fowl; against an enemy. 1D1D ini
40. Ex. 15:7 Against slander. D’ nnp nil
41. Gen. 19:11. T o be invisible. nVl 1103 nnD xm
42. Num. 11:2 Against fire. nVX 010 xm
43. Gen. 25:14 For crying o f children. 111
44. Lev. 15:28 T o halt menstrual flow. JIT’ ©*71 0D1
131
45. Gen. 37:1 O n entering a new home. 3 3 Na 3 1
46. Gen. 47:27 O n entering a new home. » 1131 S3 » 3 1
47. Deut. 7:15 For a fever. 'N naa in3 » ’ I
48. Ex. 34:6-7 T o have one’s prayer answered.
WIN Nl"l N'” ID 5T1
49. Gen. 32:31 Against danger on a journey. J1QN DK1 "IDD i n
50. Ex. 17:16 Against bleeding. i a 3 ^3 'SS? '31
51. Ex. 36:8 O n beginning a new piece o f work. ¡13*7 031
52. Ex. 11:8 T o lighten childbirth. 3 N ¡TIN sb*? INN VD1
53. Gen. 27:28 For a newly married couple. m n ina nVl
54. Num. 12:13 For a fever. VniN *?N31
55. Psalm 9 0:17 For a fever; to shorten a journey.
3 ’ 1 S3 ' 1S7M Nil
56. Deut. 7:12 T o cure sterility. Nil nrtN DSJ1
57. Gen. 21:1 T o lighten childbirth. 1 3 V’ l ND& ND1
58. Psalm 119:49 For study. 'NS *71 T
59. Psalm 51:3 Against loss o f blood DZ31D 3 Nn
60. Psalm 144:2 A t sea. nsnn iaV lain
61. Gen. 48:20 T o win favour. N*?a Nil 3 N’
62. Ex. 15:3 T o be victorious in war. ttFaN’
63. Isa 50:4 O n taking children to school T b b b 2N'
64. Cant. 6:4-9 T o win favour. 3 N 313 TH’
65. Cant. 2:14 In time o f trouble. 3 N HH3 n 3 ’
66. Psalm 110:6 Against spirits. “INS 33'
67. Deut. 32:10-12 T o drive o ff demons. SS’ *’ ” 1 a 3 ’
68. Ex. 34:6-7 T o have one’s prayers answered. WIN X1“l N"
69. Num. 6:24-27 For driving o ff demons from an infant.
©bl NET IN D" T”
70. Ex. 15:19 Against an enemy. 1*7' ’
71. Ex. 15:6 Against an enemy. Nil " 3 3”
72. Isa 43:14 A t sea. *131 331 3 flV ’ pi 'N3
73. Jer. 31:15 For crying children. ai apa 'N3
74. Lev. 27:29 T o cause a curse to take effect. 'a ’ 1? TO' NH3
75. Prov. 1:17 Against an enemy. 3 3 3 3 H an 3
76. Deut. 4:24 T o cause an opponent’s army’s strength to
wither away. pN HNN N'3
77. Deut. 22:6 T o fatten fowl; against an enemy.
HS NN3 3 *7^ p ’ 3
78. Prov. 27:26-27 T o make flocks thrive StP 1*73
79. Num. 23:23 For lying in. ND ai *7 ’33 13 3*73
p
80. Isa: 43:2 For a storm at sea. 'V INN 3 J13
81. Deut. 21:10 For victory in war. ttfl 3 N' INS? *7113
82. Gen. 31:42 For profitable trade. tP “1573 bn’ INN NN1?
132
83. Psalms 49:6 Against pollution ’ SSH 3 N*7
84. Ex. 6:6-7 T o be saved from impending danger.
313 3 X1 aNI OaN W bxb
85. Cant. 7:12 For safety on a journey. 33<1 1*7*7
86. Deut. 11:25 Against robbers. HDD 57X’ ’ IS N, *7
87. Prov. 16:1 T o strengthen memory. *731 *7a *7
88. Gen. 49:18 For protection at night ’ p*?
89. Job 32:9 T o strengthen memory. a’ 1 "'"I1?
90. Cant. 1:3 T o arouse love. V Dtxh
91. Psalm 91:10 Against epilepsy. S’ Vl “1Nn*7
92. Psalm 110:7 At sea. ’’Di? ’ 3 a
93. Jos. 1:4 T o improve understanding. B3 HiTl Hia
94. Cant. 6:10 to 7:11 For a leader o f prayer 3 N3 3 DIED nta
95. Cant. 8:5 T o make peace between man and wife.
is? ana 5?ta
96. Num. 24:5-7 For a newly married couple. ’’a’ NDa
97. Ex. 15:11 For success. D57J13 333a ’ M a
98. Ex. 22:17 T o counteract magic. nba
99. Prov. 18:10 T o gain favour. 12T 3 1 t£>57a
100. Ex. 15:4 Against pursuers. D3 t527 IS’ IDa
101. Prov. 15:1 T o strengthen the memory. N’ 57in ’ Da
102. Ex. 15:10 T o cause an enemy to drown N3 D2T 33
103. Ex. 15:13 For safety on a journey. ¡71N3 11T5731
104. Ex. 15:12 T o cause a perjurer to die within a year. N2V1
105. Isa 42:5 For a storm at sea. 3*7157 *733
106. Ex. 30:34 Against magic. 130
107. Num. 21:17-20 Against the Evil Eye. *757357
108. Ex. 15:2 T o have one’s prayer answered. INN 1NT *7*71 ’ IS?
109. Psalm 97:2 Against theft. DaiS 0157
110. Gen. 32:15 T o make flocks thrive. 571 a *157 TO5?
h i. Isa 26:1 T o strengthen memory. in'” *75757
112. Ex. 11:8 T o lighten childbirth. 3 NJ1 INS
113. Gen. 1:1-5 (Final letters) T o confuse a person’s mind.
■m as
114. Cant. 1:1 For a sweet voice. *7NiTO
115. Deut. 6:4-9 For a fever. N’ N’ ’ E
116. Cant. 4:2 At a betrothal. 3 N ia© Matt? HDI27
117. Ex. 15:14 Against highwaymen. D’ Nn'S?©
118. Ex. 15:5 Against an enemy. N3 3 ’ VI
119. Ex. 15:16 T o dissipate a mirage or hallucination.
3 ’ T31NS7n
120. Deut. 33:4 O n taking children to school. ’ pa a*72£n
121. Deut. 18:13 Against wild beasts. N' 57DI1
*33
L IS T “ C ” .
S H E M O T H F O R M E D F R O M T H E IN IT IA L L E T T E R S
O F B IB L IC A L VERSES USED IN S A M A R IT A N
A M U LE T S.*
I. Ex 20:2 7
S BBB NHN NNN
2. Deut. 28:6 N N 3 13 3
3 - Gen. 48:16 m Vi WM W3 inn n a xnn
4 - Deut. 33:9 31
•hn s o ’ V îiVn n 1? iVn
5 - Gen. 20:17 TIN INN NW NN)
6. Ex. 23:25 1
BB Bl1? N N ’ NI 1
7 - Deut. 27:4 nn Nnn N i 3
8. Ex. 22:11b V w ïi
9 - Num. 11:2 nr* Nia N<n
10. Deut. 31:8 mn Vn ’ Vs? vi1? nm
il. Ex. 12:13 371 TINI ENN ns?*? *?ni
12. Deut. 5:14 Vn asn VnV wm
3
! - Ex. 12:13 ns? ’in ann j?hn ibn Vn
14. Ex. 13:11 VnV 3an nn’ ’ di
5
l - Deut. 28:10 3
bi j? a tion sni
16. Deut. 27:9 3 7
nV *? n n*i n’ ’ dnh ibi
17 - Ex. 15:3 sraN'’
18. Deut. 28:8 'Bl HN N« 3
19 - Num. 6:24-26 »Vl ND” 'IN D” V
20. Deut. 28:12 HNN V”
21. Ex. 14:14 m V"
22. Ex. 20:3 DVNN V1*?
23 - Ex. 20:7 Vntp Nn1?
24. Gen. 49:25 w an m 3 bb i n inb ?3
25 - Ex. 15:2-3 INN INT *?Vl •n»
26. Ex. 20:12-17 NI NN"I
27. Deut. 5:12a Vn’ Nff
28. Deut. 6:4-9 NNN ’•’IT
29 - Ex. 32:12 n ma m ?
T h e lists given in this chapter are w ithout d ou b t incom plete

and certainly there must exist m any abbreviations w hich we
have never seen and w hich have not yet been deciph ered and
explained. Even the meanings o f m an y o f the abbreviations we
have noted and observed are n ot kn ow n to us and the signifi
can ce o f m any others, whose m eaning m ay indeed be known,
is still a mystery. W e have stated ou r ignorance w here this is so
and h op e that, as tim e goes on , m ore inform ation m ay becom e
*G aster, M. Studies and Texts 1, p. 4 o o ff.

available so that the lists m ay be m ade m ore com p lete; it is

unlikely that an absolutely com plete list well ever be achieved
because em inent writers o f amulets used to make u p their ow n
personal and private shemoth and used them w ithout necessarily
explaining them, the sanctity o f the w riter conferring prestige
and dignity u pon the m ysterious words. A zulai gives several
shemoth o f his ow n inven tion .6
H ow ever, incom plete as they are, the lists are presented as
useful tools. W ith their assistance, the greater part o f the in
scriptions on most parch m en t and printed amulets and nearly
all o f the inscriptions on the m etallic ones can be deciph ered
and their significance understood. Such inscriptions w hich,
ow in g to wear and tear or dam age can n ot be interpreted co m
pletely, can often be com pleted from fragments o f inscriptions
or even dedu ced from the position o f some o f the individual
single letters w h ich can b e recognised.
6. A zu la i, H .J . D ., KaphAhat, P ar 6, 15.
135
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Written and Printed Amulets

