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UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

THE MUSEUM
PUBLICATIONS OF THE BABYLONIAN SECTION

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS FROM NIPPUR

BY

JAMES

A.

MONTGOMERY

PROFESSOR AT THE PHILADELPHIA DIVINITY SCHOOL AND ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

ECKLEY BRINTON COXE JUNIOR FUND

PHILADELPHIA PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM

1913

P7

630411

TO

MY FATHER AND MOTHER

FIRST

AND BEST OF TEACHERS

CONTENTS
PAGE

PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
I.

13

SURVEY OF THE MATERIAL

1.

2.

The Material in the Museum The Material Hitherto Published and

Collections

13
in

Other
16

3.

Some Notes on the Texts Hitherto Published.. 23

II.

SCRIPT AND LANGUAGE

4.
5. 6.
7.

Introductory

26 27

The "Rabbinic" Texts The Syriac Texts The Mandaic Texts

32 37

III.

THE MAGIC OF THE TEXTS

8.
9.

10.

1 1.

12.

The The The The The

Praxis of the Inscribed Bowls

Exorcists

40
46 49
51

Clients
Incantations

Objects of Exorcism; the Demons, etc

67 95

13.

Propitious Angels, Deities, etc

IV.

HISTORICAL CONCLUSIONS
14.
15.

Age of the Bowls

Relations of the Bowl-Magic
(5)

102 106

CONTENTS.

TEXTS
Nos. 1-42.

PAGE
Transliteration, Translation, Notes
117

Nos. 1-30.
Nos. 31-37. Nos. 38-40.

"Rabbinic" Texts
Syriac Texts Mandaic Texts

117

223

244

Appendix:
No.
41. 42.

An

Inscribed Skull
of the Lilith Legend

256
258

No.

A Form

GLOSSARIES:
Prefatory Note
A. Personal
B.

267
269

Names

Personal Names and Epithets of Deities, Angels,

Demons, etc
274
281

C.

General Glossary

GENERAL INDEX.
PREFATORY NOTE TO THE PLATES
REGISTER OF THE BOWLS
PLATES
Texts
Alphabetic Tables

309

319
321

Photograph of Bowl

PREFACE
The primary purpose
translation
of this

pubUcation was to

edit,

with

and necessary

notes, the incantation texts inscribed

in the possession of the

on bowls from Nippur, now

Museum. But it soon became apparent that full account should be made of all other published texts of like character, both for my own
advantage
in securing a larger material for collation

and

also

for the convenience of scholars

by presenting
field,

in

one work a

survey of a rather remote and scattered

in

which

many

have labored but none has attempted a treatment

ject at large.
I

of the sub-

have accordingly not only given a description

but also collated
it

of all the earlier material

as fully as possible

both in the Glossaries and in the references of Introduction

and Commentary.

The

Introduction, thus extended beyond

still

the field of the Nippur texts, has grown to

greater dimen-

sions with the enlarging perception of the intimate relations

between the bowl-inscriptions and the broad

magical literature.

fields of

ancient

Previous editors, working before the preslittle

ent great development of the study of magic, had taken

notice of these connections with a wider world.

Analogies

with the Talmud

tic

and possible connections with the Kabbalisout,

lore

had been pointed

but the bowls

still

remained
ancient

without definite place or links in the general

magic.

field of

Withal the relations of Jewish magic to the larger

few decades an immense advance has
its

whole have not yet been ascertained.

But within the

been

last

made

in

our knowledge of ancient magic and of

prime
chief

importance as a study in the history of mankind.

(7)

The

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
first,

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

stimulus to this has come,

from the anthropologists and

the students of comparative religion,

to ignore the
of the in the

who have taught

us not

most primitive
spirit.

or

most degraded manifestations

human

Then

there have been the rapid strides

advance of Egyptology and Assyriology, where at every

step the student faces the problem of the identities

and

differ-

ences of magic and religion.

Further, the classical philologists

have at
in the

last

condescended to examine the vulgar magical records

interest

Greek and Latin tongues, and have found an

in

them as revealing how the ancient "man of the street," and wiser men as well, actually talked and thought, in modes
different
tion.

from the traditional standards

this

of the classical civiliza-

Of

large

increase

in

material and understanding

result

have been fortunately able to avail myself, with the

in part the lineal

of the discovery of innumerable clues proving that the bowl-

magic

is

descendant of the old Babjdonian

sorcery while at the

same time

and

this

is

the

more imporits

tant because a less expected discover}^

it

takes

place in

that great

field of Hellenistic

magic which pervaded the whole

study has been

of the western world at the beginning of the Christian era.

My

chief contribution to the

in these

two

direc-

tions, the relations

with the cuneiform religious texts and the

Greek magical papyri.

influence

The

writer's

knowledge of Egyptian
in

magic was wholly at second hand, and

any case that

to

earlier

was mediated

to this special field through Hellenism.

is

The

Christian Syrian literature

shown

have

its close

con-

nections, being thoroughly infused, as

magical ideas.
of capital

was the early Church, with Magic within Judaism has been the subject
scholars,

monographs by competent Jewish

I

and

in

that direction

have not been able to do much more than to

appropriate their results, except so far as to show the absolute

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY ARAMAIC

INCANTATION' TEXTS.

community
and Gentile

of ideas

and terms and practice between Jewish

It

sorcery.

remains a subject for an interesting

investigation to discover just

it

what Judaism gave

to,

and what
magic

received from, the Hellenistic magic, but probably a hope-

less

study,

for, as

someone has remarked,

in the history of

we must pursue not

As a
and
indicated in

the genealogical but the analogical method.

result of these comparisons, the conclusion

must be drawn,

as

15 of the Introduction, that the magic of the bowls,

of the

all Jewish magic, has come out of the crucible Graeco-Roman world, which, on account of its dominating civilization, we call Hellenistic; it is not Jewish but eclectic.

in a general

way,

However, with
it

this

broadening of the scope of the work,

has been the fixed purpose not to attempt any general study

of magic; this

would have been but to confuse

my

work and

cloud

my

results.

With a

single eye, the facts of the texts

have been illustrated

in as objective a

way

as possible from the

phenomena
tion.

of locally inherited

with the intent of

and contemporaneous magic, establishing the immediate bonds of connecthe study of magical thought and practice

My

work would be a contribution from a very small

field to

and limited

within a definite age and region.

At

least there has

come

to

the writer the satisfaction of finding a place for the

disjecta of these out-of-the-way

membra
of

texts in the

huge colossus

that system of magic which was once almost the actual religion
of our

western civilization.

If I

appear to have gone into

much
of

detail in the treatment

of these non-literary texts, I trust that the results will justify

my

undertaking; the expansion

the

work has proceeded

naturally and subtly

much beyond

the editor's desire and

convenience.

From

the philological point of view these vulgar

inscriptions are of as

much

interest to the Semitist as are the

10

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

magical papyri to the

classicist.

Careful study shows that,

unintelligible

with

the

exception

of

intentionally
like,

passages,

mystic phrases and the

the words and the syntax of the

texts are the autograph representatives of the language of their

writers.
script,

Three

different

Aramaic

dialects,

each with

its

own

and one

script a peculiar variety of the Edessene, are

offered in the bowls

from Nippur, and they are

of the dialectic
rise of

of

importance

as original

documents

forms of the speech of

Islam.

Babylonia about the eve of the

Other original

monuments

are well-nigh lacking for this field;

we

are confined
sects,

almost entirely to the school-literatures of rehgious

of

the Jews, Christian Syrians and Mandaeans, whose books are

preserved mostly in
literature
is all

late

manuscripts.

The Jewish magical

documentarily late or uncertain as to age, and

our texts have a historical worth as almost the earliest records

in that line

which can be exactly dated.

in order to test

Further, the obscure

and crabbed condition

logical
tion.

of the texts compelled

an exact philowill not, I hope,

examination

hypotheses of interpretait

And

as to matters

beyond philology,
if

be set

down

to wilful acriby

have attempted to work out

is

very small

clues.

In such work as this there

it is

no immediate

compensation on the surface, and

onlj-

by following out

the fine tendrils of connection that results worth while can

The writer's experience in his study is well expressed by some words of Professor Deissmann: "It may be
be obtained.
that hundreds of stones, tiresomely repeating the same monoto-

nous formula, have only the value of a single authority, yet in their totality, these epigraphic results furnish us with plenty
of material

only

one should not expect too

much
it

of them,

or too little" {Bible Studies, 82).

In regard to the representation of the texts

might have

been technically more correct to present them in their several

J.

A.

MONTGOMERYARAMAIC INCANTATION

TEXTS.

But apart from the difficulty of procuring two of these types in American printing houses and compositors who could set them, it must be patent that the general convenience is far better subserved by presenting the texts in the well-known
scripts.

Hebrew
second

character, while those

who

desire the original scripts

can satisfy themselves with the facsimiles published in the

volume.

The

peculiar

Mandaic

relative

particle
"j;

is

represented, according to convention,

I

by the

diacritical

but

have departed from the usual custom of editing Mandaic texts

by representing the pronominal suffix in -h by H and have used n for the radical H or H, which two sounds fall together
in the dialect.

In the Glossaries words containing this

its

common
indicate

character are arranged according to

as

etymological distinction
inferior

or n.

In the transliterations

points

doubtful readings, superior points are used for the diacritical

marks

of the Syriac texts.

The numbered

lines of the texts

represent the spiral lines, taken as beginning from the radius

where the inscription begins.

The Prefatory Note

similes

to the Plates describes

how

the fac-

were made.

have to express
in proof.

my

deep obligation to

my

friend

and

colleague, the Rev. Dr. R.

K. Yerkes,

for his

careful reading of the

volume

James A. Montgomery.
The University Museum,
February
2,

1912.

I.

SURVEY OF THE MATERIAL

I..

The Material
Museum
at

in the

Museum
number of
the

The
so-called
size

University

contains

large
to

inscribed
the the

earthenware bowls

found

Nippur belonging
These
vessels

category of
generally
in

"Incantation

Bowls."

are

of

and shape of a modern porridge-bowl, except that

is

most cases
itself

the bowl
in a state

somewhat cone-shaped, so

that

when

set

down

it

balances

of unstable equilibrium.
flat

Some few have

the boss expanded into

a rim, thus giving a

surface at the bottom of the bowl.

5

The most
There

common
is

size is of

about i6 cm. diameter at top, by

cm.

full depth.

one large bowl, 28 x 16 cm.'

The bowls

are

made

of a good clay, and are wheel-turned and kiln-

dried; they have no surface, slip or glazing of any kind.'

They were

domestic ware, intended for foods, and in no

vessels

way

differ

from the simple

which to

this

day are made

in the

Orient for household use.

in Babylonia,

The bowls
the
finds

in the

Museum were

excavated at Nippur,
;

by

University
of the

of

Pennsylvania

Expedition

so

far as I

know, they are

in

first

two campaigns, conducted by Professor Peters

mounds,
in

the

years 1888, 1889.

According to Peters' account,' these bowls were found

in

on the

top, or in the first strata of the

several places.

They

appear generally to have been discovered

the ruins of houses, amidst

;

what Peters suggests were Jewish settlements

hill,

the whole surface of one

he says "was covered with a Jewi.sh settlement, the houses of which

built of

were

mud-brick, and in almost every house

we found

one, or more,

'

'

Many I am

such large specimens are

indebted
to

in the British

Museum and
late

at Constantinople.

Mr.

D.

Randall-Maclver,

of

the

Museum,

for

the

characterization of the pottery.

'

See his Nippur, the Index to which, sub "Jewish incantation bowls" gives the

references.

13

14

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
one case bowls were found
in

Jewish incantation bowls."*

At

least

in

in

connection with a cemetery; "we

It

found ourselves

a graveyard

was

interesting to find, between one

and two metres below the surface,

coffins, inscribed

in the

immediate neighborhood of slipper-shaped

Hebrew

bowls.'"

As

for the

chronological light thrown upon these bowls, Cufic

coins were found in the houses of these "Jewish" settlements,' and one

of the most extensive finds of inscribed bowls

was

in the strata

above the
seventh

"Court of Columns," a

Parthian

building.'

Peters

holds

the

century to be the latest date for the Jewish settlements where Cufic coins

were found.'

The Museum Catalogue

specimens,

counts

over

150

numbers of

this class of

but the enumeration includes a large

I

number

of

fragments.
;

About 30 of the bowls are what

some cases with mere
oflf

would

call

"original fakes"

they are

inscribed with letters arbitrarily arranged, or with pot-hooks, or even in

scrawls,

and

judge that these articles were palmed

incantations.'

on the unlearned public as "quite as good" as true

still

larger
that
I

number of

the bowls are so broken and their inscriptions so defaced,

have not been able to use them.

Others again were inscribed by so

illiterate scribes that

so far as they can be

made

out, they offer only

some

magical jargon, which adds nothing to our knowledge.

a

Again there are

few

texts

which are

fairly

written and without those self-betraying

combinations of
less are

letters that suggest a

mock
in

inscription, but

which neverthe-

not Semitic.

They may be
I

some non-Semitic tongue, whether,

for example, in Pahlavi,

am

not able to say.

One

of the neatest of the

bowls. No. 2954, containing only four circular lines of inscription, interested

me

as presenting a novel alphabet

is

but

soon came to the conclusion

learned

that this

but another "fake." produced

we may suppose by some

impostor

or
f
.

wag.

ii,
i.

182
24s.

cf.

p.

194.

' ii, 183. On the following page the writer says that .Arabic bowls along with Jewish and Syriac were found but the Museum contains no Arabic specimens. ' Hilprecht, Explorations in Bible Lands, p. 447.
;

>'.

153,

183, 186.

For further discussion of the

fee.

date, see 14.

In

many
xiii,

cases the inscriptions were written by laymen,

who

thus saved themConstantinople,

selves the exorcist's

Schwab

notices

some

forged

bowls

at

PSBA,

595.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

15

All the relics

from Xippur came

to the University as the gift of the

I

Sultan of Turkey, and in the matter of these incantation bowls

that the best specimens, the largest

understand
in the

and

fairest,
all

have been retained

Imperial

Museum

at Constantinople.

