INCANTATION BOWL IN MANDAIC

MS 1911/2
MS Short Title INCANTATION BOWL IN MANDAIC
Text A BINDING FOR THE HOUSE AND ABODE OF NANAI DAUGHTER OF IN - AND FOR IHANA SON OF SHISHA. - I AM FEROCIOUS WITH THE DEMONS BUZNAI SON OF MAHIA DIVIDES ... FINDS THE STINKING ONE OVERTURNED, OVERTURNED ... GOAT(?) FROM THE HOUSE OF GISHI ..., AND FROM THE DAUGHTERS AND SONS AND HE IS ENRAGED BY THE RAGE OF THE WOLF THAT IS FROM THE RAGE OF THE TOWN. ON THE CROWN THE STAND, THEY CAST A THRONE ON HIM, ALL THE ANGELS, I STAND AND I STRIKE(?) WITH THE EYE ALL THE ANGELS WHO STAND OVER MY GATE ... AND THE DEVILS SPEAK AND STAND TO DO EVIL
Description MS in Mandaic on clay, Iran/Mesopotamia/Syria/Jordan, 5th-7th c., 1 incantation bowl, 19, 0x7,5 cm, 44 lines in a careless cursive Mandaic script in 3 blocks at different angles radiating from the centre.
Commentary Incantation or magical bowls are also called demon traps. They were placed with the bottom up under the floors and thresholds of the houses in the Near East. The demons were then believed to be trapped inside the bowl with the magical spells written against them.
Published To be published by Prof. Shaul Shaked in the series Manuscripts in The Schøyen Collection.
Exhibited 1. The Warburg Institute: A Special exhibition on the occasion of the workshop "Officina Magica", London 15 - 17 1999.
Place of origin Near East
Dates 5c - 7c AD