W R IT T E N A M U LETS
W R I T T E N H E B R E W A M U L E T S were very com m only used

and even today can still be obtained fairly easily. T h e y are
usually w ritten on pieces o f parchm ent about 2 X 20 inches in
size and these are tightly rolled and kept in am ulet cases. O f
the oriental Jews, the Yem enites according to a custom peculiar
to themselves, used to use this type o f am ulet in preference to
the m etallic ones and the Yem enite w om an carried them in
decorated am ulet cases suspended from her neck. T h e am ulet
case was engraved and adorned and form ed a striking part
o f the jew ellery o f the Yem enite Jewish w om an in her traditional
form al dress.1
T h e inscription on these amulets is as a rule a very complete
one. T h e usual inscription appears with its invocation and adjura
tion and the nam e o f the owner is always w ritten in full. This
is followed b y a detailed and com plete description o f the ail
ments w hich the am ulet is supposed to prevent. K abbalistic
signs, m agical squares and shemoth o f all varieties are comm on
and particularly favoured is the w ord ‘Shaddai’ in open
Ashuri script and in a very boldly w ritten size w ith shemoth
w ritten within the letters themselves.
M an y orthodox Jews o f Jerusalem are to this very day
occupied w ith w riting amulets and they are m ade to order by
certain mekubalim in the neighbourhood o f the M ea Shearim
quarter o f that city. T h e shemoth used are those found on the
usual amulets but the writers are fam iliar w ith and do not
neglect Z acuto’s Sefer Shoreshey Hashemoth and the inscriptions
need only to be translated to be understood. T h e H ebrew is
i . K a fih , J . pp. 271-274.
136
Written and Printed Amulets
strictly M ishnaic H ebrew and m odern H ebrew , as could be

expected, is never used.
PR IN TE D A M U L E T S .*
T o supply the ever increasing dem and for inexpensive amulets,

printed amulets have been produced since the 16th century.
T h e first printed H ebrew am ulet was published in V enice
early in the 16th century and since then m any have since been
printed in the last 400 years. T h e form at is always the same.
T h e superscription o f Shaddai '1!f or ’W DttD ‘Shaddai’ or
‘ In the name o f Shaddai’ invokes divine assistance for the bearer
who is specifically never nam ed in this type o f amulet.
T h e num ber o f the shemoth used is only lim ited b y the space
available and by the necessity for providing legible m aterial.
T h e paper is usually o f particularly poor quality, thus m aking
the am ulet a relatively fragile thing and requiring a new one to
be bought as soon as a little use renders the first one illegible;
sometimes oiled paper is used to make the m aterial more
durable. T h e shemoth used are relatively simple ones, mostly
derived from Psalm 121 and Psalm 91 and the amulets are
usually o f a generally beneficial and benedictory nature; it is
unusual to find any o f the m ore obscure shemoth on this type
o f amulet.
A n interesting sidelight on the feeling for amulets is thrown
b y the publication in 1948, during the Israeli W ar o f Inde
pendence o f a printed am ulet in Jerusalem w hich was then
under siege. This particular am ulet was published b y private
individuals and was issued, com pletely unofficially, to members
o f the forces w ho w ere defending the city.
T h e fact that these amulets could be published at all under
such circumstances indicates the strength and the persistence
o f the am uletic tradition even today. T h e amulets represent,
in Jewish practice, the good luck charm and the St. Christopher
o f other religions. Doubtless they were m atched, on the other
side o f the battle line o f the divided city, b y Islam ic amulets
w ritten in A rab ic and replete w ith inscriptions o f similar
intention.
*Prof. G . G . Scholem was kind enough to show m e his collection o f
printed amulets and I am indebted to him for inform ation on them.
137
CONCL USION
I T IS N O T an unusual historical phenom enon for a group o f

em otional people to be led into deep waters and into dark
w ays b y over-confident, authoritative, schizoid personalities.
T h a t the em otional, hysterical followers o f Shabbethai Zebi
in the 17 th century should have blindly followed their golden
voiced, shining leader, their ‘ M essiah’, can be more easily
understood today than it could have been a few decades ago.
Since psychiatrists themselves are often hard put to it to recog
nise the very early signs o f schizophrenia, a disease whose
onset is insidious and whose developm ent m ay be very slow
it is not surprising that superstitious K abbalists cam e to be
misled. T o follow the tortuous lines o f thought o f our K a b
balists, led astray as they had been by m any people w ho were
themselves subject to hallucinations o f vision and o f hearing is
not easy. Nevertheless, this must be attem pted i f one wishes to
find out w hat motives lie behind the m aking o f amulets and
w hat intentions the m aker has w hen he develops his amuletic
inscriptions. It is not enough to dismiss the subject as ‘by-paths
o f faith w hich are studiously avoided by the Select’ . It is these
very by-paths that are the most interesting to follow as they
lead back, through the centuries, to some very interesting
revelations o f the origins o f Jew ish superstitions.
138
APPENDIX
A T R A N S C R I P T I O N o f the inscriptions on about 50 silver

amulets has been m ade and now follows. T h e inscriptions are
translated and a com m ent on the possible intent and function
o f each am ulet is appended. Unless otherwise noted, the
amulets illustrated come from the author’s own collection.
T h e Frontispiece and Plates 28 and 45 are taken from amulets
in the collection o f M r. R aym ond Sagov o f C ape T ow n , Plates
9, 12 and 20 from the collection in the Jewish M useum , C ape
T o w n and Plates 42 and 43 from an am ulet in the Jewish
M useum , London.
p la te 1
Kurdistan.
Silver: beaded edge. Tw o loops. (97 X 85 mm)
Superscription: vjp ntm
Line 1. bed ’?«■'“)»» Vn’ d -d x ran
2. w Vn’oio Vim»»
3- p e e » msas Vsnts?
4. 7T h it ntm djx
5- •wd» x T n xV "jVb nnv
6. ottn aav eyisr y n a n r 1?
7- Vx'firr Vxma
8.
9- w x1? "pVx ir a ’» naan
10. naV® p jw n rpiiV r>o
TRANSLATION
Superscription: In the name of Shaddai.

Line 1. In the name of Avartiel, Shamriel. In the name of
2. Yephiel, Susiel, Trigrammaton.
3. Azriel, Sabaoth, Metatron.
139
Appendix
4. Amen, Eternity, Selah Amhiel. In the name o f Shaddai,
Yah.
5. Ps. 91:11 (final letters), ‘Thou shalt not be afraid for the
terror
6. ‘By night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day’ . In the name
of
7. Bethuel, Yehamiel, Zarshiel.
8. Zuriel. ‘A thousand shall fall at thy side
9. and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come
nigh thee’ .
1o. A protection to the bearer o f this amulet. Benjamin son o f
Solomon.
Comment: Invoking Shaddai and various angels, the writer calls
upon G od by the Trigrammaton and as Yah to protect the bearer
against the arrow by day and the terror by night (Ps. 91:5) and by
Ps. 91:7 and 91:11 (Initial letters).
The amulet protects against attacks o f epilepsy; the name o f the
bearer, written in full, is unusual.
Reverse: Blank.
PLATE 2
Kurdistan.
Silver: beaded edge, two loops. (56 X 52 mm).
Superscription: ’ n in n s'’
Line 1. •’»1? STB HKS; D&D
2. t •’KnV’N w»
3. av jp »
4. awa v ibis ” 3 s n a 1"
5. d’ dddd anas anpix
6. “ixn*? “]Vd -jrrr a w i
7. orn m a n a’Vi
8. s n m i T ’ Van n s
9. T a i W ’Vs? ms?
TRANSLATION
Superscription: Eight-letter Name.

Line 1. In the name o f ... Initial
2. letters o f Ps. 121 .......
3
4 In the name o f
5. Anaktam Pastam Paspasim
140
Appendix
6. Deyonsim (Ps. 91:11) (Final and initial letters)
7. Gen. 49:22 ...
8....................
9............................So may it be.
Comment: G od is invoked by the Eight-letter Name and by the
Twenty-two-letter Name. Ps. 121 and Gen. 49:22 are then in
scribed. A protective amulet against the Evil Eye and the dangers o f
Lilith and o f childbirth.
Reverse: Blank.
p la te 3
Kurdistan.
Silver: beaded edge, two loops. (68 X 62 mm)
Superscription: w nnN '
Line 1. ’ m m Vn-wio n ,T K nin x r r t in
2. Vn’ h bmwri h w in o ia n 'n x ‘w i p B ’ n
3- imj? m an s m n 1i n n s o i '"bp •’DpDp
4. n’ sro ’ n ,,n m v m m x ’ □•"pi ’ n
5- in’ m n m n x in’ s?ain ini
6. V irp Vxnn i t o ’’ nVo vinn
In squares:
n-nx 1T1D
’nxn TDD K1 13 BTT
xn’n 1T1D W
Line 7. nsVt p p’ s p r p u n T a » 1?
T R A N SLA T IO N

Line 1. Repeated inscription o f Trigrammaton and Sumiel,
2. Hiphkadiel, Ehyeh, Bustariel, Hishmael, Hiel
3. Kaphkaphiel ... Lord G od o f Hosts, be with us
4. Living and eternal (Eight-letter Name) ... repeated digram-
maton.
5. Trigrammaton appear Trigrammaton Ehyeh, Karmiel.
6. Monogrammaton repeated, Selah Mahael Kiel
In square: Shaddai in acrostics
In square: Fourteen-letter Name
In square: Ehyeh in acrostics
7. For protection o f the bearer o f this amulet Ben Zion son o f
Zilpah. So may it be.
141
Appendix
Comment: A kabbalistic amulet invoking G od by His Eight-letter
Name and as Shaddai, as well as directly as Lord G od o f Hosts and
by the Fourteen-letter Name. For use as a generally protective
amulet.
Reverse: See Plate 4.
PLATE 4
Reverse o f Plate 3.
Superscription: ’ 1® ¡110''
Line 1. bxnn® bK’ EP V x n a » bx’ D-nx
2. rr U7i nVo p x m u ss ’?x ,- it» h w oio
3. in i’ h p dps Vxviax yntsaa
4. fyisr yna n’?,V i n s » x*rn x V nm’
5. biB*’ V x m s b x’ an’ Vxwa nav
6. Vx'nnx “ira’ a n a a n ^Vx *pxa
7. ‘w i n Vx’ pVtp Vx’ sn x
8. b x s ’ a V xnni W sn V xm x Vxmix
9. V m m bx’ pnx •” sps? Vxms
1o. ’no dbd Vxhj V x-w Vxnta
11. Dnos nnpix ^ a o ’ 13030
12. Tpl37 D’ OSIH a'ODOD
TRANSLATION
Superscription: Jehovah Shaddai.