At

events those in Philadelphia

in almost all cases prevent

complete decipherment because of mutilation."

large segment of the spherical surface

may

be missing, or an extensive

portion of the interior, a side, or the upper or lower portion of the bowl

may have become

line.

illegible,

probably through the action of water.

The

inscription being spiral, such mutilations intrude their

annoyance

into every to the toil

The damaged nature

of this collection has added

much
hand

of decipherment, for every break in the text and every eflfacement necessitates speculation as to the missing contents.

On

the other

it

is

cause

for

remark and gratitude that these

fragile vessels

have been preserved as

intact as they are,

and that the scribes used such excellent ink that what

they wrote has largely survived in defiance of "the powers of the air," the

elements and the corroding chemical agents.

As

a result of the investigation of the

whole collection

have selected

40 bowls for publication, to which number should be added the one published earlier

by

Myhrman (accompanying No.

illegible

7).

The remaining bowls The languages of

the

and fragments are on the whole too

or too undecipherable to

make
are

it

worth while

to

add them

to this material.
:

inscriptions are three

Aramaic

dialects

( i )

the language with which

to

we

familiar

from the Babylonian Talmud,

an appendix,

which belong Nos. 1-30;

(2) a Syriac dialect, Nos. 31-37; the Mandaic, Nos. 38-40.

Each of these
skull

has

its

own

script.

.'\s

publish, as

No. 41, a human

inscribed with a magical inscription of like character to those on the bowls,

and Xo. 42

is

a text of peculiar magical contents

its

which has come to

my

hands, but with

original

now

lacking in the

Museum.

" With few exceptions, all the bowls I have deciphered have been put together from fragments into which they had fallen, in the Museum.

 2.

The Material Hitherto

The
first

Published, and in Other Collections'

publication of

Mesopotamian incantation bowls appeared

Discoveries
in

in

Layard's

notable

volume.

the

Ruins of Nineveh and

Hillah, the great

Babylon^
explorer

In describing his finds at Tell

tells

Amran, near
bowls
of

of discovering "five cups or

earthenware,
letters

and

fragments of others, covered on the inner surface with

a kind of ink" (p. 509).
before.

written in

He

notes that like material had been discovered

Two

from the

collection of a

Mr. Stewart had been deposited

in

the British
eight

Museum, which had

obtained
at

also acquired

through Colonel Rawlinson

specimens

Bagdad, their provenance however being

unknown.

In a later passage (p. 524) Layard records the discovery of a

similar bowl, along with

many

fragments, at Nippur,

the

precursor of

the collection in Philadelphia.

Layard committed
British
pp.

his

bowls to Mr. Thomas

results

Ellis,

of the staff of the

Museum, whose
of
Ellis's

are

given in Layard's

work, appearing
p.

509-523.'

Layard himself takes up the discussion

results.

523

lif.

with

criticism

The

latter

presented five Judaeo-Aramaic

bowls, and one in Syriac, with summaries of fragments of others.

these

Of
his

only

four were given in

facsimile,

nos.

i,

3,

5,

6.*

Subsequent
in

scholarly investigation

has

proved

not

only

that Ellis

was wild

interpretations of the bowls, but also that the facsimiles

were unreliable.

Hence

the latter can only be used with caution or with the aid of later

'

Stiibe,

Jiidisch-habyhnische
date,
viii

literature

up to

Zaubertexte, 1895. gives a good review of the See also although requiring some corrections and additions.
(1893), 313
is
f.

Wohlstein, in
'

ZA,
1853.

London,

There

German

translation by Zenker, the bowls appearing

there in Plate xx.

'

Layard leaves
Ellis's first

it

somewhat

indefinite

which bowls were treated by

our No.
this
11,

Ellis.

bowl turns out

at

to be a duplicate of

able to present the restored text of the former.

Was

under which I am the bowl which Layard

reports

was found

\ippur?
(16)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

17

copies, while the

bowls published without facsimiles are absolutely worthLayard's publication therefore did
little

less as scientific copy.

more than
religious

attract the attention of scholars to a fresh field of philology

lore.

and

The

first

scientific

treatment of this

new

material
Ellis's

came from M. A.
bowl, no.
i,

Levy, of Breslau,

who

devoted a long essay to

in the

Zeitschrift d. Deutschen

M orgenldndischen

Gesellschaft for 1855 (ix, 465).'

He was
He
also

the

first to

grasp the peculiar lingo of the inscription, and in his

commentary drew

largely

from Judaistic and Mandaic

stores of learning.

gave an elaborate treatment of the palaeography of the bowl,

overthrowing the claims that had been advanced for a pre-Christian origin.

Twenty years

later J.

M. Rodwell published

bowl from Hillah that

title.

had been procured by the British Museum, under the

a Tcrra-Cotta Vase, with a photographic facsimile.'

Remarks upon

This second English

its

venture at decipherment was no better than the

in the fact that the

first,

sole merit lying

French scholar

J.

Halevy was induced

and
to give
it

to take

up the

same bowl on the

eration
tin

basis of the facsimile,

a scholarly translit-

and

translation, with

commentary, under the

title,

Observation sur
that

vase judeo-babylonien du British Museum!'

the

Four of the bowls

had been published were presented by

great

Hebrew
is

epigraphist
first

Chwolson

in his

monumental Corpus inscriptionum hebraicarum' The

is

(Chwolson's number, 18)

the third (no. 20)
is

Ellis

no.

i,

the second (no. 19)

Ellis no. 3,

the bowl

pubhshed by Rodwell and Halevy; and the

fassen.

Vber die von Layard aufgefundenen chalddischen Inschriften auf TopfgeBin Beitrag zur hebrdischen PaVdographie u. s. Religionsgeschichte, with Ellis's facsimile. Levy again treated the same inscription under the title "Epigraphische Beitrage zur Geschichte der Juden," in the Jahrbuch f. d. Geschichte d.
'
ii

Judeii,
'

(1861), 266, 294.

In

TSBA,

ii

(1873), ii4iv,

'

In Cotnptes rendus de I'Academie des Inscriptions et Bclles-Letires, series

vol.

V (for 1877; Paris, 1878), 288.

He

re-edited his material in his

Melanges de

critique et d'histoire, 229.

' St. The facsimiles are reproduced at the end Petersburg, 1882, col. 113 f. of the volume. The Russian edition of this work (St. Petersburg, 1884) publishes five bowls and considerably varies from the German edition (so Wohlstein, ZA, viii, 315). For nos. 19, 21, Chwolson made use of improved transcripts prepared for him

by Halevy. In his review of the Corpus in the Gottingische Gelehrte Anzeige for 1883, Landauer comments on these bowls (p. 507).

18

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYl^ONIAN SECTION.

fourth (no. 21)

is

Ellis no. 5.

Chwolson adopted a
his predecessors,

skeptical position to-

ward

the speculations

and guesses of

and

his

commentaries
is

are valuable as a restraint upon their theories.

discussion of the age of the bowls a subject which
I

Of

special interest

his

from the palaeographic point of view

take up in

5.

The most
1882

extensive editor of the material under discussion has been

Moise Schwab, the author of the French translation of the Talmud.

he published,
of the
in

In
the

collaboration

with

E.

Babelon,
title

bowl

in

possession

French government, under the

Un

vase jiideo-

chaldeen de la Bibliotheque Nationale' along with a facsimile and com-

mentary.

In 1885 he published a bowl at the Louvre in an article entitled

d' incantation"

Une coupe
series of

without facsimile.

He

then presented a large

bowls

in the

Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology,

for the years

lished,

1891 and 1892."

He
It

included several bowls already pub-

with the old facsimiles, but failed to offer photographic copies of

the bowls he brought to light.

seems strange that the English scholarly

relics in the British

world rested content with the poor facsimiles of the

Museum, made almost

forty years before, and that

Schwab

did not avail

articles

himself of better texts than his predecessors had used.

Between the

appearing in the two volumes of the

of two bowls to the

PSBA

Dr.

Revue
in the

d'assyriologie, etc.,

under the

Schwab contributed studies title, "Deux vases

judeo-babyloniens.""

These he numbered

and

so as to align

them

with those appearing

other publications.

The

material thus presented

by Schwab
A,
in

is

as follows
no.
18.

B, in
C, in

D, in

PSBA, xii = Ellis, no. i; Levy; Chwolson, PSBA, xii = Ellis, no. 3 Chwolson, no. 19. PSBA, xii := Rodwell Halevy Chwolson, no. PSBA, xii = Ellis, no. 5; Chwolson, no. 21.
;

20.

In Revue des etudes juives, " In Revue de I'assyriologie

*

iv

(1882), 165.
orientale,
i

et d'archeologie
et

(1886),

117.

" In
British

vol. xii, 292:

Les coupes magiques

p.

I'hydromancie daus I'antiquite orientale,

with introductory remarks, and,

296,

a description of the 22 bowls then in the

Museum;

was
1891.

first

This material 583: Coupes a inscriptions magiques. presented to the French Academy of Inscriptions in the years 1883, 1885,
in vol.
xiii,

At the end of the

ii

first article is

a glossary to the bowls published therein.

"

(1892), 136.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
bowl

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

19

E, in

PSBA,

xii; a

in the

National Library at Paris, also in RBJ,

it

iv,

(without note in the Proceedings that he had published

ii
;

before).

F, G, in Rev. d'ass.,

bowls in the Louvre.

in

The

exterior inscription on

G
H,
I,

is

given under
xii; a
xii; a

PSBA
in

(p. 327).

in

in

PSBA, PSBA,

bowl bowl

in the British

Museum.
i

the Louvre, also in Rev. d'ass.,

it

(without

note that he had published

L, in

before).

PSBA,
PSBA,
P,
in

xiii; a

bowl

in the

Lycklama Museum

at

Cannes (other than

that published by Hyvernat).

M,

in

xiii

bowl

in the

Louvre, acquired by Heuzey.

N, O,

PSBA,
;

xiii;

three bowls in the collection Dieulafoy

from

Susiana.

Q,
R,

in

PSBA, xiii a bowl in the Musee de Winterthur. in PSBA, xiii a bowl in the coin department
;

of the Bibliotheque

Nationale.

Meanwhile there had appeared,

provincial

in

1885,

study

of

bowl
in

in a

French

museum by H. Hyvernat
:

(now

professor

the

Catholic University, Washington)

Sur un vase judeo-babylonien du musee

Unfortunately the accompanying
;

Lycklama

de

Cannes

{Provence)"

photographic facsimiles are barely legible as published

little

however there

is

doubt as to the text and

its

meaning. "

Schwab

also refers" to a

bowl

published by B.
of Archaeology,

Markaug
iv,

in the
I

Zapiski of the Imperial Russian Society

83,

which

have not been able to procure.

incantation

few years

later the

collection of

bowls at the Royal

scholars,

Museum
under the

in Berlin

was made the subject of study by two young

J-

working contemporaneously but independently.

title,

Wohlstein published,

Ueber

einige aramdische Inschriften auf Berlin, five

Thongefdssen des

koniglichen

Museums zu

bowls, with introduction to the general

subject and commentary."

And

R. Stiibe published a Berlin bowl in his

" In Zeitschrift

f.

Keilschriftforschung,
criticism

ii

(1885), ht,.

" This publication received of the same journal (p. 217),

;

from M. Griinbaum on a subsequent page especially for its dependence upon Kohut's notions of Jewish angelologj' and on p. 295 Noldeke expressed some comments on the text, especially animadverting on its age. " Rev. d. Assyriologie, ii, 137. " ZA, viii (1893), 313, and ix (1894), iii In vol. viii appears no. 2422; in vol.
ix,

nos. 2416, 2426, 2414, 2417.

20

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

J iidisch-babylonische Zaubertexte"
edited,
is

The

text he pubHshed, the longest yet

his

the

same as the second given by Wohlstein;

contemporary, to

treatment

is

fuller than that of his

whom
is

he

is

able to refer in his

printed notes.

Stiibe gives a description of nineteen bowls in the British

Museum.
in the

Unfortunately neither publication

enriched with facsimiles.

Subsequently S.

Fraenkel contributed some notes to Wohlstein's bowls

same

journal, in part

on the basis of
at

his

own

transcription."

Pognon, French consul

Bagdad, broke the ground of a fresh dialect

of bowl-inscriptions with the study of a Mandaic bowl

Une

incantation

contre les genies malfaisants en mandaite, appearing in 1892."

The bowl
Musseyib,
to

was purchased from Arabs

at

Bismaya.
at

In 1898 the same scholar published

an elaborate work upon bowls found

Khuabir 55 km.
His work,

NW of

on the right bank of the Euphrates; he visited the

reach the
site

locality but

was unable

where the bowls were found.

and

entitled Inscriptions

mandaites des coupes de Khouabir," contains some valuable appendices, of

wider interest than the

title

suggests,

is

furnished like the earlier

monograph with
by Lidzbarski
fifth

full

apparatus.

Five more Mandaic bowls were published

i,

in

his

Ephemeris,
is

89,

"Mandaische Zaubertexte."

The
in the

of

these

texts

duplicate

of

my

No.

11

and

is

given there in

parallelism.

Three of the texts are

in the Berlin

Museum, and two

Louvre.
Professor Gottheil contributed to Peters' Nippur
of one of the bowls at Pennsylvania
(ii,

182) a translation

(^

No. 12 below).

Dr.

Myhrman,
and with

of Uppsala, published from the same collection no. 16081, with commentary;
his

monograph appeared

in

Le monde

orientale, Uppsala, 1907-8,

revision as a contribution to the Hilprecht Anniversary Volume'' under

" Halle,

1895.

" ZA,
print.
'"

ix, 308.
la

" In the Mhnoires de

Paris,
1898, with

Socicte de Linguistique (Paris),

viii,

193,

and

in

separate

facsimiles and full glossary; reviewed by Noldeke,

1899,
col.