Line 1. Avartiel Shamriel Yephiel Shathniel
2. Susiel Azriel Sabaoth Amen Selah Forever Yah
3. Metatron Amhiel. In the Name o f Shaddai, Ps. 91:11
(Final letters)
4. (Y H W H Anagram) “ Th ou shalt not be afraid for the
terror by night nor the arrow that flieth.
5. ‘By day’ . Bethuel Yahmiel 2 uriel ‘A thousand
6. shall fall at Thy side and ten thousand at T h y right hand’ .
Amhiel.
7. Zadiel Shamriel Shalkiel Thariel
8. Unhael Uriel Raphael Gabriel Michael
9. Nuriel ‘Ashtzei’ Zadkiel and Harariel
10. Azriel Shahiel Gadiel. In the name o f Sanvai
11. Sansanvai, Semanglof, Anaktam Pastam
12. Paspasim, Deyonsim. For the bearer o f this amulet.
Comment: A Kabbalistic amulet replete with angels’ names
occasionally repeated. G od is invoked by the Tetragrammaton, as
142
Appendix
Shaddai, by the Eight-letter Name, by the Twenty-two-letter Name
and by the Fourteen-letter Name and magical squares are used.
The amulet is generally benedictory, invoking also Ps. 121 and the
three angels as protection against Lilith for women in childbed.
plate 5
Kurdistan.
Silver: pointed pendant. Tw o loops (58 X 52 mm)
Line I ©a nnpix ou?a
2 D’ DDOD n r o D
3 *plH Nini» MIN O’ OIÏH
4 3
P HBT xr»0 WÖXp
5 ’ Vy m o p r p r mss
6 ’ Vs? r m x mia ■ps?
7 m s s ,1?s? ms? ntp
8 ’ Vs? ps? mia
9 ? ? ? ?
TRANSLATION
Line 1. In the name o f Anaktam, in the name of

2. Pastam Paspasim
3. Deyonsim I am from the seed of Joseph
4. by descent whom the Evil Eye does not affect
5. Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by an
6. Eye of water whose branches run over the
7. W all’. W all runs over
8. branches on the Eye upon
9. Illegible.
Comment: God is invoked by the Twenty-two-letter Name. The
bearer states he is descended from Joseph (note error in spelling of
‘descent’) whom the Evil Eye does not affect. The invocation ends
with Gen. 49:22 written directly and in reverse. For use against the
Evil Eye.
PLATE 6
Kurdistan.
Silver: pendant. One loop. (89 X 42 mm)
Line I. rrns na?a
2. Vx' dix rrnx
•nio a ra i Vmma?
Appendix
4 f in »i'rxtóo •’nolo
5
3
raw in mm n ^ V
6 anos onp> N owa
7 D’OSVl D’ODOB
8 Vn sti Vxo’a m n
9 p n x V xm x
10 sa-w Vxnas
ii « m o « v r V ira 1?»
12 ? ? s V jn s t d
TRANSLATION
Line i. In the name of Ehyeh

2. Ehyeh Antiel
3. Shushiel and in the name of Sanvai
4. Sansanvai Semanglof Hutz
5. Lilith and the First Eve
6. In the name of Anaktam Pastam
7. Paspasim Deyonsim
8. In the name of Michael and Raphael
9. Uriel Argaman
10. Gabriel O Lord o f M eir answer us
11. Shalmiel Trigrammaton, Health
12. M ay it please Thee, Amen. Agla. ??
Comment: God is invoked by the name Ehyeh and the Twenty-
two-letter Name, also various angels including Sanvai Sansanvai
and Semanglof. Lilith, the First Eve is then brushed aside and in
the name of more angels as well as that of Rabbi Meir, health is
requested. For health, with particular effectiveness against the
dangers of childbirth.
PLATE 7
Morocco.
Silver: square with pendants, beaded edge. Tw o loops. (61 X 62 mm)
Total height 68 mms.
Line i.
2 . iV o h » in v
3 - • n 1?
4 - n ia xa s a p x a
5
6.
-
3*7
n n V n o n a tp 1 nawn
Left Lower comer: V im
Right Lower corner:
14 4
Appendix
TRANSLATION
Line i. Zamarchad
2. Ps. 91:11 (final letters), Shaddai
3. Portion of Ps. 91:11 (Initials)
4. Tetragrammaton (Atbash) Mezamzemith
5. M ay it please the Almighty, Amen
6. As a watchful guard for the wearer of this amulet from the
lessening of the moon?
Left lower corner: Gabriel
Right lower corner: Michael
Reverse: See plate 8.
PLATE 8
Morocco.
Reverse of plate 7.
Superscription: n in n x ’
Line 1. IT-D
2. rr TD 01722
-3 tpiV n »E ? n i r o
4. f ’?’1?» p n n a
-5 ]» n v'd j i n i n bam
TRANSLATION

Line 1. In the Name o f Kuzu
2. Fourteen-letter Name, Y ah
3. You will protect the bearer o f this amulet
4. from Shiddin, from spirits, from Lillin
5. and from every evil thing Evermore, Selah, forever, Amen.
Comment: The amulet is surmounted by a dove cut in silhouette,
two of the original four silver pendants symbolising the sun and the
moon still remain.
It invokes God as Shaddai, by His Eight-letter Name, Fourteen-
letter Name and by the Tetragrammaton (in ‘Atbash’) as well as
Michael and Gabriel to protect the wearer from demons, spirits,
lilin and everything evil. It also calls for protection against the
‘lessening of the moon’, a Kabbalistic expression that could be in
terpreted as a wish for Redemption.* Note cruciform and crescentic
surrounds o f some o f the words. It is generally benedictory and
protective.
* See Scholem , G . (1965). The Kabbalah and its Symbolism London.
R o u tled ge & K e g a n P a u l. p . 15 1.
145
Appendix
plate 9
Kazakstan or Herat
Iron: four brazed loops on reverse side for use as an arm amulet.
Writing engraved. (89 X 72 mm)
Right outer up: rm xnx
Right inner up: OnplN "W 2
Upper horizontal: D'OITH D’ DDDD QUOD
Left inner down: iVa *]®3
Lower horizontal: mD&Qn 13
Dl1
Left outer down: ¡TH»» fDX»
The square:
Outer row of boxes: rPDODtJ
Inner row of boxes: xVlN
Centre 4 boxes: mn'
TRANSLATION
Right outer up: Zahzahia

Right inner up: ‘Ashtzei’ Anaktam
Upper horizontal: Pastam Paspasim Deyonsim
Left inner down: Blessed be His glorious Sovereign Name for ever and
ever. In the name of
Lower horizontal: Jochebed the ‘Beautifier’.
Left outer down: Tetragrammaton (Atbash) God protect
The square:
Outer row of boxes: Taftafiah
Inner row of boxes: Agla
Centre 4 boxes: Tetragrammaton
Comment: God is invoked by the Twenty-two-letter Name and by
the Tetragrammaton in ‘Atbash’ and in plain writing as well
Taftafiah. Ps. 121 is invoked by the use o f ‘Ashtzei’. The square is an
ingenious way o f concealing the shemoth Taftafiah and Agla with the
Tetragrammaton in the centre. For use against the dangers and
pains o f childbirth.
Note. For photographic purposes the letters were picked out with
white copying ink.
PLATE 10
Morocco and Tunis.

Silver: Hand-shaped amulet, inscription p’S “ Zion” .
146
Appendix
Silver: H and-shaped amulet.

Inscription: hexagram.
Above centre: Zam archad.......
On either side: Ps. 91:11 (Initials) 1 2 1? V’SD
In Magen David “ Heh” Shaddai HP H
On middlefinger: Jerusalem □VpIT
Comment: Against the Evil Eye and magic.
p la te 12
Persia.
Silver: Shiviti amulet, two loops. (96 X 58 mm)
Superscription: 33
T a n H 1? n iT WTP
Right outer down: 17
*P 1» HT pa an l?a nil
Lower horizontal: 3
IPX M NH pa 1ST
Left outer up: ’ pV nxi?Da N T> nm n
Right inner down: is n a a V sn a i VtO’a
Left inner up: N*?1N VNHm VXS“1 bNHIN
The Menorah:
Superscription: Pa 3)33nS3aV
The seven branches of the candlestick: Ps. 67:2-8 in Serugin.
Top corners: ’13030’ UO
Below the Menorah: r|Vl3aD
Right lower corner: 2772
X S S S ’ £2
Left lower corner: s T 3 p l i x py
TRANSLATION
Superscription: I have set The Lord always before me

Right outer down: Numbers 8:4 in serugin
Lower horizontal: Numbers 8:4
Left outer up: Num. 8:4. Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters)
Right inner down: Michael, Nuriel, Zamarchad.
Left inner up: Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel Agla.
The Menorah
Superscription: Ps. 67:1
The seven branches of the candlestick: Ps. 67:2-8 in serugin.
Top corners: Sanvai Sansanvai
Below the Menorah: Semanglof
147
Appendix
Right lower corner: Gen. 49:22 (initial letters)
Left lower corner: Argaman, So may it b e !
Comment: A n amulet for use in childbirth against the dangers of
Lilith and against the Evil Eye. Ps. 67 is invoked.
plate 13
Persia.
Silver: Shiviti amulet showing reverse side. (86 X 54 mm)
Scorpion and two “ Beehives” .
Comment: The scorpion is for protection against the stings of these
creatures. The significance o f the other two objects is not known.
plate 14
Persia or Kurdistan.
Silver: pointed pendant, two loops. (74 X 55 mm)
Superscription: ’ TU’? niÎT ' f f f
Circumference: DM ’ Vi? m iB p fpT m iB p ffltD T a n
Line I. ’ Vs? ms?s
2. 3
V?B «d intf
3 - nnpix atra
4. obob nnoD
5 - r r n' Q’
6. D’ OJ
7 -
t r a n s l a t io n
Superscription: I have set The Lord always before me.

Circumference: In the name of Gen. 49:22.
Line 1. “ Whose branches run over”
2. “ the wall” . Blessed be his glorious Sovereign Name for
ever and ever (initials)
3. In the name o f Anaktam,
4. Pastam Paspasim Paspas
5. Im, im, Deyo
6. Nsim
7. Gen. 49:18 (initials).
Comment: A poor variant of the more grand Shiviti amulet.
Invokes God by the Tetragrammaton and the Twenty-two-Letter
Name for protection against the Evil Eye.
148
yX'-jW Stf’i’ *m'"in\tf 'iN'ij-il'x,
¿'¡—Il TVl’ijjvnV 7^'N r\'H 741 7
M'lyin’icinNinHar>í¡ ' '^ ik'vito
Jó-jai’ vu» Durj *JiS' <nNvi®>Í
'w'ñ'ltiS.*™Vtnró
uojEJgftgVWT l'-i.nbvi Vfflïg? m*!'viK'"'lY nV’> 7 3
fj(5ji yrriTiV'icintm ki’ji wyi«
’ '’ u'N''>i om>]
Fií<’r=rin -ij’fl’ntot» *MT»»«
1 7 371171 35 h*t’";P Ttf'pSv Sn»->n\í' ‘iN'^ì’ijtì
VN'nu w Ti'TOin'VÎ Î M
l N’ VKT', tIRl'Tn H'«’ 3
Sa,oVi j'L<KÍj-i 'ikiiim Vnt«w?
JK'-nî Stopis- *,>y u/y ’iK'-'ij
et ’Xn
e e sî T ^ ] r ;'; ^ 'WD'l'J ilK'rni' ^K^Sjy
T-xIt1fyfol j H I 13
pvi'u.aj
• »oncü rjppíK SSajnv ’MjoioJ
13
Äo-iniV i»ï fl rpvrn'^y'M
V '^ u y in 'n u'^tv^y
4
i3
22 21
48 49
Appendix
plate 15
Persia.
Silver: Shiviti amulet, two loops. (88 x 39 mm).
Superscription: mm
Line 1. ata an in'?
2. mid x’ •n rr Vn
3
- ’ 1133 7 3
T N I 1? VD
4. 3 » s?v bn as? r
5
- » ma mb ’i asr
6. 3
3 nN bv a as?
7
- 33 7
n N S?1« SVD
8. 3 3
"1 KN X IN ’N X’ ’
T R A N SLA T IO N
Superscription: Jehovah.
Line 1. Ps. 67 v. 1.
2. V.2.
3- V.3 .
4- V.4 .
5- 5
v- -
6. 5
v- -
7 - v.6, 7
8. v.8.
Comment: A variant o f a Shiviti amulet. The superscription o f the
Tetragrammaton is not intelligible unless one knows that it repre
sents Ps. 16:8. For use as a generally protective amulet, Psalm 67 is
inscribed in ‘serugin’.
Reverse: Name of owner.
PLATE 16
Persia.
Silver: Shiviti amulet. Tw o loops on reverse. (84x50 mm).
Superscription: mrr
Line 1. r a n h u 1? vm»
2. s?np prv J3N
3
- 3
’ iss its»
4
- n ins “i (sic.) n » 3
5
- 1 73 3
Vl S B p
6. a lp& pTS
7
- |3
m
8. *}cv nmo
9
- s? n nnD p
149
Appendix
T R A N SLA T IO N
Superscription: Jehovah.
Line i. I have set always before me. (Ps. 16:8)
2 .
42-letter Name
Gen. 49:22.
Comment: A variant Shiviti amulet. God is invoked by the 42-

letter Name and Gen. 40:22 is inscribed. For protection against the
Evil Eye.
Note cursive script.
Reverse: Name of owner.
PLATE 17
Silver: heart-shaped, scalloped edges. One loop at each end.