WZKM,
(p. l).

xii,

141;

Lidzbarski,
xlvi,

TLZ,
43,

171;

Schwally,
also

OLZ,

ii,

Revue
In

critique,

xlix,

484.

Pognon

saw some

458; Chabot, bowls in the square

7,
iii,

character,

some

in Estrangelo,

my
"

citations to

Pognon,
p.

and some which he presumed might be in Pahlavi cite his two books as A and B respectively.

Leipzig,

1909;

342.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

21

the

title

An Aramaic
7.

Incantation Text; this text

is

given below in parallel

with No.
It
is

in place here to notice the location of incantation

bowls
I

in the

various museums.

Despite a query addressed over a year ago

have not

received any information

acter

from the
at

authorities as to the

number and char;

of

the

bowl-texts
I

the

Imperial

Museum
fine,

in Constantinople

its

collection

from what

hear must be large and

and has been particularly

enriched from Nippur.

Dr. L.
tains 61

W. King
I

has kindly informed

me

that the British

bowls of our

class, exhibited in the

Babylonian Room.

Museum conSome of

the specimens,

also learn, are of very large size.

The

texts are in the

square

script, Syriac,

Mandaic and Arabic.

up, for the year 1906, the bowl-texts in the

Schwab thus sums

museums:" 2
Lycklama, Cannes

French

in the National Library, 7 in the Louvre, 2 in the

;

Museum
Museum
9 with

also one in private hands.

I learn that in
e.

Through Professor Ranke's kindness

there are 69 bowls with

the Berlin

"Hebrew"

(i.

Aramaic?)

inscriptions,

Syriac (presumably inclusive of Mandaic).

19 of these.
In the

Stiibe gives a description of

skulls, similar

same museum there are two inscribed

doubtless to the one published below as No. 41.

At the National Museum

in

Washington are found

five

bowls, four in

square script, one in Estrangelo; but from photographs kindly lent

me by

Dr. Casanowicz, two of the former are to be designated as "fakes" in the

sense used above.

These bowls are said to have been found

at Hillah.

The German
58,

Orient-Gesellschaft has recently announced the discovery of

three bowls at Asshur," and Koldewey,

Tempel von Babylon

at Borsippa.

u.

Borsippa,

speaks of numerous Aramaic bowls found

Of bowls

in private hands, I note

one unpublished Syriac text

in the

possession of Professor Hyvernat, of the Catholic University, Washington;

and three which Mr.

Wm.

T. Ellis purchased at Nippur in 191 1, one of

them containing a Syriac

this text I

text similar to those published in this

in the

volume;

have prepared for publication

Journal of the American

" Journal asiatique, X, vii, " Mittheilungen, no. 43, p.

8.

13.

22

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

Oriental Society, where

it

will

shortly appear.

few

citations of this

text are given in the glossaries under the abbreviation "Montg."^

The provenance
and lying on both

of this material

is

thus confined to a small region,

extending from Nippur and Bismaya on the south to Asshur on the north,
sides of the Euphrates.

" The "Roman bowl from Bagdad" described by O.

S.

Tonks

in the

Am. Journal

of Archaeology, 1911, 310, on which he would find some magical syllables, has been proved by A. T. Olmstead (ib., 1912, 83) to be a late Arabic forgery. A Pahlavi

bow! inscription reported by A. V. to our category.

W.

Jackson,

JAOS,

xxviii, 345, does not

belong

3-

Some Notes on the Texts Hitherto Published

some
critical

I offer in this section last

notes on the texts described in the

cases have been simplified
distinction in the script
>
.

section.

The

texts

would

in

many
is

if

the

editors

had recognized that there

no
1

between

n and n, and most often none between

and
I

The

glossary will indicate

emendations of simple words, but here

the construction.
Ellis
I

present corrections necessary for

has been recovered, as remarked above, through a duplicate in

collection;

the

Pennsylvania
2.

see

to

No.

ii.

No

facsimile

is

given for

ElHs

In Ellis 3 the opening lines should read

(3)
'Ji

:'

na'nsi
to

'JtiD

'1

nans

n pnn
Nnto^

smo'si nan na'nD

Nnobi
'["ilTJ

b:>

n:'n

-13

ni'sno

]'\nb'\2

(2}

poN
dibi

nj'n
of

na rnsno

]^nb^2

pox n&rn
Mehperoz'

'ja

ba

xrupu.
Hindii
but see

The
(see

discovery

the
clears

proper

names,
lines.

son

of
?

Glossary

P>),

up these

Glossary
write

C
;

under

latter

word.

After the

first

xmD'X word

=
'D

xmnD\S

the scribe intended to

,

''in

inadvertently he broke into the

is

word with
for

and then leaving

the error uncorrected (as

first

the rule of these scribes) continued with the

pi^'^i^'J''^
(

word.

glossary.

Read In 4
1.

in
f
.

1.

4,
is

?)

p.T'r-iK'O

cf

NnJiaCD

in

there

a parallelism to the opening lines of

Schwab

Ellis 3

Schwab
Dica
'jia

G
nasn nasn
aaia

'a'sn
'ja

n'DC

(?)

miD nysn naen

na'sn
'bro
(?)
'aani

njjiN

na'sn

n'ou*

nasn
na^sn

ban pn'VK'
'31

anmb
'31

sa'sn 'bro

na'sn

N3KT NHDi^

nncn

XE'JX

xasT snn^

s3''Bn

snivc na'sn

DIE'3

introduces a magical formula which can accomplish the bouleverse(

ment
'

na'sn) of

all

things and hence of evil arts.

'Jia

aaia,

and must

The numbers
This reading

in the text represent the spiral lines.

is

'

certain

in

1.

8.

(23)

24

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
used in the general sense of planet.
etc.

be the Assyrian kewdn (biblical

\tn>\!&,

\V2 ),

NDiVE', are
f.).

used

in the

sense of derisio,
is

(see Payne-Smith, Thes.,

col.

4249

What
is

follows

to be read thus:

"The curse of

father and
is

mother,
(K''^B'),

of

daughter
far

and daughter-in-law and mother-in-law

is

loosed

what
found

and what
country

near,

what

is

found

in

country or city
(

what
is

is

in the

is

loosed,

and what curses

?)

in the city

loosed,

and what
5,
1.

falls

by the way."

In Ellis
\VKiWi
it),
all

2,

read Nn'a (for K'oa) and the following word possibly

ID,

and translate

"a house, whatever

from
it

its

name

(i. e.

whoever owns

let

them read and depart

dwell in
it

n'n"'

ipiS'l^i
is,

np'S lip'^), even

evil, spirits

who

(i.

e.)

any vows,"

etc.; that
is

the

are to

read the kamea and depart.

The

jussive with h

exceptional.
I

For the bowl edited by Rodwell, Halevy, Chwolson and Schwab,

the following transliteration
:

give
^3

sn!?E'Nl nT-Ji xnoi^l t'D'pn

piaw fCU ptnn

"Kma!?

n'b t''^3V^1
p^-'Ni

n'l^

'nnvn 'CJni na^n

soNom

n'^'H .I'anpii I'p'n-n sn^l^oi

pnocc
Ii
*'ix

p^'N
'DTn

tii^^i^i

chv njn pn nov

P'TEJU

jd nl^sbia

jin'bm n'lrrp^i ^I'nvnbi

pi'ani

pn^noip
'Vin

ba

pi

ID

p^D3Di

ppsDi
n'Djn

\''\^y>'s

pivj

*pT3Di

nms
is

hv

n^xbia (for

n'Dp-ii

""smm)

"xmani iTnvm pnTi-no.

So much
Kircnnb

clear.

Then
'niiTJ

follows an apostrophe to a certain star, which

appears also in Schwab E.

''B'^^

With

this parallel to

our aid

read: K3313

'IS

nd^d

niDX xrai

n'^VT:

i.

e.

"Oh

(or,

woe), the star

on which rides salvation (healing),' the one which teaches arts to witches;"
that
is,

some

star potent in medicine

evil.

and black
is

arts,

which may be invoked

K'DiDD
"13

for good or
E'^1SD

Towards

the end

to be read: KDE*

n'De"3

K3T.

"in the

the great Ineffable

name of Bar Mesosia Name."

see notes

(a master-conjurer evidently),

For Schwab E,

on the bowl just discussed.

'Din
,

In

the middle

of the inscription for

n'DDlp

read

'p

'Din

*
*

Perfect, followed by futuritive ppl.

Not an Arabism, as Halevy

Pael pass.
ppl.
;

suggests.

' '

Syriac interjection

or do these characters belong to 'Sin

In the parallel,

Schwab E, we have
'

S K'Sin.

Cf. the Rabbinic m'J.

Cf.

Mai

20.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
might

ARAMAIC
contribute

INCANTATION TEXTS.

25

A
Schwab
Read

new
F.
rryat^'S

collation

much
is

to the

understanding of
spirit."

In

1.

i,

nntJ* ("strong
line.

one")
read

an epithet of the "evil

tijk ''ybv,
':

at

end of

L.

2,

msJN

being the

name
oil

of the demon, and occurring again below.

(the
spirits)

L.
oil.

3,

read sntj'oa, "like

i.

they

are

dipped into the vessel of his heart,"

e.,

the

man's inwards are suffused with diseases as with

''D^^

L. 9 again
jor

'DTn for

. L.

10, 'Dinn

for

'Dinn

. L.

11,

n3'3

s3xt pxi

itoj nv. "(ye

angels go forth from him) until the consummation of time and that time
is

known,"
In

with

reference to the day of judgment.

1.

Schwab G,
I

9,

':^

rryoB'

rtbp

itchv

"wherefore have
etc.
.

heard a

voice?

have heard the voice of a man, Mesarsia,"

I,
1.

Schwab
"sorcery
I

I,

read
12.

snapiJ

pLslTisi

naTis
:

L.

5,

fDio
is

f|it5'i3,

exorcise."

L.

read

.'i^

KDE' D'EH

"inscribed

the

name

whereby heaven and earth are bound."

The

transliteration of

Schwab
in

is

almost untranslatable.

As

the

first

word read

sroio

"I adjure," which disposes of one of Schwab's proofs

that these bowls

were used
no.

hydromancy.
1.

In Berlin

Museum

2416,

(Stiibe
I

Wohlstein,
In
1.

1.

5)'

and

repeatedly below,

pnJT'DbT

"whom

have cursed."

20, etc. the

demons are bidden

selves to to 2: 2,

to depart

from the

sorcerer's client
rran,
1.

and transfer them-

any persons he has cursed.

For
1.

6 (W. 8), see below,

and for n'ann

1.

KH

bv,

22

(W. 31)

= "of Yahwe," 15 (W. 22), see 13: 7 and 26: 4. = "on ground of, in the name of the Mystery."
1.

In Wohlstein, no. 2422,

"false deity;" the

16,
is

KniVD

is

plural of the
no. 2426,

Targumic
1.

)VQ,

same

plural

meant

in Knj?0,

5.

In

no.

2417,

II.

3, 6,

for TiZl

read 'nai.

Then

'Dai 'DS

"my grandmother,"

and

'1

Knnbx

=
is

"the great goddess."

Stube's text

much

the better.

II.

SCRIPT
4.

AND LANGUAGE
Introductory
myself almost entirely to the

In the following notes I shall

confine

bowls
large
texts.

at

Pennsylvania.

The absence

of facsimiles or of good ones in a

number of the published

Moreover there
is

texts prevents a proper control over those

in confining the study to a single

some advantage

collection of texts

whose age and provenance can be exactly

from Nippur.

fixed as in
is

the case of the bowls

At

the

same time what

true of

these texts

is

found to hold good for other published

inscriptions.

Our
of
a

material

three classes: (i)

may be divided epigraphically and dialectically Of the "Rabbinic" dialect in the square character;
in

into

(2)

Syriac

dialect,

novel

form of

Estrangelo script;

(3) of the

Mandaic

dialect

in

its

peculiar alphabet.

Bowl

inscriptions

of the
text

first

and third classes have been published; but so

appeared with the exception of one essay noted
p.

far

no Syriac
6.

has

16 and in

Some apology may

used here,
it

be necessary for the term "Rabbinic" dialect.

As
any

does not imply that the rabbis or the Jews in Babylonia had

a special dialect,

they
is

spoke the native dialects; nor that there

is

is

unity in the language of the Talmud, which

alive with dialectic varieties.'

But the

Talmud

practically

our

only

source

for

certain

family

of Aramaic dialects in Babylonia, easily distinguished from the two other

literary dialects, the Syriac
is

(Edessene) and Mandaic.

The name chosen

a convenient handle.'

'

Our

texts

themselves,

as

the

discussion

will

show, are

frequently

of

non-

Jewish origin.
"

"Babylonian"

or

the

old-fashioned

equally indefinite and the former

"Chaldaic," might be used, but each would be most confusing.

is

(26)

 5-

The Rabbinic Texts

Script and

A.
Ellis,

Orthoepy

who made
was

the

first

attempt at decipherment of bowls in the

to
find
in

square character,

inclined

them a very primitive

script,

antedating the Christian era/

Levy proceeded
be
sure,

in a scholarly fashion

and

analyzed each
resources;^ he

character

to

with

rather

scanty

epigraphical

came

to the conclusion that the

bowl he was treating was

criticized Levy's
in

to be assigned to the seventh century.

Chwolson severely

method, and on the basis of the palaeographical material

his

Corpus
i

assigned the bowls of Ellis to various early dates (col. ii8). assigned to the
first

Ellis

he

Christian century

for three others he gave a graduated

third
is

chronology,
respectively.
absurdiitn.'

placing

them

in

the

second,

and

fourth

centuries

But Chwolson's own method

It
is

somewhat of a reductio ad
the various
variations of

hazardous to assign a date for these bowls on palaeo;

graphical

grounds

it

is

impossible

to

relate

script to each other

by a chronological scale.