(55 x 4 5 mm).
Hexagram containing inscription ’JVlttiP "’TIP ‘M ay Shaddai protect
me’. Note the plural use o f Shaddai.
Comment: The name Shaddai is considered to be especially protec
tive against magical practices*. For use against magic.
Reverse: Plain.
PLATE 18
Afghanistan.
Silver: circular. Tw o loops (one missing). (43 mm diam.)
A six-petalled flower is engraved in centre.
Circumferential inscription: rnVllNN')imi!N,“lDXnn
T R A N SLA T IO N
The initial letters of Gen. 48:16.

Comment: For generally benedictory purposes and also for protec
tion against the Evil Eye.
Reverse: Plain.
* T rach ten b erg , J . Jewish Magic, p. 158
150
Appendix
PLATE 19
Germany.
Silver: with single loop for suspension as pendant. (28 X 25 mm)
Inscription: — The letter Heh. "T\
Comment: The typical Ashkenazi Kemia so popular about 100
years ago in Germany and in Holland. The inscription simply
invokes God by using the letter ‘Heh’.
Reverse: Engraved rose.
PLATE 20
Persia.
Silver: hexagonal amulet case. Three loops. (67 x 12 mm)
I. "frw - p r m a r ’ -jnv
2. s i p frv S3K ntro
3- -1Ö3 teO' 1)3
4. » io npn in s
5- iptf pTD *?r
6. i n r iVantzn it s
TRANSLATION
Panel 1. M ay Yohach protect me may Yohach assist me.

2. ... 42-letter Name
3
4 Blessed be His glorious Sovereign
5. Name forever and ever, Taftafiah, ‘Yohach’.
Comment: A beautiful piece made to contain a small parchment
inscribed roll. God is invoked by the 42-letter Name, as ‘Yohach’
and, with Taftafiah, is called upon for aid.
PLATE 21
Jerusalem.
Silver: Hexagram pendant with one suspension loop. (31 mm diam.)
Central inscription: fPS Zion.
?3
One letter in each o f the six points i n “|V (King David).
Comment: Hexagrams often originate from Jerusalem. The
inscriptions are usually o f six letters so that one letter is placed in
each o f the six points. W e often meet rPBBBD— Taftafiah,
nVEriT— Jerusalem or i n — K ing David.
r5 !
Appendix
PLATE 22
Silver: shaped like a knife. (9 7 x 2 5 mm)

Blade: Line 1. 73 3
p in « ©y pS? S D 'D
2. V im a » ? x d “i Vn’ t i n
3. *vo Tpu1? r o V sm i Vkd1»
Handle: Line 1. •>130
2. ’ 13010
Across Guard: ^VilOO
T R A N SLA T IO N
Blade: Line 1. Gen. 49:18, Argaman

2. Uriel, Raphael Gabriel
3. Michael Nuriel, protection for the bearer o f this
amulet, so may it be
Handle: Line 1. Sanvai
2. Sansanvai
Across Guard: Semanglof
Comment: Women in childbirth often placed a knife on the pillow
to protect against magic* A sharp instrument kept in the bed was
supposed to “ cut” labour pains. The amulet invokes the five angels
as well as Sanvai Sansanvai and Semanglof and also Gen. 49:18.
It is for protection in childbed against the Evil Eye.
Reverse: Plain.
PLATE 23
Timed Brass: One hole for suspension, bizarre shape. (47 X 30 mm).
ist line. manV
2nd X’a s
3rd w rr1?
T R A N SLA T IO N
1st line. Initial letters, Exodus 23:26a.

2nd Initial letters, Exodus 23:26b.
3rd Initial letters, Deut. 7:14.
Reverse: ’ T© H’ DDDD Taftafiah Shaddai
Comment: The amulet invokes God with the assistance o f the angel
Taftafiah to prevent sterility.
* T rachten berg, J . Jewish Magic, p. 106.

J52
Appendix
plate 24
Tinned Brass.
Bizarre shaped: One hole for suspension as pendant. (35 X 30 mm)
Line 1. D V lT
2. HB
T R A N SLA T IO N
Line 1. Jerusalem.
2. Shaddai.
Comment: An amulet made in Jerusalem. The name of Shaddai is
used as protection against magic.
PLATE 25
Iraq.
Silver: Quadrilateral pendant, two loops. (65 X 55 mm)
Line 1. hVp
2. » ’Ö ilKS?
3. ’?, n ura ■>»»
4. "w vo t btm ’in
5. s'" av'? r r •>(sic.) x s
6. a is " l s n
7. »1
T R A N SLA T IO N
Line 1. Initial letters of Ps. 121 v .i.

2. v.2.
3. v.2, v.3.
4. v.3, v.4, v.5.
5. v.5, v.6, v.7.
6. v.7, v.8.
7. v.8.
Reverse: Plain. (Two loops)
Comment: A Shir Ha-Maaloth. Ps. 121 identified by each initial
letter. For use in childbed.
153
Appendix
plate 26
Persia.
Silver: rectangular. Tw o loops. (65X52 mm)
Top Horizontal: snp yrv 33X n®3
Left vertical down: tt»' th p®
Bottom horizontal: 373B 3 j?n 3T1S “1133
Right vertical up: ip® pro Vr
Panel, Line 1. 1*?>3 DB3 D'S
2 H313TN
3 303
irò (sic.) TD ins
4 3 3 73
S?D ’ D X* X
5 3
n s ia s t o S »
T R A N SLA T IO N
Top horizontal: In the name of the 42-letter Name ...

Left vertical down: ...............
Bottom horizontal: ...............
Right vertical up: ...............
Panel, Line 1. Blessed be His glorious Sovereign Name forever and
ever
2. ‘Ashtzei’, ‘Azboga’
3. 14-letter Name
4. ‘Agla’. Gen. 49-'22.
5...................Zamarchad
Comment: A beautifully engraved amulet. Invokes God by the 42-
letter Name and by the 14-letter Name and as ‘Azboga’. Also
invokes Ps. 121 (Ashtzei) with additional shemoth o f Zamarchad and
Agla.
For use in childbirth against the Evil Eye.
Note mis-spelling o f 14-letter Name; the vital “ V a v ” has been
omitted.
Outer top horizontal: ©na obv ts’D ’V1im

Outer left down: »"in iVx •nn nns xsx nV?
Outer lower horizontal: ixV opn n n n sa Vn
Outer right up: nn3 inn nVa w -|V3 bns nV •>’73
Middle upper horizontal: nx© nn’ xnn
154
Appendix
Middle left down: nn*7 in’ non aa1? oik •n
Middle lower horizontal: os?n nx i3a pia
Middle right up: Vnd n'T *?a T ’a nnn r* a m
Inner upper horizontal: rra Vb>s? ns?
Inner left down: nu oas? »an ’n im
Inner lower horizontal: naa m
Inner right up: nxa m n V " oai i d
Centre portion: Line i. in ' aai
2. na us?
3 - D3a aai
4 - na m o s
5 - n*lD2S
TR A N SLA T IO N
Comment: This is an attempt to engrave the whole of the 72-letter
Name on to one amulet. The craftsman has managed to get 195 of
the 216 characters on to the surface at his disposal. Usually a division
is made almost half way and two approximately symmetrical
amulets are provided. Several errors can be found in this particular
amulet.
The whole of the inscription is occupied by this fantastic name
excepting the last few lines which indicate the ownership i.e.
Esther the daughter of Zipporah. For general protection.
PLATE 28
Persia.
Circumference top: yrp 33X3
Left side down: 3 3 1 53 BO’ 133 3n p
SttD pn DS t
Right side up: ®3 85»3 D'SipP pTD 1W
’ 1» D V?
Line 1. 181*183
2. Vn d i V xm x
3. ’rx n it V to’a
4. l a b 'r a a
5. -jnv
6. in n ’ xd
7. m fc m a t
8. V m npan
9. jr nxVi
10 . X 13,l737
11. V*
J55
Appendix
T R A N SLA T IO N
Circumference top: In the name o f the 42-letter Name

Left side down: ................................
Right side up: ... Blessed be his glorious Sovereign Name forever and
ever
Line 1. In the name of Argaman
2. Uriel Raphael
3. Michael Nuriel
4. Ps. 91:11 (Initial letters)
5. Ps. 91:11 (Final letters)
6. Ps. 145:16 (Initial and final letters)
7. M ay the virtue of Sarah
8. Rebeccah Rachel
9. and Leah protect
10. us Amen
11. So may it be
Comment: God is invoked by the 42-letter Name. The five Archan
gels and the four Matriarchs are also invoked for protection and
support.
A generally protective amulet.
Note the lily-like flower in the centre panel.
PLATE 29
Persia.
Silver: pendant, two loops. (74 x 6 5 mm)
Circumference top: p » y ip yrr w x
Left side down: pTD V r bid npn in s *103 w i n
Right side up: xbiN n a n iV n stra n ^ sip »
Panel, Line 1. iro
2. N D n»n TDD1?33
3 - V xn ai ‘ixrra bed
4. V v a x n x n tj? n
5 - nsVa nn
6. 101
TR A N SLA T IO N
Circumference top: The 42-letter Name.

Left side down: ........................
Right side up: ... Blessed be His glorious Sovereign Name, In the
name of Agla.
156
Appendix
Panel, Line i. Zamarchad, Tetragrammaton (Avgad)
2. Our God (Avgad) Sabaoth (Atbash)
3. In the name of Michael, Gabriel
4. You shall help Abigail
5. the daughter of Malkah
6. evermore, Selah, Forever.
Comment: God is invoked by the 42-letter Name and as the Lord
God of Hosts, together with two archangels to assist Abigail, the
daughter of Malkah. A generally protective amulet.
plate 30
Persia.
Circumference upper line: y n’ iax
Left down: wts npn ins “itsa bo -1 t u ]de> ynp
Right up: 13*7 -iVMBD n’Slpfc pTD
Line 1 . 73 n K S7 N *7 C?
2. ’ X 112717 ’ D1717■
’
3- v Vn© ’ xnb
4.
5- ’ 1 x n W* 3 T’*?
6. mtt717173 IS’
7. V m npan
8. n m a x nxV
9- a p r pns’
10 . jr mat
11. nin
12 . irVi?
i3- 01X
T R A N SLA T IO N
Circumference: 42-letter Name.