For instance the contemporis

;

aneous character of many bowls at Nippur

shown by

the recurrence

of the same persons and families in the texts

indeed the same persons

appear in texts of different

in script.

dialects,

yet these inscriptions differ greatly

least in the

But there

is
;

no reason, at

Nippur bowls,

to assign

them

to different ages
I

from the

interrelations

between them, personal and

to the

phraseological,

am

inclined to assign
in the

them

same

period.

Indeed

they might

all

have been written

same

year, so far as palaeography

may say anything. The differences are chirographical, not palaeographical. Some of the scribes wrote a neat, even a beautiful hand but many were written by careless scribes, and many by illiterate ones, probably often by
;

'

In Layard,

o/y.

cit.,

510; so Layard himself for no.

i,

p. 525.

' '

ZDMG,

ix,

474p.

See Hyvernat,

140,

on Levy and Chwolson's arguments.

(27)

28

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

laymen,

who

affected to write their

own
"i

prescriptions.

The comparative
variations
for
3
eight,

plate of characters presented

in the

by Levy
:

offers a large

number of
t3

forms of many
six,
it

letters

for 3 and

eleven each, for

and

etc.

Now when

one short text offers so many varieties in

forms,

is

impossible for palaeography to give any nice chronological

estimate.

In fact the ruder the letters are, the

more archaic they appear;

yet they

may

be mere degenerations of the standard type or survivals of

an elder one persisting in obscure quarters.

One need

but take a glance at Euting's alphabetic tables at the end

of Chwolson's Corpus to recognize that the

Hebrew square
the later

character has
era.

remained essentially the same since near the beginning of the

earlier evidence
is

The

drawn from monuments,

from manuscripts,

while in the long centuries of scribal reproduction the Jews have developed
as
it

were a conventional ductus, whereas

earlier there

was

far

more room

for variation

when

this family

of the alphabet was not confined as a vehicle

of a school of religious scribes.

forms, but apparently
first
all

Thus

is

one of the most Protean of

almost every century of the

varieties are

found

in

millennium, according to Euting's showing.

In the palaeographical table attached to this

work

give

specimen

alphabets
results

drawn from

the bowls.

But a

fine

analysis

for chronological

would be
back

unprofitable.

For a round date the bowls might be placed

500 A. C, but
as
this date

on palaeographical grounds
further

at about

might be carried

or

further

down according

other

evidence

might be

adduced.

The
and

finial

letters

are used, but with few instances of finial

V.

A
1

phenomenon
'

that presents
n.

some
the

difficulty is the practical identification of

and of n and
'

In

case

of

the

former

pair, they are often

distinguished, the

being then represented by a short stroke or sometimes

1

by a small angle, the

differentiation,

by a long stroke; but there

'

is

no consistency
1
;

in this

and the
line

is

easily prolonged into a stroke like

'

within the

same text or

or even word, the

may

be written both ways.

This

confusion has led to the barbarous appearance of

many

of the edited texts,

on which Noldeke has animadverted.*

certain vocalizations,
*

The confusion throws doubts on

or
^?t23'C^' ?

e. g. is it

NDSlts*

and

it is

of grammatical

Zeits.

f.

Keilschriftforsch.,

ii,

2q6.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
endings

^ARAMAIC
]!

INCANTATION TEXTS.

29

moment

in the verbal
),

and

f, where,

because of the recession

all

of the stroke of the

the vowel letters are not at

distinguished.

There

is

no

distinction

between n and

n in the Nippur bowls, and the

I

same

is

true of the other published bowls, so far as

It is

can observe.

The n
where
is

includes n.

the

same phenomenon

that appears in the Mandaic,

suffix.

n
the

has been retained only as a pronominal

This identification

representation of actual speech, in which our scribes no longer dis-

tinguished between the two gutturals, even as in the Mandaic.

Babylonian

Talmud

distinguished

between

them

in

its

text,

As the we may

surmise that the better educated preserved the difference at least

in spelling.'

The

final

a-vowel

is

expressed by K. less frequently by n.

is

Some

texts

use the latter consistently, and there

instance of this spelling.
e.

hardly a text which does not give an

It is

used regularly for certain

common
e.

words,

g. rT'b'b;
is

and especially when the word contains an K,

g.

njx,

mBK.
dialect
elselate

This

a primitive type of
it.

Aramaic orthoepy, but the Samaritan

has preserved

and an early Palestinian amulet, published by

me

where,

shows

the

same

features.'

The phenomenon

is

unique in

Eastern Aramaic.

The vowel
syllables

letters

and

'

are used abundantly, always in terminal

and for long vowels, and very commonly for short vowels.
respect, even
in the

Yet
whole

there is variation in this

same

text.

On

the

is

sparingly used as a vowel letter, preferably to indicate the feminine

e.

plural,
It

g.

xnK'^'b, yet indistinguishable

sn'b'^

is

as frequent.

goes without saying that there are no vowel points.

In one bowl

(No. 13) a kind of pothook has been used to separate words, and here

and there a point has been used, but

this

is

the extent of the punctuation.

Sometimes a scoring

is

found between the

oflf;

lines of script

and by means of

vertical lines phrases are blocked

tions.

these are generally magical combina-

In No. 22 one
Ellis's

word

is

written in
is

clumsy Syriac script and

Quite a peculiar script

in
is

one of

bowls a Syriac n
30,

once used.
in

found
'

in

No.

and B has a unique form

No.

22.

In

the

elder type of n, the left leg

confusion

with

n was

easier.

The

close assimilation of the

was attached to the upper bar, hence the The Rabbis preferred this form; see Men. 29b. two letters appears in the Assouan papyri of the fifth

century B. C.

JAOS,

1911, 272.

30

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYI<ONIAN SECTION.

B. The Language

The grammatical phenomena

in the

bowls from Nippur can for the

like the latter

most part be exemplified from the Babylonian Talmud, and

they present various dialectic types.

On

the one hand they have close

connections with Mandaic and on the other they show some Syriac idioms.

As
notice

in the

Mandaic orthoepy

the seiva

is

frequently designated by \ a
I

circumstance which throws light upon the minor vocalizations.

jin'CK, pnTi'a,

may
Nn^'X;
1,

"their

mother,
]-\nbn^f
,

house."
"their

etc.;

Knav'^.

pl-,

with prefixes: nans'a;

sono"^;

left

hand;" and with

appearing

Nnn^l, "and daughters;"

in

tnn^EJ'!5''1,

N^TI

(a

punctuation

also

Targum Onkelos,

see to 3: 3).
is

In the consonants there

the yielding of the harder sounds,

e.

g.

KHBOD'S, TDmjSD^X
a very rare character.

varying

with

'pD'X,

'V'X

indeed S

has become

In general the gutturals are preserved, though n and In one bowl. No.
NtlS
6,

are

no

longer

distinguished.

which has other

Mandaizing

characteristics, are
oflfers

found

=
the

xnv, KpB'J,

VpB; \y3,

nay.

The
as
is

same bowl

pt3^'B"n,

with

intrusion

of a

new

vowel,

particularly characteristic of

Mandaic'
lists at

For the pronouns

their suffixal

may

refer to the

end of Glossary C.

For
(etc),
in

forms may be noted

nbv

n'3n, 2: 4,

and even n:2, 11: 9

"his sons,"

'nibj? in

duplicate texts (see to 11: 9), as

in the

common

Mandaic, and appearing also

'3- is

Talmud.

For the 2nd

per. pi. fern.

used for l'D-(see to 7: 3).

plural
is

The masculine
association,
k'iid 8:

in

''-

and

)'-

indifferently,
i

even

in

close

6 and the nouns in 13:

ending

in n'

are probably

Mandaic forms of

spelling, e.
'

As
its

for the verb, along with

6,

as dominant prefix in the impf.,

'),

takes

place in Nos.

13 (along with two cases in

in 25
:

19, 25, 28.

Nifal

with Aramaic ending appears

In

2,

imnoj

along with the ppl. pno'J.

28:

appears
e.

a
g.

Syriac Ethpai'al, inTiCTi.

jiDnn'n, jlpnTD

The n of

the reflexive

is

rarely lost, yet

The we have
'

1st

pers.

sing,

appears as rbop or
is

n'^Dp,
plural,

for a verb of i-stem

n^p'^D.

There

found a perfect
25.

pnanCK,

as in Syriac.

Noldeke, Mand. Cram.,

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
plurals,

ARAMAIC
it is

INCANTATION TEXTS.

31

Second feminine

which are lacking

in the

Talmud, are found

and

unfortunately as the notes show,

not always possible to decide whether

is

a form
]<-.

is

singular or plural, and there

the

awkward confusion
and
doubtless
in

of \y

In

6:

9 pcaanTi

is

certainly

plural,
is

the

masculine

plural
-in,
is

termination (as in

Hebrew)

to

be understood

preference to
1 1
:

which would be the singular.

fern,

It is

uncertain whether

''?'\pv,

8,

26

6,
is

singular or plural; in the duplicate text to No. 11, the plural

evident.

For the few cases of the quiescence of

In
b

V in verbal forms, see above.

S"B roots

we

have.

e. g.,

nDNHK,

'Drrn.

Unique

is

the final loss of the

of

^tK in the participal

'rrn

form

srtK ,6:6.

For forms of Kin we have

''inn,

'irrn,

(both

in the

same

text), spelt elsewhere

;in, 'in; cf. is

'nn.

The masc.

plural of the participle appears as

;no, tO"i,

from nhd, NDi.

h

As

to the prepositions there

the interchange of
in

and

by,

as in

Mandaic.

Also observe the occurrence

the same line of

^^lD^p

and

n-DKnp ,3:7.

There

is

almost nothing peculiar in the syntax.

Jinijn'a,
-l

note the occurrence

also the unique

of an old- Aramaic idiom in

idiom,
if

"their house,"

1:6;
3

the text

is

correct,

D'yi,

"and

also,"

(cf. Latin,

simul ac).

'

See Levias,

Grammar

of the Aramaic Idiom Contained in the Bah.

Talmud,

188.

6.

The

Syriac Texts

In our collection appear seven bowls of Syriac script and language,

the
first

of this category to be published with the exception of the poor

facsimile of a probably similar bowl, accompanied with an unintelligible

transliteration, in

Layard, Nineveh and Babylon,

p.

521

f.'

A.

Script and Orthoepy

The

script reveals itself as belonging to the

Palmyrene-Syriac type,
is

and that we are dealing not with a mere autographic "sport"

the fact that

clear
It

from

two or three hands have written our seven

i,

texts.

agrees
in

with the Palmyrene and Edessene in pointing

not distinguishing 1.
is

and with the former

The Seyame or double

on
the
last
letter,

points are used; this

,

mark

generally

written
space,

but occasionally

generally for

reasons

of

on an
:

earlier

character.

Once

the
"i,

two points are

and
in

written vertically, 33

they

may

include the points of

34

appears to have the two points one above and one below.
provides the pronominal
fem. suffix
n

The

script

with an upper point, an ancient

is
;

distinction in literary Syriac'

But there

marked

distinction

from the

Edessene type

in

the absence of ligature

letters

may

touch one another,

but they are not purposely written together.

In examining the individual characters
(see

my

Alphabetic Tables)

we
3

find that

J, t,

n, v

agree with the types of the Estrangelo alphabet, and

latter;

and O approximate the

but evidently our novel alphabet has had

a history independent of Estrangelo.

'

Chwolson thinks
In 34 4 stno
:

that the script of this

bowl

is

of older type than that of the

Edessene MS. of 411

'
,

(CIH,

col.
is

116).

"Moses,"

written

with a point over

to

represent the e

sound ?

(33)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

^ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

33

It

reveals a family likeness with the types found in early Edessene

inscriptions'

(where the characters are independent and no points used).

peculiarities of

But the genealogy for the

our script
is

is

to be

found in the

cursive Palmyrene script, with which the Estrangelo

also to be connected.
his

See Euting's alphabetic

in

tables,

cols.

17-28, in

Chwolson CIH;

tables
z.

Noldeke, Syrische Grammatik; the atlas to Lidzbarski's Handbuch

nordsem. Bpigraphik, and for the history of the cursive Edessene

the latter work, p. 193.

script,

This relationship appears

in

in

3 (n. b. the curving stroke of the head)

(the type in No. 36

at

is

identical with the

;

Palmyrene)
is

in

(with the

head

almost a right angle)

in

(our character
is

practically identical

with the Estrangelo, but the origin of the type

to be

found

in

Palmyrene,

and a type
col.

in

No. 32
in
'

is

the replica of the angular form presented by Euting,

26)

in
h

t3;

reduced to a small stroke or coarse round mark on the

line; in
cols.

(with parallels in Euting's table only in cursive Palmyrene, see

;

24-28)

in

D, which tends to a closed figure, and

primitive, in
;

D; in B

(a small

half-oval

figure,

form,

corresponding most closely to the

cursive Palmyrene)

in

p;

in
is

(preserving the ancient type against the

Edessene development),

not found.
is

Of

the remaining letters, l

distinguished from T

by the

diacritical

point as in Palmyrene, but the figure of both characters faces to the right,

a unique phenomenon.

The

character

is

unique, with

its

long curve

extending far to the

left,

so that this feature becomes the characteristic

to a point;* but here again the
j is

and the head degenerates

Palmyrene type

may

be compared.
to

The

letter

sui generis, the medial character

finial

may

be
the

related

the
finial

Palmyrene; the
3,

with

its

long

stroke

recalls

Estrangelo

but terminates in a fork,

it

also

stands by

itself.

There

is

a general resemblance between

in

and the Syriac types presented

by Euting,
century.

Noldeke,

cols, viii-xiii,

representing the fifth to the seventh

to ligature,

But those Syriac forms have arisen from the tendency

is

whereas our n

innocent of any such purpose.

am

inclined to think

"

E. g. Sachau, "Edessenische Inschriften,"

ZDMG,

1882, 142; n. b. no. 8.

tail

The nearest approach to this type appears in a similar character with a long in the Syriac MS. from Turkestan published by Sachau in the Sitaungsberichte

'

of the Berlin Academy, 1905, 964.

34

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
form of n which consisted of a

that

it is

to be related to a rather primitive

downward

stroke to the left with a crosspiece near the top.

this,

Our

type has

simply reversed

making the stroke downwards

to the right, while the

crosspiece comes at the bottom.

This

analysis

of

the

script

presented

in

our Syriac bowls exhibits

accordingly an older type than the literary Estrangelo and the Edessene
inscriptions
;

its
it

most pronounced relationships are with the cursive Palis

myrene, and
script.

to be regarded as

an independent

sister of the

Edessene

Withal no character shows a

distinctly late type.

Epigraphically then this script

early
local

is

of

much

interest, as exhibiting

an

form of Aramaic alphabet, of

It

Palmyrene

type, existing in

Babylonia.

may have been

a commercial script which spread from the

metropolis Palmyra."

In 14 the age of the bowls will be discussed; the

script itself does not stand in the

century,

though

other

evidence

way of an early may induce us

age, perhaps the fourth

to date

the texts

some

centuries later.

Since the above paragraphs were finished and regarded as closed,

attention has chanced
in

my

upon the Turkish Manichaean fragments from Turfan

I find

Chinese Turkestan, and

a striking resemblance in
is

many

characters

of the alphabet there used (which

an offshoot of the Syriac script) to

I

those of the Syriac type before us.

may

refer here to the discussion

of the script by F.

W.

K. Miiller

in

the

Sitcungsbericlitc

of

the

Berlin

Academy, 1904, 348 flf., and the facsimiles published in subsequent volumes of the same journal, e. g. that facing p. 1077, in the volume for 1905. In

my

Alphabetic Tables at the end of this work

shall present the

correspond-

ence in parallelism.

The Turkish
a

script

is

very much younger than ours,

but has steadfastly preserved the type inherited from Babylonia.

Mani

came from Babylon,

adopted

few miles

distant

from Nippur, and we must

of

suppose that our script was the local use of that region, which came to be

by

Mani

and

his

sect

as

the

vehicle

their

literature.

be worth while to suggest that we possess in this peculiar script the Harranian pagans, vulgarly known as the Sabians. As Chwolson has shown in his monumental work, Die Ssabier und der Ssabismiis. these heathens spoke a pure Syriac (i, 258 f.). although the peculiar alphabets assigned to them by Arabic writers are fictitious or kabbalistic (ii, 845).
'

It

may

script of the

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
our
script
it

ARAMAIC
is

INCANTATION TEXTS.
back

35

The
a

history

of

thereby
well

carried

to

the

third

century,
local

by

which

time
to
fate

was

established.

What was
to various
this

thus

script

came

be perpetuated as the literary instrument of the

Manichaean

sect,

which has so often happened

I

forms
matter

of the Aramaic alphabet.

in articles

have given further discussion of

now

in press

for the
It

American Oriental
traces in the bowls.

Society.

Museum Journal and may be added that there

the Journal of the are no Manichaean

In the matter of orthoepy, while the forms without matrcs lectionis

abundantly appear
also frequent,
e. g.

(e.

g.

KH'^'^, plural;

NOJns,

etc.),

plcne writings are

xax^D, ko'N, xipri'D,

confusion of

nt'D,

xob'n, nd80, etc.

,

There

also

occurs

at

times

the

n and

characteristic
:

in the

square
3,

Aramaic

texts

and

in the

Mandaic

n for n in J'^'no 31
5,

5,

nrn 38:
i.

32: 4; and n for n in tinnno'S and pnnnaN 36:

T3nn''S<36:

N^iB The same

sorcerer or family appears to have written bowls in both the Rabbinic and

Syriac dialects (see Nos. 33-35), and hence the natural contamination of
the one by the other.

The
pronoun

extensive use of the

j'^n

Seyame

in all plurals is to be
e.

noted

in the

31:5,
etc.

the plural of the verb

g. |vnj

31:6, the

participle

pns 37:

8,

B. The Language

The

dialect belongs

to the

Edessene type;

this

is

evident from the

forms of pronouns and verbs.

But there

is

extensive corruption

from

the type of dialect which has been literarily preserved in the Mandaic.

This appears, as

we have

seen,

in the

Mandaic confusion of
n;
e. g.

and

n.

The 3rd
over n),

sing.

masc. or fem. suffix to a plural appears as

n:3, "his

sons," 33: 13 (with

nilj'y

Seyame), the same for "her sons" (with

2,7- 8, etc.

single point

(with Seyathe),

We
:

have observed the same

phenomenon

in the

Rabbinic texts.
the equivalence of
b

For other similar Mandaisms we may note

bv,

and

34: 10; the verbal form

ni^'j?,
;

ji^'VJ

(from

bbv), 34: 10 (see

8, cf.

my comment);
[max
for

the pronoun
t'33l,

37: 8; kt3 for ntv3, 34:

Ditr, e. g.

niis for KiniQ;

37

10

the construct

34

6.

There are also some peculiar

36

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
4! and a few rare or

forms,

e.

g. }'Oinn
:

34:

i,

snjntro 34:2,
('Sm/JoXoO.

!3't3lD

35
.

unknown words
suffix jin^nn

s^usn
4, is

xnuriDi,
is

kjoit

The numeral with

the

34:

not classical, but

:

found

in

Targumic, Palmyrene,

and Neo-Syriac.

In 33

10 pDpss^

is

Afel

infinitive of pB3.

 7-

The Mandaic Texts

Script

A.

and Orthoepy

The

script of the

Mandaic bowls

is

exactly similar to that of those

peculiarities of certain characters

published in facsimile by Pognon.

distinguishing

The

them from those

in the

MSS.

of the fifteenth and following

f.),

centuries, as noted
in these bowls.'

by that scholar (Une incantation, 12

appear likewise

The

is

a large letter dropping

its

shaft obliquely below the line and

3

recovering

itself

by an up-stroke

at

an acute angle.

is

a zigzag figure,

or has an open, round flourish at the top.

early alphabet

Following the traditions of the

and

T are

similar,

often indistinguishable; the former

tends to a smaller head and a square angle at the top, the latter to a curving

form
letter,

like the

end of a loop.

is

ligated at the top with the preceding

n has, in Nos. 39, 40, a long leg to the right.

3
is

D appears

in

angular

form, and also in a balloon-shaped figure.

a large letter rising well

above and dropping below the

the drop
in the
is

line,

sometimes
2;

in a free curve.

Except that

vertical,

it is

similar to
h

we may compare

the like similarity

Palmyrene.

In No. 39

has the primitive form of two strokes at

left

an angle, but leaning backward, and so allowing of ligature to the

the foot.

by

The

left foot

of D projects

itself

obliquely in a straight

line,

and

the extended stroke at the top distinguishes the character from n.

39,

In No.

D has the later form, similar to the Arabic

<_;*;

with others, the body

is fuller,

approximating the
it

p.

j?

is

generally an angle lying

in

upon the
lines.

line,

but in No. 39

drops below the

line,

two rough curving

line,

has

a large head, but does not drop below the

is

not found in these

' Compare now the early Mandaic amulet published by Lidzbarski in the de Vogiie Memorial Volume, p. 349, and the editor's notes, p. 350. His facsimiles are too indistinct to permit satisfactory comparison.

(37)

38

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
with the
for
top,

bowls,
left

appears as a closed figure, like a roundish Estrangelo

p,

stroke failing to reach the upper line and curving back

probably
lie

distinction

from D.

The r

consists of

two rough

loops,

which

on

or below, or on opposite sides.

The n has

often the simple form of the

Hebrew
The
scribe

n.

suffixal

(which

represent by the

same character
is

in

my

trans-

literation)
;

occurs at the beginning of No. 38, and

then dropped by the

it

may perhaps
it

be intended in one or two other cases in these

bowls.

Otherwise

cannot be distinguished from

I

however, following

the general practice

have always indicated the

appears in

suffix

by n

similar

uncertainty of

distinction
is

Lidzbarski's

amulet;

in

Pognon's

bowls the distinction

generally preserved. n
,

The

peculiar sign for the relative,

that

has the shape

known from
is

the

MSS., except
the

the

vertical

stroke at the left

It

hand

often written

without attachment to the

as
is

first part.

always appears as a separate word,

edition of the Ginza,

case

in

Codex B
like the

of

Petermann's
I

and

apparently in Lidzbarski's bowls.

use of attaching
it,

have followed the

common

editorial

Aramaic

relative in general, to the following

word.

See the arguments of Noldeke, Mand. Gram-, 92, for regarding the
1,

sign as a peculiar development of

not as a ligature of

n
It

But

it

must

be asked

why such

a special sign should have been used.

appears to be

a survival of the older

tion di

Aramaic

and

would argue that the pronunciascript.

is

had survived

until the

formation of the Mandaic

In these

texts, as in the

MSS., the

relative

when
T

internal (e. g. after 1)

expressed

by

t; but this

does not prove that

only that with the support of

rejected.

a preceding vowel the vowel of the relative

was

The
acters
it

characters are spaced unevenly and in the case of unligated charis

often difficult to ascertain with which

word they

are to be
at

combined.

The

ligation

is

haphazard, there

is

no consistent attempt

consecutive chirography as in the later texts.

Apart from the bowl-inscriptions and

Lidzbarski's
the

amulets,

all

the

Mandaic

texts

are

preserved in

late

texts;

former are
In 14
I

therefore

important as the earliest monuments of the

to

script.

give evidence

prove that the Nippur texts are to be dated circa 600; at that period then

the

Mandaeans had elaborated

their

own

alphabet with

its

peculiarities.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
I

ARAMAIC
not

INCANTATION TEXTS.
on here, have led

39

Investigations,

which

may
it

expatiate

me

to the

beHef that for the most part the Mandaic alphabet represents an early type
of the "Syriac" alphabets
;

is

indeed often

closely

connected with the

Palmyrene and Nabataean

the age

scripts.

The

sect itself

must have arisen

in

of

when Gnosticism was Christianity, and we have

Compare

rife in the

Orient and before the domination

it

to suppose that

early developed

its

own

peculiar calligraphy, after the

age.

wont of the various

oriental sects of that

6.

the remarks on the

Manichaean alphabet,

As Pognon
is

says of his text from Bismaya,' the language of the bowls

identical with that of the

Ginza and Kulasta.

The only
Nmt23,
;

difference
I

is

formal, in the sparse or varying use of the matres lectionis.'

Nnt<''3i''n,

may

cite

Non^n;
in

xniay,
first

'"V;

ndj;;

n'H;

snssnn,

where

later

was used
'sr,

the

or second syllable or both

we

actually find xnnt,

'Nit.*

B. The Language

We
of
the
particle

may

note the following syntactical peculiarity

the apparent use

anticipatory
T,

pronominal

suffix

without

the

following relative

the suffix itself creating a kind of construct case-ending, the

suffix.

regimen being in apposition to the

"the

E.

g.

40: 3:

'3

nns ns nn^JO

word of

B's granddaughter."
;

A
191

similar construction occurs through-

out Nos. 21, 22, 23 {q. V.)

also a parallel instance in the Palestinian amulet

published by the writer

in

JAOS,
is

1,

see note there, p. 278.

:

In 40: 24
nJX'J^a.

such a "construct" form

in n

used before a plural noun

nnx'jxvn

Was

it

in

the way of becoming a stereotyped case?

specifically

Apart from the references to "Life," these bowls are not

Mandaic
ism.

in religion.

Pognon's bowls are much more colored with Mandaeii

it

Under No.
is

is

to be observed that the

Mandaic

text there

compared

secondary

to

the

Rabbinic
their
spirit

texts; probably in the Nippur

community the Mandaeans got

dialects.

magic

from the peoples of other

In Pognon's texts the

of the ancient Babylonian magic

appears more strongly than in any other of the bowl-inscriptions.

'

line incantation,

13.

strangely enough regards as "errors." * Noldeke's e.xpert judgment, in his review of Pognon, p. 143, that the language of the bowls is later than that of the Mandaic classics, may be noted here.
'

Which Pognon

III.

THE MAGIC OF THE TEXTS

of the Inscribed Bowls

8.

The Purpose
bowls

The
specialized

incantation

belong,

with

few exceptions,

to

one very

form of magic.

They spontaneously suggest

is

the art of "bowl

magic," which, in various forms,

spread over the world, and which has

a straight genealogy from Joseph's drinking cup to the spinster's teacup of our

own

day.'

Ellis, the first

commentator on the bowls, advanced the

by the patient who thus
explanation

theory that, following an ancient and widespread therapeutic device, they

were

filled

with a liquid

which was drunk

written

off

absorbed the virtue of the

generally given up.

charm.'

This

has

been

Layard objected that then the inscriptions would have

magic vessel may have been

been effaced by the liquid,' which argument, though repeated by subsequent

scholars,
is

not
a

conclusive,

for

the

preserved as
that they

itself

permanent prophylactic.

Layard himself thought

were used

in places

of sepulture and were charms for the dead,

apparently relating them to the utensils placed in primitive graves.

A
"for

number of Pognon's bowls

the cemetery,"*

are in fact endorsed with

xnup

n'3T

and Wohlstein's no. 2417 appears to be directed against the ghosts of the dead. But the bowls at Nippur were found in ruined
houses, and in no case
is

a bowl intended

for

the

service

of

the

dead.

Schwab argued

for the hydromantic use of the bowls.'

He makes
number of

reference to Babylonian hydromancy,' and proceeds to quote a

'

Rodwell expatiates on

this

kind of magic,

TSBA,

ii,

114.

'

Layard, Nineveh and Babylon, 511.

Cf. R. C.

Thompson, Semitic Magic,

pp.

Iv,

Ixi.

Op.

cit.,

526.
5, 7,

Inscriptions mandaites, nos.

etc.,

and

p. 3.

PSBA,
'

xii,

292

f.