Left down...............
Right up: ... Blessed be His glorious Sovereign Name forever and
ever Ps. 91:11 (Initials) Shaddai
Line 1. Ps. 121 Initial letters v. 1.
2. v.2.
3. v.3, 4.
4. v. 4, 5 , 6 .
5- v.5, 6, 7.
6. v.8 ... Sarah
157
Appendix
7. Rachel, Rebecca
8. Abraham, Leah
9. Jacob Isaac
10. Hannah the credit of
11. shall protect
12. Us
13. Amen Evermore Selah.
Comment: A n amulet for general protective purposes invoking the
four Matriarchs and the three Patriarchs as well as Hannah. Ps. 91:11
is also invoked.
Note ‘dove’ in centre panel.
PLATE 31
Persia.
Silver: rectangular, fitted with four loops on reverse for use as an
arm amulet. (88 X 70 mm)
Outer upper horizontal: n” 3XnU
Outer left down: aanODXVlXilSD’ a
Outer lower horizontal: ’ 3 D n *? 0 T 3
Outer right up: in’ D’ SI ’’I
Centre Panel, Down: bX'IET' SJttfVn
Up: nDVt M “IM r
TRANSLATION
Outer upper horizontal: Ps. i28:v.i

Outer left down: v.2, 3.
Outer lower horizontal: v.3, 4.
Outer right up: v.4, 5.
Centre Panel: v.6. Jochebed the daughter of Zilpah.
Comment: Generally benedictory for a good family life. Made for
Jochebed the daughter o f Zilpah.
plate 32
Persia.
Silver: rectangular fitted with four loops on back for use as an arm
amulet. (91 X 70 mm)
Outer upper horizontal: ' 13 DKS7 xVttf
Outer left down: ’ NT V’ X WS7 ' » » S?
Outer lower horizontal: TP T *?n©
Outer right up: 31
a« ’ *?;T "S? SHT»
158
Appendix
Centre Panel, Left down: □Vis? TO IS’ ’Ï N’T
Right up: h d Vt na nan npa
T R A N S L A T IO N
Outer upper horizontal: Ps. 121 v .i.

Outer lower horizontal: v.4.
Outer right up: v.5, 6, 7.
Centre Panel, Left down: v.7, 8.
Right up: In the name o f Tam ar daugher of Zilpah.
Comment: As No. 31, using Ps. 121. This is a typical Shir Ha-
maaloth amulet made for protection in childbed for Tam ar the
daughter o f Zilpah.
PLATE 33
Persia.
Silver: rectangular fitted with four loops on back for use as an arm
amulet. (83 X 66 mm)
Outer upper horizontal: aVx ■ttn w
Outer left down: iVa na w h d nxxi
Outer lower horizontal: xisna
Outer right up: Vai k»' x 'a ’ aa " a Van*?
Inner upper horizontal: T in 3 T
Inner left down: •.•»a1’ nan
Inner lower horizontal: ix n 1? a»
Inner right up: *? V a a a'V i
Centre raised plaque: iVaawa ioik
T R A N S L A T IO N
Outer upper horizontal: Ps. 91 v .i, 2.

Outer left down: v.3.
Outer lower horizontal: v. 4, 5.
Outer right up: v.6, 7.
Inner upper horizontal: v.8.
Inner left down: v.9.
Inner lower horizontal: v. 10.
Inner right up: v. 11. Amen, Evermore, Selah, Forever
Centre raised plaque: Blessed be His glorious Sovereign Name forever
and ever.
Comment: One of a pair of arm amulets inscribed with the initials
o f the words of Ps. 91.
159
Appendix
plate 34
Persia.
Pair with Plate 33. (83 X 56 mm)
Outer upper horizontal: la n e ’ asna nan
Outer left down: r o w naa ia nn w »
Outer lower horizontal: w ax
Outer right up: nVik D a is a m
Inner upper horizontal: •n» Vs
Inner left down:
Inner lower horizontal: m o x nn
Inner right up: m o ia n
Centre raised panel: V?aa®a ioik
T R A N SLA T IO N
Upper outer horizontal: In the name of Ps. 91 v . n , 12.

Outer right up: v.16, O Lord of Rabbi Meir assist us, Agla.
Inner upper horizontal: In the name of El, Shaddai
Inner left down: (I invoke you) to guard
Inner lower horizontal: Esther
Inner right up: the daughter of Deborah Amen forever, Selah ever
more
Centre Raised Panel: Blessed be His glorious Sovereign Name forever
and ever.
Comment: The complementary amulet to Plate 33. Uses Ps. 91 and
by the name o f Rabbi M eir invokes God as El Shaddai to protect
Esther the daughter o f Deborah.
N.B. An occasional letter is omitted
plate 35
Persia.
Silver small rectangular amulet, four loops on reverse. (64 X 52 mm)
Outer upper horizontal: HX ? N W 3 *7
Outer left down: 1B>5? »'B
Outer lower horizontal: WN “1 V s
Outer right up: 103
N T Vn
Centre Panel, Left down: Dffia VlVm
Right up: TK I1?»
160
Appendix
T R A N SLA T IO N
Outer upper horizontal: Ps. 121, v. i .

Outer left down: v.2.
Outer right up: v.4, Amen Evermore Selah, forever
Centre Panel, Left down: Proverbs 3.8. Blessed be his glorious
Sovereign
Right up: Name forever and ever Amen So may it be.
PLATE 36
Persia.
Pair with Plate 35.
Silver: rectangular four loops on reverse. (64 X 52 mm)
Outer upper horizontal:
Outer left down: »■" a v bn ■ *•"»
Outer lower horizontal: s ” ix n
Outer right up: 101X 7 » 1 » 1
Centre Panel, Left down: aira ViVm
Right up: T X 1*7»
T R A N SLA T IO N
Outer upper horizontal: Ps. 121, v.5.

Outer left down: v.5, 6, 7.
Outer right up: v.8. Amen Evermore Selah forever
Centre Panel, Left down: Prov. 3:8 Blessed be His glorious
Right up: Sovereign Name for ever and ever Amen So
may it be.
Comment: This pair of amulets invokes Ps. 121 as well as Prov. 3:8.
They are amulets designed to promote health and by virtue of
Ps. 121, to protect in childbirth.
PLATE 37
Iraq.
Silver: rectangular pendant. One loop. (36 X 42 mm)
Line 1. íton ainn1?
2. 7 a nVsn
3- nsa box
16 1
Appendix
4- V m x onDT
5- m ’a» 'o'? ’pV
6. s?a*rx ïip jV
TRANSLATION
Line i. Ex. 23:26. (Initial letters)

2. Deut. 33:4. (Initial letters)
3. Ps. 32:7. (Initial letters)
4. Ps. 42:7. (Initial letters), Numb. 12:13 (Initial letters)
5. Gen. 49:18. (Initial letters), Targum Gen. 49:18 (Initial
letters), as a protection.
6. T o he who bears this amulet upon him. ‘O Lord of Meir
answer us’.
Comment: A n amulet for fertility, good health and protection. The
God o f Rabbi Meir is invoked.
Reverse: ??
Circumference: Vxmi Vkd’ ïî bxnai Vnd-i VxmK nan

Line 1. 'IB
2. ’ ninn x’
- 3
TRANSLATION
Circumference: In the name o f Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel, Michael,

Nuriel.
Line 1. Shaddai
2. Eight-letter Name.
3. Elohim.
Comment: A protective amulet.
nsnax
Rectangle: Outer upper horizontal: p® in p fr p n n x
16 2
Appendix
Outer left down: 103 W nil
Outer lower horizontal: *W »113 3 pn IDS
Outer right up: rPSIptf ptD
Inner upper horizontal: 3B73
Inner left down: <1 Hin
Inner lower horizontal: p lb'll
Inner right up: 13 DV
Lower triangle: Line i . 'p 1?
2. 1 3 “)DS
TRANSLATION
Upper triangle: Line i . Gen. 49:18 (Initials)

„ 2. Zamarchad
Rectangle: Outer upper horizontal: 42-letter Name
Outer left down:....................................
Outer lower horizontal: ........................
Outer right up: ....................................
Inner upper horizontal: Blessed be His glorious Sovereign
Inner left down: Name forever and ever Hannah
Inner lower horizontal: born of
Inner right up: Jochebed
Lower triangle: Line 1. Gen. 49:18 (Initials)
2. Zamarchad
Comment: A n amulet calling upon God by his 42-letter Name to
assist H annah the daughter o f Jochebed. This type o f three-
panelled am ulet is known as an Avzam F kamea. *
PLATE 40
Cast Silver: Circular, two loops. (40 mm diameter)
Circumference: pTD Vr »113 3 3 3
pn jnS “)D © ’ 111 JOB »Ip frT X 13
SlptZ?
Line 1. TV©3
2. DS V 131 ?»3
-3 nnoD anpix
4. D’ ODOD
-5 X 3»3
TRANSLATION
Circumference: 42-letter Name

Line 1. Last two letters of 42-letter Name, blessed be His glorious
163
*S e e E n cy clo p e d ia Ivrit I, p. 130.
Appendix
2. Sovereign Name forever and ever Zamarchad
3. Anaktam Pastam
4. Paspasim, Shaddai
5. Not known.
Comment: A mass produced amulet, the reverse is identical in
every respect, evidently cast in the same mould and fused together.
It invokes God by the 42-letter Name, as Shaddai and by the 22-
letter Name. It does not seem to be directed towards any specific
purpose, though the name Shaddai suggests it is to be used against
magic.
PLATE 41
Silver: circular. Tw o loops on reverse. (63 mm diameter)

Circumference: m b 3pn Jnx nus e o ’ -th p® snp> ■ pry’ n x
m v n'DDDtJ Vx iVodso rvwp» pts Vr
Line 1. Vk t ik p n x m o
2. Vx’ na Vnd’» V xn a i Vn d i
3 - ^xnam n»m V xon x m n x
4. b 'a s -[bo -[nr Vx’-itdx
5 - p “i:r n^jx i m a x in'?
6. *],l?x vjd n “ix-1 -p m n n
7 - rjQ n xbt**pim
8. wb 1 1 ’ Vx
TRANSLATION
Circumference: The 42-letter Name, blessed be His glorious Sovereign

Name forever and ever. El, Shaddai Taftafiah, (not
known).
Line 1. In the name of Argaman, Uriel
2. Raphael Gabriel Michael, Nuriel
3. Friendship Ahaviel, compassion, Rahamael
4. Ahzariel Ps. 91:11 (Final letters), Ps. 91:11 (Initial
5. letters) Zamarchad, Agla
6. M ay the Lord bless thee and keep thee, may the Lord make
His face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee
7. The Lord lift up His countenance upon
8. thee and give thee peace. (Num. 6:24-26)
Comment: The 42-letter Name, El Shaddai and the five angels are
invoked for general protection.
Reverse: Plain
164
Appendix
plate 42
Cast Lead. (40 mm diameter)
Hebrew-Christian Amulet Pendant. One loop.
The inscription is a pentagon with a central circular area.
In centre: A bearded head, with halo.
Outside the pentagon the names: ,1ET
The rest of the inscription is not legible.
Comment: The central portion is meant to be the head of Christ
whose name in Hebrew “Jesu” “Jehoshuah” , “Jeshuah” are placed
among the five panels of the inscriptions.
Reverse: Plate 43.
plate 43
Cast Lead: Reverse of Plate 42. (40 mm diameter)
Outer Lunettes: 7
VtO1» * tr im ViTTW
Outer lines of square: 1. 0 7157*7
* Tlfe B»a
2. ’ i© Nin m sa s nm’
3. ?.?.?.?
4. sin nm’ ’ ax
Within: A 12-box square containing the 12-letter Name.
TRANSLATION
Outer lunettes: Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, Michael

Outer lines of square: 1. In the Name o f He who lives forever
2. The Lord God of Hosts he is Shaddai
3...............Indecipherable
4. Father God he is
Within: A 12-box square with the 12-letter name.
Comment: This interesting cast-lead amulet was excavated in
Provence, in France. It uses the 12-letter Name, the names of
Shaddai and Sabaoth and o f the four archangels. The reverse side
shows the picture of Jesus, haloed.
plate 44
Silver, pendant, one loop. (78 mm diameter)
Lines 1. pa’ 'n x n'nx nm’
2. m s Vpnn p m
3. *pn m pV rrra »ptzni
4. pETD Vpm m s
165
Appendix
5. ip m rm i m pV *pn
6. mo pn’i Vpin
7. 3
*pn *y®i rm i m p 1?
8. m e pn’i ^pin par®
9. «Tin rnu m p 1? «yam
TRANSLATION
Line 1. Jehovah, Ehyeh, Adonai he will answer us in the day of our

calling.
2. Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel, Euphrates.
3. Each of the above four names spelt in reverse.
4. Euphrates, Hiddekel, Gihon, Pishon.
5. Line 4, each name spelt in reverse.
6. Hiddekel, Gihon, Pishon, Euphrates.
7. Line 6, each word spelt in reverse.
8. Pishon, Hiddekel, Gihon, Euphrates.
9. Line 8, each word spelt in reverse.
Comment: The Four rivers of Paradise, arranged in different orders
and spelled backwards. For long life.
Reverse: A further eight lines of inscription of the four rivers with
their names spelled in more complicated anagrammatic forms.
PLATE 45
Persia
Silver: pendant, two loops. (72 mm diameter)
Circumference: 33 3 33 3
S? t pn JnS "It BO’ "TJ snp f n ’ X33
Within circle: iVm&S n’ SIpP pTD Vl’
In corners of Hexagram: n’DBSD
Within Hexagon, Line 1. ‘’130
2. 13030
3. 33
f]*? aO
TRANSLATION
Circumference: 30 letters of the 42-letter Name.

Within circle: The 12 remaining letters, Blessed be His glorious
Sovereign Name forever and ever.
In corners of Hexagram: Taftafiah.
Within Hexagon, Line 1. Sanvai.
2. Sansanvai
3. Semanglof
166
Appendix
Reverse: Plain.
Comment: An amulet using the 42-letter Name and that of Tafta-
fiah together with those of Sanvai, Sanvai and Semanglof to protect
a parturient woman in childbirth.
PLATE 46
? Kurdistan
Silver: arm amulet (two loops on reverse) (65 mm diameter)
Circumference: vVn w’ » s’ vp 'w 1 ’ bn© ’ in V’ k w s -av sr*a nxv nV©
Central Panel, Line 1 aâ
2 IS1” IS'“1
3 "asri "n ■pia' via
4 ■pm i ’Vn n o t ‘ is 1'
5 I'Vn n o t vr
6 mb® -]1? deh
7 Kl'SSBSl
TRANSLATION
Circumference: Initial letters of Ps. 121 v. 1, 2, 3,4, 5 and 6.

Central Panel, Line 1. verses 6 and 7.
2. v.7an d 8 .
3. v.8. The Lord bless thee and keep thee
4. The Lord make His face shine upon thee and
be gracious unto thee
5. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee
6. and give thee peace.
7. Initial letters o f Num. 6:27.
Comment: Invokes God for protection and uses Ps. 121 which is
specifically protective in childbed. Note use of Monogrammaton n
in Line 3 and the use of the Trigrammaton T in lines 4, 5.
PLATE 47
Silver: circular pendant. Tw o loops. (75 mm diameter)
2 3 1
Circumference: ... D £a DX?»n i p N Vx D’ WVT D’ DDDD DDDD DDplX
Line 1. ID (sic.) -pnD
2. oNaaxrsw
3. "od a ’SJi (sic.) ©m s
4. nVi D’Dsa -per
5. i b i p p i D’ trpv
6. a ?r t w o d ’x
167
Appendix
TRANSLATION
Circumference: Anaktam, Pastam, Paspasim, Deyonsim. O Lord

bring nigh the salvation of those who await thee.
Line i. Turn to those who fear thee.
2. Thou shalt release them from captivity.
3. Redeem those who wander, open up the eyes for those who
are blind.
4. Who are awaiting your deliverance.
5. Lift up the entrapped ones and gather those who are
scattered.
6. Support us O Lord, when we stumble.
Comment: This is the 22-letter Name. The invocation is composed
of 22 words, the initial letters of which form the letters of the 22-letter
Name itself. Some of the spellings of the words in the particular
amulet illustrated do not conform with the spellings found in
the ordinary Liturgy. (New Year Service).
A generally protective amulet.
PLATE 48
Iraq.
Silver: rectangular, two loops (64 X 68 mms).
Circumference: Lev. 1:1. 157173
VnNB I'^N mn’ “13T1 JTO1B \>K K ip ’!
naxV
Upper horizontal: “wx nns?
Left down: sn p
Lower horizontal: is o *wn»
Right up: sjp x tidV
Centre block: Line 1. n*]px os?1?
2. B” n n 1*111
3- •pa-’Nn ap'
4- 0 3 ’ NX®
5- tp i1? TD i V n V
TRANSLATION
Circumference: Lev. 1:1. (Initial Letters.)

Upper horizontal: ? ? ?
Left down: Tear (or destroy) Satan. (Also part of 42-letter Name).
Lower horizontal: ? ? ?
Right up: ? ?
168
Appendix
Centre Block: Line i . ?
2 .?
Reverse: See 49.
plate 49
Reverse of 48.
Circumference: Ip© pTD Vr SttD 3pn ins ")B3 ©S’ *713 JHp f TV N13
Line i. ' j n u Vanni
2. n’ s
3 - «Vi 1*71
4. a© n s-m
5 - Tpl1? XI S 1? » ’ TO
In points of Hexagram: D’ p n n p
TRANSLATION
Circumference: 39 letters of 42-letter Name.

Line 1. Gabriel Nuriel
2. Last 3 letters o f 42-letter Name.
3. ? ? ? ? ? ?
2
4. amarchad In the name of
5. Shaddai on ... the bearer of this kamea.
In points of Hexagram: Six letters.
Comment: Lev. 1:1 is used as a protection against magic, and
in this particular amulet God is invoked by the 42-letter Name and
as Shaddai to protect the bearer of the amulet. The inscription on the
face o f this amulet has not been deciphered; the letters appear to be
the final letters of biblical verses as yet unknown to us.
Incomplete as the interpretation o f this inscription is, it is still
possible to arrive at the conclusion that this amulet comes from Iraq
and is intended to protect against magic; it uses the names of Shaddai
and the 42-letter Names as well as those of two angels as an invoca
tion.
PLATE 5O
Prob. Kurdistan.
Silver: pendant, two loops. (52x52 mms).
Adorned with a red stone inset.
169
Appendix
Line i 003 103

2 *?ndi *nmiK p n x
3 7 3
V sn u VxD’a * K’ i i
4 ®S? f3 V S?D3 ’D3
5 Njn&N s a i x
6 T*7
T R A N SLA T IO N
Line i . With Heaven’s Aid, In a good sign (omen)

2. Argaman, Uriel Raphael
3. Gabriel Michael Nuriel
4. Genesis 49:22 (Initial letters)
5. O Lord of R . Meir answer us ... ? ? ?
6. Gen. 49:18 (Initial letters)
Comment: Invokes God as the God of Rabbi Meir and the five
angels for a protection against the Evil Eye. The red stone is protec
tive against haemorrhages and fluxes so that this amulet was pro
bably intended for use by a woman at the time of childbirth.
Reverse: Plain
PLATE 5 1 A, 51 B
Bagdad.
Amuletic Rings. Silver.
5 la -
Line 1. NITS?
2. “iDion
3- "urn
T R A N SLA T IO N
Line 1. Ezra
2. The scribe
3. The second.
Comment: Generally protective.
51b.
Line 1. V-EO
2. 3
’ 12? VN
T R A N SLA T IO N
Line 1. Initial letters Ps. 91:11

2. In the name o f El, Shaddai
Comment: Generally protective.
170
Appendix
plate 52
Turkey.
Brass, no loops. (42-33 mms)
Line 1. r » p n nn
2. ]n mD tom
3 - 37® io n ho
4 - rp V x nisa
T R A N SLA T IO N
Line 1. This amulet

2. It is for a good favour
3. ? ? ?
4. Through the power of El, Yah.
Comment: A protective amulet to win favour and invoking God as
El, Yah.
Reverse : Not deciphered.