Cf.

Hunger, "Becherwahrsagung
i.

bei d. Babyloniern,"

1903 in Leipciger Semit-

ische Studien,

(40)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TgXTS.

41

Talmudic passages referring

to Joseph's cup, magical beverages, etc., but

he shows no connection between his numerous inscriptions and the method

and purpose of hydromancy, which

the

affects to give

an oracle to men by

movements of

oil

or other floating objects in the liquid contained in

the cup.'

Wohlstein attempted another explanation

in the line of

a kabbalistic

dictum that no work of magic can be effected without the aid of a vessel
( 'ba )
.'

It

was Hyvernat however who

first,

from the

field

of Jewish
/

demonology, obtained the clue to the right interpretation of the practice we

are considering.'
ability to confine

He

refers to the Jewish legends of Solomon's magical

in vases, etc.,

demons

and the

parallel fables in

Arabian

lore of bottled

up

jinns, etc."

As we

shall

immediately

see, this is the cor-

rect explanation.

Pognon did not himself

he published

see in situ the large collection of bowls

which
"

in his Inscriptions

mandaitcs, but he learnt from a native that

such bowls were found buried just below the surface of the earth, and,
generally,

reversed,

the

bottom

of

the bowl uppermost,

while at times

bowls were found superimposed upon one another, the mouth of the one
fitted to the

mouth of

the other (p.

fif.).

Pognon does not guarantee

the

truths of these statements, but suggests in accordance with

that the inverted bowls

them the theory

were prisons for the demons, who were confined

by the virtue of the magical praxis.

The

expeditions of the University of

Pennsylvania to Nippur have corroborated this theory by ocular evidence. Referring to the find of bowls above the Parthian temple, Hilprecht reports
that "most of the one hundred bowls excavated while I

was on the scene

were found upside down

showing some of the bowls
as

in

the

ground,"" and

he gives a photograph

in this position.

He

draws the same conclusion

Pognon concerning the magical use of

the vessels.

Finally, one of the Pennsylvania texts demonstrates that this

was the
'i^tO'lD

conscious purpose of the bowl magic.

No. 4 opens thus:

^a'tsbl

'

For the correction of

his

hydromantic interpretation of fOID

^Wi,

see above

3.

ZA, viii, 325, quoting from the book Raziel, 32. Sur une vase judeo-bahylonien, 137 f. " Comparing Thousand and One Nights, ed. Bulak, " Explorations, 447.
' *

i,

15

(=

Burton's

tr.

i,

38).

42

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
hold

'J1

xntJ^a

'nn

bai

pK'np

I'^^?^D:

"covers

to

in

sacred

(accursed)
to

angels and evil

spirits,"

etc."

The same
in
in

inscription

announces

the

demons
bowls;

that they are

"bound and sealed

which

each one of the four corners

of the house.""
it is

This magical method

fact gives a special

called a SCa'S,

literally

means a
:

"press."

name to the The same term

pcaan
NtJ-ao

appears in

No.
is

6,

which

opens

as

follows

'i^

'Tcb

Jir,^

down upon demons," etc. The theme is continued throughout the text: "This press I press down upon them" (1. 4); "who ever transgresses against this press" (1. 11), etc. In a word we have to do
"a press which
pressed

with a species of sympathetic magic, the inverted bowls symbolizing and

effecting the repression

and suppression of the

evil spirits."

The quadruple
client.

use of the bowls also explains the frequent recurrence

e.

of identical inscriptions,

g.

Nos. 21, 22, 23,

placed
at

all

made

out for the same

points,

The four charms

represented

thus

equidistant

which as
circle

cornerstones

the

security

of the house,

formed a

of

magical influence about the dwelling."

In the Babylonian magic

we

find a similar use of phylacteries buried

under the pavement of the house.

Botta,

Layard and George Smith

dis-

covered under the pavement of buildings small receptacles in which were

placed magical figurettes, of composite

human and animal form."

magic

The
flour,

use

of the circular

lip

of the bowl

is

also in line with the

circle

which
etc.

appears to have been practised by sprinkling a circle of lime,

around a group of small images of the gods."

" See the commentary to the text. " The binding at the four corners of the house appears
I,

also in

Pognon, B, nos.

2, 3, 4, 24.,

" If my interpretation of the introduction of Nos. 9 and 14 be correct, we have also a reference to the formal depositing of the bowls. " Cf. the cylinder and prism texts deposited at the four corners of great buildings in ancient Mesopotamia. " Botta, Monument de Nineve, v, 168 f. Layard, Nineveh and its Remains, ii,
;

See Fossey, La magie assyrienne, 114 37; Smith, Assyrian Discoveries, 78. a like Jewish and Christian use, see Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 30.

f.

For

" Zimmern, Beitrdge

Semitic Magic,
p.
Ixiii,

z.

Kenntniss
a

d.

bab. Religion. 169, no. 54,

translating usurtu

"circle"
in

charm with a circle made by Vienna Denkschrif ten. hist-phi\.

ring presented

Classe, xxxvi.2, p.

and cf. Thompson, (Zimmern. "Gebilde"). Cf. the the Papyrus Anastasi, Wessely, 34, and further PSBA, xiii, 165.

The

circle of the

magical seal possessed the same

efficacy.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

43

But there
Babylonia.
In

is

proof that the praxis of bowl magic existed

a

in

ancient

passage

of

the

magical
evil spirit:

Utukki
(a

series

presented

by

Thompson," we read a ban on an

they cover

demon) "which roameth

loose in an upper chamber, with a bason (kakkultu) without opening

it."

may

The

editor in his note has recognized the

it

form of magic

indicated, without

comparing

to the later bowls."

The bowl

is

then primarily a domestic phylactery, to be classed with

e.

the abundant forms of this species of magic,

g.

the Jewish Mezuzoth.

An

exorcism given by Wessely^" from the papyri

texts
:

recalls

much

of the very

wording of our

that evil spirits

may

not injure the wearer of these

exorcisms, hide not "in the earth,""' nor under the bed nor under the door

nor under the gate nor under the beams nor under vessels nor under holes.

The

lurking of devils in the house

(e. g.

6), in the

beams and on the

thresholds (e.g. 6: 4), frequently appears in our texts, as also in the Talmud,
Especially
spirits
is

the threshold

named

as

guarded against the intrusions of

evil

(e. g.

37: 2).

The means of entrance

are extravagantly detailed in

hinges, etc.;" and door

a Babylonian text: by gate, door, bolt,

etc., lintels,

and

bolt

and threshold are exorcised."

object of care, and the

The bedchamber is the special endorsement on No. 12, "of the room of the hall,"
was deposited
of the
in that

may

refer to a bowl which

apartment.
is

different

application

same magic

found

in the

bowls

published by Pognon, which were found in a cemetery,

inscribed

many
is

of them being

"for

the

cemetery"

xnup
some

n'an).
I

This

the

worldwide

practice of laying the graveyard ghosts.

cate
inscriptions

am

inclined to think that dupli-

were made

out,

for

the house and

some

for the

" Devils and Evil Sfirits of Babylonia, "

I'lireT
I

ii,

124.

must leave
KD3
;

it

open whether the phrase

(the
last

in

B. Mef. 29b
is

(=
a

Hull. 84b),

D3

m"?!
it

Vfim

word

is

variously spelt),

reference to our

could be translated "the cup of the sorcerers and not the cup of sorcery," i. e. of bowls used for malicious (cf. 12) or for preventive magic. Tanhuma makes the second cup mean an ill-prepared brew which is ground for divorce; see Levy, Hwb., iv, 151a.

magical art

those

who break

" Denkschriften,
"

xlii,

2,

p.

66.

Was

there a duplicate buried in the house?

u.

" Jastrow, Reliyion Babyloniens

is

Assyriens,

i,

377,

where the
123.

full

translation

given.

" E.

g. Tallquist,

Maqlu,

p. 93,

1.

10;

Thompson,

Devils,

ii,

44
graveyard

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
to the

this

would explain the reference

i,

four corners of the

house

in

Pognon, nos.

2, etc.
is

None

of the Nippur bowls are so marked.

Wohlstein's bowl no. 2417

a detailed exorcism of ghosts.

to aggressive
in the

But Nos. 13 and 28 pass from prophylactic

are love charms such as we meet
I

magic; they

in

an early age only

Greek world.

leave their consideration to the commentary, and only note here that a

love

charm

is

as

much

KaTn(kafio(:

or dcfixio, to use the words of classical

It is interesting to

magic, as a ban of evil

spirits.

note

that

the

Greek

charms for defixing a rival in the circus or a lover were often buried in
cemeteries, for the powers of evil

were

in

any case invoked."

The bowl
amulet

itself is called simply,

^

SD3 or XD13, also occasionally nycp

is

ij>v7mkt!/piov

applied secondarily to a phylactery that

not sus-

pended or worn (/vop)."

instrument, see
11.

For other terms applied

to

it

as

magical

The
to fairly

tradition of this species of

bowl-magic has lasted down into Islam,

arabes, persons ct tares, Paris,

modern

times.

In his

Monumcns

1828, Reinaud has given (ii, 337 ff.) a careful description of several Arabic magical bowls of brass and glass, contained at his day in private French
collections

and

at the Vatican.

They

are talismans

(to quote one of the

fever,'

bowls) against snakes, scorpions and dogs, against

birth

pangs of child-

and maladies of nursing, enteric

are introduced "in the

diseases,

sorcery and dysentery."

They

name of

the merciful and compassionate

:

God"

(cf. the similar

formula

in

our

texts, e. g. 3

and note), and are elaborately

to holy

provided

with

quotations

from the Koran and with references

legend and the power of

God

(cf.

11).

One

reference indicates that

cf.

they were inscribed at the propitious astrological moment,

below, ii-

This

is

the only literary reference to bowls of this character I have

been able to discover.

Philadelphia
in
is

In the possession of the Hon.

a small, finely engraved brass

Mayer Sulzberger of bowl, with Koran quotations

Nashki.

The

text has been translated by Dr. B. B. Charles, Fellow of

" E.

g.

the Cypriote charms published by Miss L. Macdonald,

tablet, discussed in

PSBA,

xiii,

159,

and the Hadrumetum " See Blau, Das

No.

28.

altjiidische

Zauberwesen,

87,

and "Amulet"

in

Jewish Encyc.
to scorpions

" So
is

in

found in

Schwab L and Q charms against dog-bites, and a reference Pognon B see Glossary C, v. 3ipJ?
;

.?.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
has

ARAMAIC
allowed

INCANTATION TEXTS.

45

the University,

who

kindly

me

to

present his rendering, as

follows

"This blessed bowl wards off

virtues; and
it

all

poisons,

and

in

it

are assembled tried

is

for the sting of the serpent and the scorpion, for fever,

for dysentery (?), for indigestion, for the

colic,

mad

dog, for stomachache and

for headache and throbbing, for fever of the liver and spleen, for
contortions,

facial

for

lack

of

blood

(insufficient

blood

supply),

for

annulling magic, and for the eye and the sight, and for use in giving to

drink of water or
of (two) lands,

oil,

or for the

harm

to

enemies and for poison in the conclave

the religion and the orthodox caliphs

when

imams of

are thereon agreed for the advantage of the Muslims."

Probably many such phylacteries are to be found

holds.

in oriental house-

Evidently the peculiar practice of the inversion of the bowl has

;

disappeared

the

vessel

itself

with

its

magical inscription has become

is

"blessed," an efficient phylactery.

But the use of the bowl

doubtless a

survival of the magic

we

are discussing.

 9-

The

Exorcists

The

exorcist

is

in general

anonymous

his

personaHty

is

lost

in his

professional possession of occult powers which range far above personal

limitations.

By
or

the age of our texts he had long been differentiated

from

the temple priest, or maintained connection with a cult only in out-of-the-

way

shrines

in

the

new theosophic

circles that

sprang up in

the

Hellenistic age.'

few points however may be noted.

Several of the Nippur texts" contain magical formulas worked in the

name

of Rabbi Joshua ben Perahia

(Syriac,

Rab Jesus bar

ages
(see

P.),

who

is

none other than one of the early Zugoth or Pairs who handed down the
Tradition

from the Great

this

Synagogue

to

later

to

No. 32).
be
in

Whether
authentic

magical

tradition

concerning
is

the

venerable

Joshua
tendency
their

may

be dubious f but the case

illustrative of the

magic to appeal to ancient great masters of sorcery, and to use

as though their full powers

names

were possessed.

We

may compare

the

many
of

references in the magical papyri to

such ancient masters, whose spells

have become the stock

these quacks
is

in trade of their successors.'

The assumption
charm
in

well illustrated by a Jewish mortuary

which the
the plate

magician thus introduces himself: "With the

of

wand of Moses and

shield of

Aaron and
'

the seal of

Solomon and the

David and the mitre

Thompson,

For the Babylonian asipu and masmasu, see Zimmern, Beitrdge,

21.
17,

91

Semitic Magic,
"

Nos.

8,

9,

32, 2Z,

34-

For the Talmudic doctors and others who practised "legitimate" magic, see Blau, Das altjiidische, Zauberwesen, 23. In 34: 2 the sorcerer claims to be a "cousin" of Joshua and there is reference to his "house," i. e. school in 8: 11. Compare the inherited magical powers of Choni the Circle-maker, Taan., 19b, 23.
'

See the
2, p.

list

of

such
2,

magical
p.

authorities

in

Wessely, Vienna Denkschriften,

xxxvi,

37; of. xHi,

10 (I shall hereafter refer to these volumes simply as

xxxvi and xlii). Also Apuleius gives a similar list, including Moses, xc, loo, 1. 10 (ed. Helm), see Abt, "Die Apologie des Apuleius," 244, in Dieterich and Wiinsch, Religionsgeschichtliche Versuchc v. Vorarbeiten, iv, 2.