PLATE 53
Kurdistan.
Silver, two loops. (80 X 63 mm)
Top, outer row: ... ins *itn w -m p p snp 7 m :ox
Lower, outer row: t h ® n a n iVsotea msiprc pîD V
Inner Panel Line 1 rp'rb
2 irnx •’D’DX
3 m ix tr?pn lonax
4 nonuai V’-'x m o p’x
5 ,,'?p runts» nop uax
6 t r io ' Vri m tn
(sic.) PHD
T R A N SLA T IO N
Top, outer row: 42-letter Name (27 letters)

Lower, outer row: 42-letter Name (15 letters) In the name of Shad-
dai, Trigrammaton
Inner Panel. Line 1. Lilith
2. Aviti, Abizu,
3. Amrusu, Hakash, Odem,
4. Ik, Pudu, Ayil, Matruta,
5. Avgu, Kish, Shatrugah, Kali,
171
Appendix
6. Batuh (and) Hil, Pari
7. tasha
Comment: An amulet for protection against Lilith using her many
different names (see p. 116). Calls on God as Shaddai, by the
Trigrammaton and by the 42-letter Name.
172
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Azulai, H. J. D. (1879), Avodath Ha’kodesh, Warsaw.
Bader, G. (1951), Encyclopaedia of Hebrew Abbreviations, New York,
Pardes.
Benayahu, M . (1959), Rabbi H. T. D. Azulai, Jerusalem, Mosad
Harav Kook.
Bleek, W . H. I., (1875). A Brief Account of Bushman Folklore. London,
Trubner.
Budge, E. A. Wallis. (1961), Amulets and Talismans, University Books,
New York.
Charles-Picard, G. and C. (1961), Daily Life in Carthage, London,
Allen & Unwin.
Cintas, P. (1946), Amulettes Puniques, Institut des Hautes Etudes de
Tunis.
Cola-Alberich, J. (1949), Amuletos y Tatuajes Marroquies, Madrid,
Inst, a Estud. Africanos.
Cusin, S. G. (1963) Art in the Jewish Tradition Milan, Adei-Wizo.
Eisenstein, J. D. (1915), Ozar Midrashim, 2 Vols. New York.
Eisenstein, J. D. (1917), Ozar Dinim u'Minhagim, New York.
Eleazar of Worms. (1870), Sefer Raziel, Zeilingold, Warsaw.
Eleazar of Worms. (1701), Sefer Raziel, Amsterdam.
Eleazar of Worms. Tirat El, M.S. Opp. 109, Oxford.
Eybeschütz, J. (1874), Luchoth Eduth, Warsaw.
Frazer, J. G. (1922), The Golden Bough, London, Macmillan.
Gaster, M . (1925), The Samaritans, London, The British Academy.
Gaster, M . (1925-28), Studies & Texts, 3 Vols, London, Maggs.
Ginsburg, C. D. (1956), The Kabbalah, London, Routledge.
Ginzberg, L. (1947), The Legends of the Jews, 7 Vols, J. Publ. Soc.
Glückei o f Hameln, (1962), The Life Trans. B. Z. Abrahams London,
East & West Library.
Gollancz, H. (1912), The Book of Protection, London, O .U .P.
Hastings, J. (1930), Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, 12 Vols.
Edinburgh, Clark.
Huxley, A. (i960), The Doors of Perception, London, Chatto Windus.
James, William, (i960), The Varieties of Religious Experience. Fontana,
London.
Jewish Encyclopaedia, (1916) 12 Vols, New York, Funk and
Wagnalls.
Kafih, J. (1963), Halichoth Teman, 2nd Ed. Jerusalem, Ben Zvi
Institute.
173
Bibliography
Kramer, S. N. (1961), Sumerian Mythology, New York, Harper.
Laessoe, J. (1963), The People of Ancient Assyria, London, Routledge.
Lanczkowski, G. (1961), Sacred Writings, London, Fontana.
Maimonides, Mishneh Torah.
Maimonides, Moreh jVebuchim.
Marcus, J. R. (1947), Communal Sick-Care in the German Ghetto,
Cincinnatti, H. U . Coll. Press.
Maringer, J. (i960), The Gods of Pre-Historic Man, London, Weiden-
feld & Nicholson.
Müller, H. J. (1962), Freedom in the Ancient World, London, Seeker &
Warburg.
Nahmanides, Sefer Gematriaot, Part o f Ms. Enelow 919, N. York,
J. Theol. Sem.
Perry, W. J. (1937), The Growth of Civilisation, Harmondsworth,
Penguin.
Schechter, S. (1938-45), Studies in Judaism, 3 Vols, J. Publ. Soc.
Schapera, I. (1930), The Khoisan Peoples of South Africa, London,
Routledge.
Schnur, H. C. (1949), Mystic Rebels, New York, Beechurst.
Scholem, G. G. (1941), Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, London.
Scholem, G. G. (1960), Jewish Gnosticism, Merkabah Mysticism and the
Talmudic Tradition, New York, J. Theol. Sem.
Sefer ha-Aruch. (1914), R. Nathan b. Yechiel of Rome, Lublin.
Slouschz, N. (1944), The Jews of North Africa, Phila,J. Publ. Soc.
Stace, W . P. (i960), Sayings of the Mystics, New York, Mentor.
Sumner, W. G. (i960), Folkways, New York, Mentor.
Talmud Babli: The following tractates are quoted:—
‘Avodah Zarah, Baba Kama, Bechoroth, Berachoth, ‘Erubin, Gittin,
Hagigah, Hullin, Kiddushin, Niddah, Sabbath, Sanhedrin, Sotah,
Tebamoth, Tomah.
Thompson, R. C. (igo8), Semitic Magic, London, Luzac.
Trachtenberg, J. (1939), Jewish Magic and Superstition, New York,
Behrman.
Trachtenberg, J. (1943), The Devil and the Jews, N .Y ., Meridian.
Westermarck, E. (1926), Ritual and Belief in Morocco, 2 Vols. London,
Macmillan.
Würthwein, E. (1957), The Text of the Old Testament, Oxford, Black-
well.
Yadin, Y . (1962), The Scroll of the War of the Sons o f Light Against the
Sons of Darkness, London, O .U .P.
Zacuto, M . Sefer Shoreshey Hashemoth MS. Heb 8°, 3361, Hebrew
University, Jerusalem.
Zimmels, H. J. (1952), Magicians, Theologians and Doctors, London,
Goldston.
174
GLOSSARY
‘Amidah: The prayer known as the “ Eighteen Benedictions” which is

always said while standing.
Apikorsus: Heresy.
Ashkenazi —im: Western Jews (Ashkenaz— Germany) lit. Germans
or those from Poland, Lithuania, Russia and Rumania. This
excludes the Sephardim. They are, generally, those Jews who lived
in Christian lands.
Ashuri: lit. Assyrian. The square Hebrew script in use today for
writing the scrolls of the Torah.
Chevra-Kadisha: See Hevra kadisha.
Gaon-Gaonim: The heads o f the Yeshivoth from the fifth to the tenth
century.
Gemara: The great compilation o f the literature concerning the
Jewish civil and ceremonial laws.
Gematria: A system of code writing whereby words whose numerical
value o f their letters are equal are substituted one for the other.
Genizah -oth: A place where worn out or discarded holy writings are
stored prior to ritual burial.
Hasidism: A religious movement within orthodox Judaism that gives
first place in religion to sentiment and emotional faith rather than
to dogma and ritual, hence Hasid -im.
Hekhaloth: The early 4th century mystic literature which is con
cerned with the Hekhal— the palace of God.
Hevra Kadisha: The organization which is concerned with preparing
bodies for burial and with the rites of interment.
Iluy: A near-genius, usually referring to a child.
Kabbalah: The mystic doctrine concerning God and the Universe.
Kamia-Kamioth: Amulet.
Kein Ein Hora: Yiddish-Hebrew expression “ Without the Evil Eye” .
Kethab Ashuri: “ Assyrian” writing or the square Hebrew calligraphy
introduced by Ezra the Scribe which replaced the archaic Hebrew
characters. It is still in use today.
Lillin: Spectres.
Magen David: The shield o f David; the Hexagram.
175
Glossary
Mahzor: Book of prayer for festivals.
Masoretic Text: The “ traditional” canonized form o f the Bible as
we know it today.
Mekubal— mekubalim: A person who is learned in the Kabbalah.
Menorah: The seven-branched candlestick.
Mezuzah: A rectangular piece of parchment inscribed with Deut.
6:4-9 and 11:13-21 which, when placed in a case, is affixed to the
doorpost.
Midrash: An exegesis that attempts to enter into the spiritual aspect
o f the Scriptures rather than consider their mere literal explana
tion.
Misnaged-Misnagdim: One who “ opposes” i.e. a member o f the
religious group who places dogma and ritual before the emotional
and sentimental approach and therefore opposed Hasidism.
Mitzvah: A commandment given by God or by man.
Niddah: A talmudical treatise which deals with the rules concerning
women and their menstrual periods.
Notarikon: A system of shorthand using one letter (usually the initial
letter) o f each word.
‘ Omer: The wave-offering made on the first day o f Passover from
which 50 days must be counted until Pentecost.
Parasha: The portion of the Pentateuch that is read in the Syna
gogue on the Sabbath Morning Service.
Sephardi -im: Jews o f the non-Ashkenazi group i.e. those who
originated from Spain (Sepharad). The term includes all the Jews
of the Middle East, of North Africa, and many of the Dutch,
Italian and Greek Jews. They are, in general, those Jews who lived
in Moslem countries.
Serugin: Lit. trellis. A form o f shorthand in which the first letter or the
first two letters of the words of a verse are used to indicate the
whole word.
Shaliah: Lit. a messenger. Used particularly for a representative who
is sent abroad, usually to collect funds for his congregation, also
Meshullach.
Shem-Shemoth: Lit. a name. Used as a descriptive term for the holy
and magical names used on amulets.
Shem Hameforash: The Ineffable Name.
Shem ha-Sheminiyuth: The eighth name or ogdoas, used in explanation
of the shem “ Azboga” .
Shiddin: Demons.
Shiviti: The first word of Psalm 16:8 “ I have set” .
Siddur: A prayer book.
Sisith: The fringes placed at the four corners of the prayer-shawl.
176
Glossary
Sofer: A scribe employed to write ritual inscriptions e.g. copying the
Torah etc.
Takkanah: An amendment to a law or a custom.
Talmid Haham: A learned man, as opposed to ‘Am ha-Aretz, a person
uninformed in Jewish matters.
Tefillin: Phylacteries.
Temurah: lit. substitution. The various codes whereby certain letters
of the alphabet are used to replace others.
Torah: The Scriptures, usually refers to the Pentateuch.
Turn’ah: Uncleanness, especially ritual uncleanness.
Teshivah -oth: A n institute for study of the Torah and its interpreta
tion.
£addik: A leader of Hasidism, often a miracle-making man.
17 7
INDEX
The figures in b o ld t y p e refer to the Plates.
A H ebrew alphabetical list o f shemotk w ill be found on pages 124-134.
A b racad ab ra, 59 Beads, coloured, 57