(46)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
(I

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

and
Palestinian
in iron

47

of the chief priest"

perform

this

spell)

this

charm
fire,

has

its

parallel in

our text No. 2: "I Pabak come, clad

and
is

vested with garments of

Hermes

the Logos, and

my

strength

in

him

who

created heaven and earth."

is

In 7: 12 the authority of Prangin bar

if

Prangin

exercised

some

sorcerer of the hazy past,

in
1.

not a figment of

the imagination.

'The great Abbahu'

is

to be explained in the

same
Bare.

way,

if it is
1.

not a misunderstanding of a Gnostic term, and so too

13, literally the 'son

mestael in

of the oracle-giver.'
it

In some cases,

g.

the latter two and instances in No. 19,

is

difficult to

decide whether

we
the

have to do with men or

divinities; the line

was not drawn between

sorcerer and the deity, as in the Hermetic identification of

Moses with

Hermes' and

in the lively incident in

Acts

14,

where the people of Lystra

deify Barnabas and Paul.

In one case, the pagan text No. 36, the exorcist presents his commission

from the

deities

"The

lord

Shamash has
This

sent

me

against thee, Sina (the

said to

moon) has
Nirig has

sent me, Bel has

commanded me, Nannai has

is

me

given

me

power."
e.

the

survival
i, 1.

of
flf
:'

well

Babylonian formulas,

g.

the Maklii series,

I

52

known old "Anu and Antu

sent,
I

have commissioned me,

Against the might of
sent me."
I

am

ordered,

go, I

am

speak.

my

sorcerers

Marduk

the lord of incantation has

am

inclined to think that

some of the
and

texts,

especially

the

more

illiterate ones,

were written by lay people.

The "word
like

of

power" had

become the

essential element (see 11),

a physician's prescription

might be copied by anyone, or even invented

in

for
of

along with the belief

hocus-pocus.
in the

sorcery

always
is

goes

subconsciousness

its

For

instance,

No. 2
the

a mutual
exercise

charm
each

in

which two men,

respective

halves

of

text,

his

powers for the other.

Are they

' Montgomery, JAOS, iQii, 272. For the identification with Moses cf. the Hermetic phrase, tyu clfu Muva^c Wessely, xxxvi, 129, 1. log ff. also see Dieterich, Abraxas, 68, and Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 279. For the Egyptian use, cf. the Harris papyrus, "I am Amon," Brugsch, Religion u. Mythologie d. alt. Aegypter, 725. Or the sorcerer may identify himself with some mighty demon; e. g. GiN., 69a, "I ara Papi Shila son of Sumka," cf. Blau, op. cit. 83. Also cf. 27: 9 with 2: 6.
;

' '

Dieterich,
Talkjuist,

/.

c.

i,

Cf. the commission of the Old Testament prophets, and the adoption of soothsaying formulas; cf. Num. 24: 4 and Is. 50: 4.
p.

37.

e.

g. Jer.

48

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

professional magicians or not rather laymen

who
evil

felt

they could

make a

stronger

defence

against

the

powers

of

by standing shoulder to
e.

shoulder?
in

The
2.

texts are often indited in the first person,

clients of

g.

Pognon 24;

No. 27 the

No. 7 appear as making the charm, and use the

breaking

form of No.

But

in general there is a in

down

of the distinction
rituals,

between personalities
priest

magic

compare the Babylonian

one another.
to

in

which

and suppliant appear

one
place

to fuse in
calls

In

Wohlstein

attention

what appears

to be

an

attestation of the incantation, inserted into the middle of the text."

obscure passage
translated: "It
is

is:

inis

tW"
it

N'3n

ps

'b

a'na

correct for

has been written

xim so'p. for me (or 'p

It

The may be

KJJ'Op?),

we

recognize

it

here." the

Cf. the attestations of the scribe in the Babylonian

magical texts,

e. g.

Maklu

series.

ZA,

ix,

36.

 lo.

The

Clients

Most of

the inscriptions are of domestic character, being

made out

for a married couple, their children, their house, and their property, cattle,
etc.

Frequently

it is

the wife and mother In

without reference to the husband.

special

who many

procures the charm, with or

of the inscriptions there
is

intention

against the evils that disturb the

domestic sexual
is

life.

And

so No. 36 gives an exorcism for the bridal-chamber. No. 24

a
is

charm
often

for the safe delivery of a pregnant

specified
( X23t;'''D

woman.

The bed-chamber
often
It

iT'a).

There

is

frequent reference to the demons that

is

slay the

unborn babes

(e. g.

Nos. 36, 37), the charm

made out

for

the children that shall be, as well as for those that are.

would seem that

to

where women are concerned, the greater part of magic has

mysteries and maladies of the sexual
life.

do with the

The

Lilis

and

Liliths

which

predominate
abnormalities.

in

the

categories

of

demons are

personifications of sexual

At times the

idea of the family

;

is

extended to a wider scope, so as to

;

include a large household

No. 29

is

a good example

from the long

it

list

of

male names enumerated, some of them of foreigners,

appears that the

woman who

procured the charm was landlady of a lodging house.

On
is
is

the other hand sometimes a single individual feels that a whole bowl

necessary for his

client of

own

maladies; so in the case of the invalid

who

the

Schwab's bowl F.
the individuals
is

As

must be exactly

specified

we have
find the

a rich

list

of

names, which

enlarged by the required naming of the mother, more rarely

client.'

the father of the

In the Rabbinic texts

we

Aramaic names

' Shabb. 66b: KO'KT Koca <3"3l3f)3: "all repetitive incantations are in name of the mother." The "sacred" name of a person includes that of his mother with the Mandaeans (Brandt. Mand. Religion, 116). The same rule appears in the Greek magic; see Wiinsch Antike Fluchtafeln (Lietzmann's Kleine Texte, no. 20), p. 9 for

examples and literary references.

The

practice

is

now

attributed

to

the original

(49)

50

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

familiar in the

Talmud,

etc.,

Persian names, probably more frequent than

In the Syriac and Mandaic

the former, and but few typical Jewish names.

texts the

names are by a

large majority Persian.'

My

texts contain one

evidently Greek name,

xanDDS, Astrobas, and a Christian name, STno n3,

is

Martyrofilia; the former

paralleled in a text of Lidzbarski's by TVn'D,

lE'V^

Timotheos, the
Pognon's.

latter

by

xnayo, 'His-hope-in-Jesus' in a text of

Some

of the names of obscure etymology

may

be of Indian

origin; cf. the frequent

name Hinduitha.
Persian names even in the Rabbinic texts
clients

The

large proportion of

might lead us to think that the

is

were non- Jewish.

The argument
avidity.'

somewhat

fallacious as the

Jews by no means

stickled for their native

names, in fact seem to have adopted foreign names with great

so in one family of nine souls the
a Jewish

And

names are Persian, and only one son bears

shall

name (No.

12).
is

But as we

have reason to conclude ( 15),

the magic of our bowls

so eclectic that even a "Jewish"-Aramaic text

clients.

does not imply a Jewish exorcist, nor Jewish

of
a
clientele

We

have to think

partly

Jewish,

partly

non- Jewish, to which the religious

affinities

of the magic were indifferent.

is

But the power of the charms and

its

also extended

beyond the actual house

client.

inmates so as to include the whole property of the

detailed,

Not only

are house and mansion

but also the cattle and possessions in

general

(srjp).

In like manner Greek phylacteries provide a general

e.

property insurance,

g.

that the

demons

"shall not injure or

cattle."*

approach

N. or M. or

his

house or his vineyards or lands or

matriarchal condition of society rather than to the elder principle, pater incertus, mater certa. Naming of the father probably occurs where the mother is unknown;
for instances see to 10:
' * ' i.

See Glossary

also

Pognon, B,
d.

p. 97.
ii.

See Zunz. "Die

Namen

Juden," in his Gesammelte Abhandlungen,

charms are frequent in the Graeco-Italian exorcisms published by Pradel, in Religionsgeschichtliche Versuche u. Vorarbeiten, iii, no. 3. For amulets worn by cattle, see Blau, Das altjiidische Zauberwesen, 86.
Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 294; such

II.

The

Incantations.

have discussed in

8 the particular praxis of our magic

the

inverdetails,

sion of the inscribed bowl.

There remain for consideration many

magic and even
in

for elaborateness

is

characteristic of

our comparatively

simple
it

field

there are

many phenomena which

are suggestive links binding

with more complicated magical science.

Magic

consists of

two elements

the physical operation or praxis, and

the incantation, or to use the Egyptian term, "the

word of power.'"

They

are distinguished in the Babylonian as the epesu "work" (also kikittu"), and the siptu, words which appear rubrically in the magical texts. the

In the Greek
incantation

terms
Uyo^'

for

the

practice

are

irpayua,
is

vpa^ig, xP"'^'-;

for

the

(ifpof)

So

in Latin

facere

the

word

for

the

operation,

and

it

has had an interesting history through factura, fattura, feitigo (Portuguese),

into fetich.

The same
the practice.'

distinction

and similar terms are found

in

our magic.
is

The

root nay, "work, serve"" (late

It is the

Hebrew

HB'j?

(cf.

14: i), nc^D}

used of

common
Hence

root also for the service, the worship of the

gods

in

West-Semitic, and this fact illustrates the parity, often equivalence

the technical terms
N13J?

of religion and magic.

{'abada),

Niaiy

'

Budge, Egyptian Magic, 26

f.

"
'

E. g. in the Labartu texts,

Myhrman, ZA,

xvi,

141.

For the

first

two words
,

see indexes in Wessely's

two volumes

in the

Denk-

schriften; for

Dieterich Abraxas, pp. 136, 160. All three words occur close the Kno^ts-K together in Dieterich's text p. 204 f. For rsXcrii (Dieterich, p. 136)
;rpf'

of our texts, see

'

12.

Cf.

Latin,

colo,

cultus.

with its idea of service. Wellhausen, Skizeen, iii, 165.

epesu,
etc.,
*

This Hebrew-Aramaic root is more religious than N. b. Arabic umra, used of the cult at Mecca,

A
,

imaj?

where the divine operation

magical connotation of this root may exist in Is. 28: 2: nn33 imaj? l^yh is contrasted to the magic arts of the necromancers.

(51)

52

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
in the bowls,

{'iibbdda), XIUJ?,
in

N13V (ma'badd), occurring frequently

and

such expressions as snnj; SJTaj? (9: 2), and inin T2yl snuj?.'

The spoken Word

technically by
K-'/.^m^

is

represented by
r\2

nrhli,

p^'O

"words,"

etc.,

also

Knnp, once Knpn hp

16: 10,

=
in

the Greek the

i-W/rimQ

(also

used both in magic arts and also

exorcisms),' though as

Christian liturgy (in

see,

baptism, eucharist,

we
is

shall

most of these

words came

to be regarded as part of black

magic and were avoided by

called a
i."

our exorcists.

The

incantation as written

xnn'na and by the

unique word dastabtraj and also a xn, "mystery," 3:

very large number of terms

is

used to express different practices

in the lists

and nuances of magic, but most of them only

of dreaded black

exorcist gives himself

eiC3,
is eiETS
;

magic (see 12), and hence they are avoided by our exorcists.' The none of the technical names, e. g. from the roots
he speaks of his Nnuv. but snajfO
is

avoided.

His adjuration

NJi'DiD, the

Babylonian mam'itu, "ban," and he employs the correspond;

ing verb the root

his

Ni'mn
flK'N
:

more frequent equivalent

But

is

yaf

Afel.

Once he uses
terminology for

ND-T NSC'sa NJS'B'N ,2:3.

is

his favorite

own

practice

derived from IDS, "bind," exactly equivalent to the

dcfigerc;
the

Greek

KaTaddv^

Latin

charm

is

an

N1D''N,

NilD'K

Also the

synonymous

roots are used less frequently:

"IIV, it2p,

"iD^ IDD, nvo, 13E, nan.

The

last root is

used of magical practices

in this sense in the

Old Testa-

ment," where also the obscure ninoa, Ece.

13:

18,

is

probably from a

Babylonian root of
of magic
is

like import."

In the Babylonian the "binding" power

as prominent as in the western magic; I cite such passages as

'

For insyo and the Syriac use

see Noldeke, Z.
is

f.

d. Keils.-forsch.,

iii,

296,

and

Frankel,

ZA,

ix, 308.

frequent attributive

si'pn.

After summing up the various terms used for exorcism Heitmiiller concludes,
tu
bvofia.

"Im Namen Jesu," p. 212: "Der Ausdruck nar' e^ox'/v ist irriKa/daiiai Our word snnp is the liturgical equivalent in the Syriac for epiklesis.
in his
'

See 32:

4,

and Kent's discussion

in

JAOS, IQH,
Ttlcrii )

359its

'

The

original use of this

word (=

appears in

designation of black

arts; see 12.

" Cf. the modern fine distinctions between magic, sorcery, witchcraft, etc. ^ See Davies, Magic Divination and Demonology, 55, as against W. R. Smith's

view

in Journ. of Philology, xiv, 123.

" Friedr.

Delitzsch, in

Baer and Delitzsch'

text, p.

xiii.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
iv,

ARAMAIC
which

INCANTATION TEXTS.

53

the Maklu-series

1.

9;

vii,

66, in

this idea is

expressed by several

synonymous verbs.

The

roots boa, Pa., "annul,"

in, "prohibit," Din, "be

in taboo,"
is

noc

"lay under ban,"" frequently appear.

Also Dnn, Peal and Pael,

frequent

with the sense of

sealing

the

demons with the magic word or device

;

engraved on a seal

often

with explicit mention of Solomon's Seal

hence

the reference to the 70 seals of

Solomon (Hyv.), or the

seal of the

house

of Enoch, 19:

17, the seals

of the angels of the

Most High (Hyv.)."

is

Our
is

magicians will work only white magic, and their whole effort
NniDK,"
saliis

for the

of their clients."

The

great magician Joshua

b.

Perahia

an Nan K^DK, "great healer," 17: 12

of the magic, our texts differ
defi.viones.

34:

2.