A bu lafia, 38 Beccaficio, 9
Admeh, 121 Behanu, 122
Adonai, 94 Bilar, 77, 126
Afghanistan, amulets from, 44, 18 Binu, 122
Agla, 121 Birchath Cohanim, 82, 97
‘A lb a m ’, 92 Blue colour, 58
A lph abet, K abbalistic, 46 Blue beads avert E vil E ye, 58
Am ulets, against the E vil E ye, 2, 5, Buhuel, 108
7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16,18, 22, 26, 50 Bullet as am ulet, 57
Am ulets, against M a gic, 1, 7, 8, 11,
17 . *4, 33» 34; 4®. 4 1 »49, 51*», 53 C arthagin ian am ulet, 5, 55
Am ulets, for general protection, 3 ,4 , Cases, for keeping amulets, 76
8, 9, *5, *9> 20. 3 7 , 28, 29, 30, C h ild bed, protection b y amulets, 51
3*, 32. 38. 39. 4°) 41) 44. 47. 5™, C h ildbirth, amulets for protection,
5* 2,4, 6, 9,12,22,25, 26, 31, 32, 35,
Am ulets, instructions for w riting, 18, 36, 45, 46, 53
83 Christian-H ebrew amulets, 71, 42,
Am ulets, for health, 50 43
Anah be'Koah, 98 Classification o f amulets, 50
Aphrodisiac effects o f garlic, 53 Coloured beads, 57
Argaman, 18, 43, 61, 62, 108 “ C h a b a d ” , 40
A ri (R. Isaac L u ria), 41 C yren aica, Jew s in, 55
‘A tbash ’, 92
A vartiel, 108 D igram m aton, 95
‘A v g a d ’, 92 Doves, 57
Azboga, 34, J I 2
A zu la i, 82 et seq. Ehyeh, 66
Eight-letter N am e, 96
Baal, sign of, 56 E lijah , 116
Baal, horns of, 8 Elohim, 94, 99
Baal Shem Tob, 40 E leazar o f W orm s, 3, 38
Badpatiel, 108 Epilepsy, amulets against, 1
B aghdad, amulets from, 77, 51a, 51b E vil E ye, 5 et seq.
178
Index
E vil E ye, averted by amulets, 50 H ealth, amulets for prom otion of, 6,
E vil E y e, averted by blue beads, 58 35, 36, 37
E vil E ye, averted b y fish, 57, 102 Hekhaloth literature, 36
E vil E ye, averted b y hands, 56 H erat, amulets from, 44, 9
E vil E ye, averted b y “ Horns o f H exagram , 24, 60, 68, 21
B aal” , 8 H in ged amulets, 76, 39
E vil E ye, Bushmen, 8 Hutz, 113
E vil E ye, C arthaginian, 8
E vil E ye, in F rance, 6 Iraq, amulets from, 44, 25, 37, 38,
E vil E ye, in G erm any, 6 48,49
E vil E ye, in G reece, 6 Italy, amulets from, 45
E vil E ye, in Italy, 6
E vil Eye, Jews, 7 Jehudah , the H asid, 38
E vil Eye, protection, 50, 56 Jerusalem , amulets from , 136, 137,
E vil Eye, in R om an times, 7 21
E vil E ye, in Sicily, 6 Jettatura, 6
E vil E ye, in Spain, 6 Jochebed, 113
Eybeschiitz, 80 et seq. Joseph, averts E vil E ye, 114
Enoch, 36 Judaeo-A rab amulets, 72
Judaeo-Christian amulets, 71, 42,
Fatim a, hand of, 8, 56, 73 43
Fertility, amulets for, 51, 37, 33
K abbalistic signs on amulets, 47
Fish, avert E vil E ye, 57, 102
Kamea, etym ology, 2on
Flowers on amulets, 57
Forty-five letter N am e, 98 K azakstan am ulets from , 44, 9
Forty-tw o letter nam e, 98 Knife-shaped amulets, 25, 22
Fourteen-letter nam e, 97 K urdistan, amulets from, 44, 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, *4, l6, 46, 5°, 53
G abriel, 106, 108 Lenokazeh, 122
G en erally protective amulets, 50 L ilith, 1 8 ,5 1 , 114—117
Gematria, 91 L ilith, amulets for protection
G erm any, amulets from, 19 against, 2, 4, 6, 12, 22, 25, 45, 53
Gershom, R abben u, 34 L ilith, names of, 1 i6n, 171, 172, 53
Gnosticism, G reek and R om an, 22 Lithuania, 3
Gnosticism, Jew ish, 35, 36
Gnosticism, Sam aritan, 22 Magen David, 68, a i
M aim onides, 13, 15, 2 in
H aem orrhages, amulets for stopping Merkabah mysticism, 36
5®, 53, 57 M etals used for amulets, 24
Hands, avert E vil E ye, 56 M etatron, 93, 105, 109
H and o f Baal, 8 Me'zamzemith, 117
H and o f Fatim a, 8, 56, 73 Me'zam'zith, 117
H and shapes on amulets, 73, 10, 11 Mezuzah, 13, 2 in , 71, 96
H ands on C arthagin ian amulets, 56 M ichael, angel, 106, 109
Hasidism , 2, 35 Miscarriages, amulets against, 51, 23
Hasidism , in m ediaeval G erm any, Misnagdim, 2, 35
38 M onogram m aton, 95
179
Index
M oroccan Am ulets, 44, 7, 8 ,10 Shabriri, 60
Moses de Leon, 39 Shaddai, 66, 93, 99
M o th er’s nam e on am ulet, 48 Shapes o f amulets, 24
M ystical experiences, definition, 27 Shem Hameforash, 93
M ystical experiences, 28 Shemirah, 122
M ysticism , H ebrew , 28, 29 Shem Vayissa Vayet, 99
Shemoth derived from Biblical verses,
N eolithic amulets, 5
Notarikon, 91 Shemoth, oriental, 124-130
N uriel, 106 Shemoth, Sam aritan, 134
Shiviti amulets, 87
Ogdoas, 176 Sisith 13, 30, 2 in
O riental shemoth, 124-130 Squares, m agical, 64
Star o f D avid , 68
Paired amulets, 75 Synod o f M ainz, 34
Paradise, rivers of, 113 Syria, 39, 76
Pazpazia, 119
Pentacle, 60 Taftaftah, 109
Pentagram , 60 T an it, sign of, 56
Persian amulets, 44, 13, 13, 14, 15, Tejillin, 13, 2 in
30, 36, 37, a 8, 39, 30, 31, 33, 33, Temurah, 91
34 . 35 . 36. 45 T etragram m aton, 96
Postal services am ong Jews, 34 Trigram m aton, 96
Priestly Benediction, 82, 97 Tunis, 10
Printed amulets, 137 T urkey, amulets from, 44, 5a
T w elve-letter N am e, 97
R ap hael, 106, n o T w en ty-tw o letter N am e, 97
R aziel, 110
Rectangles, 63 U riel, 108
R e d beads, 57 U rpan iel, 108
R ings, am uletic, 77
R ivers o f Paradise, 113 W ords o f Power, 9, 10
W ritten amulets, 136
Sam aritan amulets, 9, 10
Sam aritan w riting on amulets, 46 Y a h , 65n
Sandalphon, 105, 109 Yem en i amulets, 25, 76, 136
Sanvai, Sansanvai, Sem anglof, 18, Yohach, 85
118, Fig. 8 Y op hiel, 109
Scorpion bites, amulets against, 88.
*3 Z acu to R . Moses, 39
Sephiroth, 1 19
ZafZafia, 119
Serugin, 91, 101
Seventy-two letter N am e, 98, 37 Zah'zahia, 119
Seyag ve-Gcder, 122 Zamarchad, 86, 88, 91, 120
Shabbethai £evi, 3, 78 et seq. Zohar, 39
180
by T. Schrire
foreword by Rabbi Manuel Gold
An illustrated study of the mystical artifacts employed

since time immemorial to ward off the Evil Eye and pro
tect women in childbirth. Hebrew Magic Amulets dis
cusses the history, ethnology and interpretation of
amulets and their inscriptions. The book shows how, by
selecting suitable Words of Power, the amulet maker can
create the correct amulet for the proper occasion.
Special attention is given to amulets of the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries and the influence of Shabbetai
Zevi and the Hida. The i>ook includes a special section of
52 photographic plates.
Behrman House

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Their Decipherment and Interpretation

NEW YO RK, NEW YO R K

Reprint. Originally published: Hebrew amulets.

First published as Hebrew Amulets in 1966

o f th e e ffic a c y o f m ag ic has p r o d u c e d e m b a rra ssm e n t an d

holy nam es, o r verses, o r o th e r fo rm u la s a re o f th o se w h o

ity a n d security, a n d p e rso n a l h ap p in e ss. . . . I f so m e th in g

M Y F I R S T and most grateful thanks are due to those who

T H E almost infinite variety o f inscriptions that have been

I. G ollan cz, H . Book o f Protection.

Ethnology, Origins, The Evil Eye

*1 am grateful to Messrs. G inn and C om p an y, Boston, M ass. for p er­

b y means o f the principle o f similia similibus curantur, evil spirits

3. Charles-Picard G . and C ., p. 113.

The Halachic Attitude to Amulets

1. Exodus 22:17, D eut. 18:10.

or those that have been issued b y an approved expert6. A dis­

6. Sabbath 6 ia . A n “ expert” am ulet is one that has cured on three

The Typical Hebrew Amulet

he is an O riental Jewish writer, he most com m only chooses to

Directions for w riting these amulets are given b y G aster3.*

* T h e y are, in general, similar to the directions given by M aim onides4 for

3. G aster, M . Hastings Encyc. I l l , 455.

Background and Description of

host o f tourists entering the country will soon snap up such as

*1 am g ra te fu l to M r. V ivia n G aster fo r p erm ission to q u o te fro m his

7. G aster, M . The Samaritans p. 80 ff.

m etallic surfaces— the student has to m ake allowances for w rong

The Mystic State, Ecstasy, and its

1. Jam es, W . L ecture X V I .

4. T h e norm al post-orgasmic state.

4. H u xley, A . (1954) The Doors o f Perception.

manoeuvres is to direct the conscious thought aw ay from extra­

5. Jam es, W . toe. cit.

8. Scholem , G ., Major Trends. L ecture I I .

which is secret, hidden or esoteric’. In this, it differs from the

chem ical or b y physical means, were p robably no m ore than

Kabbalism, Hasidism and the

*1 am grateful to Prof. G ershom G . Scholem for permission to use excerpts

m ecum for the am ulet maker. W h at connection can there be

1 E n cy clo p a ed ia B rittan ica (19 4 7 ). 18:303.

and was endorsed and accepted all over W estern as w ell as

2. Scholem , G . Jewish Gnosticism, Merkabah mysticism.

minently. H e is supposed b y some to be no less a personage than

after Safed had become a new centre— G erm an Hasidism

heart o f Castile w hich was destined to overshadow all other

*1 am grateful to Professor G . Scholem for brin gin g this book to my

8. Scholem , G . op. cit. L ecture V .

form and are cherished and preserved b y devoted mekubalim and

io . Chabad.— Initial letters o f ¡ISH ni’3 , HMDn

'I'he inscription on the am ulet should be copied out carefully

T h e actual calligraphy o f the inscriptions varies. D ifferent

affixing to the clothes or for suspension from the neck being

the peculiar letters used by writers o f m agic are found on

Figure i : T h e K ab b alistic alphabet. T h e letters bear an uneasy resemb­

their use and B udge3 makes a gallant but unsuccessful attem pt

rounded o ff in small ringlets’. In support o f this hypothesis one

¡5. W iirthw ein, E . p. 104 et seq.

o f a people w ho were generally ignorant o f current m edical

*1 am grateful to Messrs. G inn and C om p an y, Boston, M ass. for p er

or those that have been issued b y an approved expert6. A dis

manoeuvres is to direct the conscious thought aw ay from extra

Figure i : T h e K ab b alistic alphabet. T h e letters bear an uneasy resemb

It is believed that by gradually reducing the size o f the indi

W esterm arck gives tw o examples o f such squares8. A com

there was some exchange o f m agical inform ation at the rela

considered to have am uletic properties and was carefully pre