In this prophylactic nature

KaT&Seafioi

favorably from the western

and

The

incantations largely consist in the

monotonous

repetitions

of these equivalent roots.

As

to the praxis of

our magic

we have

little

information additional
learn that the bowl
rock,

to that presented in 8."

From Pognon's

texts

we
sat

was a new one (B.

no. 24)

and that the sorcerer

upon an uncleft

a survival of primitive religion."

The rude
realistic

figures

and designs which can hardly be said

to

adorn the

bowls are part of the praxis. age when

They come down from

the earlier

and more

gods and demons were represented by simulacra and

in this

wise were manipulated so as to do the sorcerer's will."

Most of

the

"
the

Stiibe

explains the equivalent

'llE'C

in

his

text

as

denominative from

"lElB'

horn of excommunication.

" For sealing

muller, op.
'*

as equivalent to placing the magical

249, etc.
itself
is

name on

the object, see Heit-

cit, 143,

The charm

called an

niD.
1.

Cf. the New

341.

Testament

aiiCeiv.

aorripia

is

used

in the papyri, e. g.

Wessely,

xlii, 31,
,

" This includes their defence, HfilBO and supernatural arming ruit (cf. "the panoply of God," Eph. 6: 13), and involves the breaking of counter charms and
wiles of the devils:
ipj.*,

Kitr, ICK, 113, Sea,

"itsB,

itTD, etc.: 3SVH. "lay a spirit"; tras, etc.

"IDH;

In the

Talmud

'iVC is the technical opposite to

is

Blau, op.

cit.,

157.
;

" In No. 12
mentary.

And

forming a figure of an angel see the comprobably at end of No. 13 occurs an aphrodisiac recipe.
a bit of rubric for
altar,

" Cf. the unhewn

Ex. 20:
ff.

25,

and for the primitive aversion to

as the third millennium in

iron, see

Elworthy, The Evil Bye, 220

" Budge describes how as far back

Egypt pictures
(op.
cit.,

came

to be used in place of material objects in the

magic of the dead

107).

54:

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

figures represent the

demons, generally as bound and hobbled

i.

e.

TJ"),

TDX

etc.,

to use the
e.

words of the incantation."

No.
8,

Especially the

liliths

are

so represented,

g.

but also there are masculine figures like the

military-looking demon, in Persian style, of No. 3.

Some

of the gruesome

caterpillar-like designs are intended to "raise the hair" as did the

demons

of elder Babylonia."" In one specimen. No. 15, the figure

its tail
is

the design of the serpent with

in its

mouth.

This

is

surely of Egyptian origin, doubtless through a

figure
is

Hellenistic

medium.

Such a

described in the

"Book of Apep." of
bowls

Ptolemaic compilation," and prescriptions for drawing this magical figure

are found in the Greek
is

papyri."''
it;

Very

common so
is

in the Syriac

a circle with a cross in

or the circle

divided into segments with a

seal.

cross in each.
also occur

These signs probably represent the magical

There

rough rectangular figures divided into compartments, represent-

ing the walls of protection which magic casts about the chent."

Wessely

gives a facsimile of such a magical design:" a square within a square, the

former being divided into three compartments

a double-walled and
acter of the charm.

suppose after the plan of

many-chambered

castle, indicating the protective char-

In one case, no. 8835, a cross-shaped figure

may

represent a dagger,

and so indicate one of the magical forms of defixio or fastening down of

the evil
spirits.""

performed on the figure of the Labartu, Myhrman, o/i. cit., found in the Seleucidan debris of Tell Sandahannah, in Bliss and Macalister, Excavations in Palestine, 154. For Egyptian usage, e. g. Budge, op. cit., 83.
Cf. the operation
150.

"

For

Palestine, see the figurettes

See the description

16,
ot>.

in

Myhrman,

p.

148: also the seven evil Utukki,

Thompson,

Devils, tablet

and
cit.,

ii,

p.

149.

" Budge,
'

79, 83.

39 f., 69. The like design appears in a bowl depicted by Hilprecht, Explorations, opposite p. 447. Within the circle so formed are a number of magical figures, the most elaborate that appear in the bowls. The specimen is

Wessely,

xlii,

presumably
""

at

Constantinople.
cit.,
i,

For
Ibid.

similar sympathetic magic in old Babylonia, see Jastrow, op.

64.
;

303.

"

17.

" Pauly-Wissowa, Real-Encyc, "Defixio," col. 2373 Thompson, Sem. Magic, For modern instances of this kind of sorcery, see Elworthy, The Evil Eye, 53.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

55

In No. 4 it is evidently the sorcerer who is depicted, waving in his hand a magic bough. This is the use we find in Babylonian magic, in

which a branch of the datepalm or tamarisk was held aloft

demons."

to repel the

One
of
all

detail of universal

magic appears

in the praxis of

our bowls: the

:

assumption of a suitable season for the exorcism.

months, this year out of
this
all

So 6

"this

day out

years"

cf.

the mutilated (and probably

i.

misunderstood) form of
is

formula
first

in 17:

In Wohlstein 2422 a day

etc.

given: "If you come on the

of Nisan, go away,"
this

Nisan

was

an auspicious day for expelling demons;"

was probably due

to the

belief that the great turning points of the year, the solstices

and equinoxes
responsive

were times of supernatural determinations of human

action on the part of

fate,

when
the

man was

especially

effective;

in

Babylonian

calendar Nisan
Tishri has the

was

the day of Destinies, the Jewish

New

Year's day in

same

character,

and compare the magic time of midsummer

in

night and the Christmas

season

more modern

superstition."

In

old

Babylonia certain days were propitious for exorcism, and they are
as personified, in a
30th, of the

listed,

Surpu

text,

among them

the 7th, isth, 19th, 20th, 25th,

month."

We

have

fuller
all

information of this notion from Egypt

papyri are preserved giving

the days in the year according to their

character as propitious or unpropitious for magical rites."

The same
continuators

use
of

of

seasons

appears

in

the the

Hellenistic

papyri,

those
I

Egyptian magic.

Among

numerous passages
tiiikpa^

note the
ipKi^u

following:
Trdvraf

eviavroiif ff ivcavriiv, fijjva^ ff iir/vov,

rjfiepCiv,

apac ef iipuv,

roif

" Thompson, Devils,

Persian religion;
Spiegel,

p.

xlix,

religious use of the barefma, a

Compare the and instances pp. 23, ill, 197. bunch of datepalm, pomegranate or tamarisk, in the
iii,

Branische Alterthiimer,

571.

Thompson

in

his

note

draws attention
" Wohlstein,

to
p.

our design.
399,

with references.
Mittelalters,
1884,

" See Carl Schmidt, Aberglaube des

wdhlerei).

205 S.

(on Die Tage-

" Zimmern,

tablet

viii,

24

ff.

Cf. the exorcism of a

demon

at

full

moon,

in

Lucian, Philopseudes,

16.

Budge,

op.

cit.,

224

ff.

Gods of
earliest

the Egyptians,

ii,

c.

xix, for lists of the deities

of times and seasons.

The

appearance of this system

among

the Jews

is

the angelic calendar system in Enoch, 82.

56

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
"

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
6:5: NOV

daifiova^

This

IS

exactly the equivalent of the passage cited above,

'JTj; pnbia^D,

and there can be no reasonable doubt that we have here the

reminiscence of the Hellenistic formula.

at//iepov
>//iepa,

So again

in

the papyri
is

io ry

fv

rii

apn

ijpif."

At

Icast the later

magical calendar

connected
the

with astrology; one Greek exorcism adjures "by the

God who has

power of the hour.""

in

These references

to

an appropriate magical time are

that no horoscopes

our texts however quite conventional;

we may judge

were cast by our sorcerers.

But the praxis

is

a minor part of the bowl-magic.

in

In this

it

differs

from the Babylonian

which the praxis was primary, the texts being

illuminative of the action.

The reasons
15.

for this shifting of the center of

spell,

gravity
is

I shall

touch upon in

In the bowls the incantation, the

almost the

all in all.

It consisted in the utterance or

writing of certain
a magic

phrases, words,

syllables,

which possessed

in themselves

power
spells

to bind equally the favorable

powers and the demons."

This use of

has gone so far that magic appears to have divorced

itself

from

religion;

the inversion of the bowl and the monotonously repeated declaration that the

demons are "bound,

Nos.
the divine powers.

sealed, countersealed, exorcised, hobbled, silenced,"

etc., e. g.

2, 4, is in itself sufficient,

without invocation

of,

or reference

to,

Generally
deities

however appears the formal adjuration of Deity or of

genii,

and other favorable

This

the invocation of their

name
e.

securing

their assistance."

may

be specifically the Jewish deity,

g.

No.

14,

" Wessely, xxxvi, 53, 1. 341 ff. My colleague Professor Heffern sagaciously notes the illumination thus cast upon the difficult reference in Rev. 9: 15 to the
angels appointed for an hour, day, month, year
;

the verse

is

reminiscent of magical

phraseology.

Note

also

the

phrase,

"in
1.

day," in the Paris Magical Papyrus,

good hour and a good and auspicious 3000 (given by Deissmann, Light from the
a
42,

Ancient East,

251, 255).
92,
1.

" Wessely, xxxvi,

1932

flf.

xlii,

1.

665

flf.

N. B. the like stress laid

upon "this day" in the Babylonian exorcisms, e. g. ^wr/iM-series, iv, 1. 65. " Wiinsch, Antike Fluchtafeln, no. 3, 1. 20. " The conscious manipulation of words, phrases, pronunciations to extract
magical sense, appears in 9
:

their

32

6.
;

" Even as

in earlier times the 315.

magie assyrienne,

The

images of the gods were used e. g. Fossey, La magical value of the use of the name in religious rites

J.

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MONTGOMERY
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it

ARAMAIC
O

INCANTATION TEXTS.

57

"in thy

name Yhwh";
the

may

be quite indefinite as in the

recurrent

introductory formula, "In thy name,

love"
;

Lord of heahngs, great Healer of

pagan text No.
19.
I

same form

also appears in the

discuss

under No. 3 the origin of the phrase.

There

is

nothing

new
even

in

the adjuration of

many

angels" or deities
the Jewish phase

along with the appeal to some one

of
polytheism,

Name;"

the former

is

while

with

polytheistic

adjurations
its

there

may

be

recognition of "God," as in the pagan text No. 19 with

reference to "the

one true God,"

1.

17.

Noticeable

is

the easy passage from the invocation

;

of celestial beings into that of mere names or words

the arrant nominalism into which magic

but this illustrates

losing the religious

had

fallen,

phase of divine personality.

So Abraxas

is

invoked

though probably here

Of
this "the

we have

a very ancient divine name, inherited from Egypt."

perversion, 14:
2.

may be a Great Abbahu" may be

holy Agrabis"

In 7:

9,

as noted in 9, "the

a magically deified sorcerer.'"

Many

of the odd

names which are invoked may be kabbahstic (gematriac,

angels or gods (see 13).
ligible

etc.)

names of

They may soon have worn down

into unintel-

words

just

as A,^pafaf

365 becomes D'3";2K (and other forms)

without reminiscence of the numerical value of the letters."

We

have the

has been established

in

various

1887,

years by a series of discussions from scholars working name: K. Nyrop, Navnets magt ("the power of the name"), F. v. Andrian in Correnoted and analyzed by Giesebrecht (see below)
in late
fields.
I
;

spondenzhlatt

Anthropologie. Bthnologie u. Urgeschichte, xxvii (1896), 109-127; F. Giesebrecht, Die alttestamentUche Schdtzung des Gottesnamens u. ihre retigionsgescliichtliche Grundlage, Konigsberg, 1901 W. HeitmuUer, Cf. also, on the use of the 'In Namen Jesu,' Gottingen, 1903 (especially Part II).
d.

deutsch.

Gesellschaft

f.

name, Jacob, "Im Namen Gottes," Vierteljahrsschrift f. Bibelkunde, i Boehmer, Das biblische I seq. (which I have not seen in full) J. (on the philological origins of the baptism formula) Giessen, 1898. by W. Brandt, '"Ovo/ia en de doopsformule in het nieuwe testament,"
;
;

(1903), Heft

Namen,' and an essay

'Im
Theol.
Tijd-

schrift, 1891.

" For the adjuration of angels

" See

13.

in

Judaism, see Heitmiiller, op.

cit.,

176

fl.

" According
23,

to

Budge, Egyptian Magic,

180, originally the

u.

name

of a form of
vii,

the sungod; according to

Zauherei (D. Alte Orient, the Egyptians from of old worshipped as god "the Magical Formula."

Wiedemann, Magie

4), p.

" Cf. the

Acts 19:
*"

13.

early and frequent use of the name Jesus in the papyri magic; and For Jesus as a sorcerer in the Talmud, see Blau. op. cit. 29.
107.

cf.

See Pognon, Inscr. mand.,

In 34: 19 he

is

"mighty lord."

58

UNIVERSITY MUSBUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
the magical papyri, the

same

unintelligent invocation of

names

in

e.

g.

exorcism "in the name of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jesus Chrestos, Holy
Spirit.""

This

is

not Jewish magic, any more than

is

we can

say that the

its

erotic

charm from Hadrumetum

spellings

Jewish in
A/3paav,

its

present form with

lapaa//."

barbarous specimens

for

the

patriarchs:

laxov,

These are

of

eclectic

magic

with

pagan and Jewish elements, overlaid

character of our texts, as in
all

with Christian."

It is in this eclectic

so-

called Jewish magic, that they part

company from

the old Babylonian magic

and relate themselves to occidental conjuration.

The

invocation of angelic names in Jewish magic

may

be regarded as

in part the parallel to the

pagan invocation of many

deities,

and

in part

as invocation of the infinite (personified) phases and energies of the one

God."
of as

Both Jewish and pagan magic agreed

in requiring the

accumulation

many names of

the deity or

demon

as possible, for fear lest

no one
aggre-

name exhaust
liturgy, goes

the potentiality of the spiritual being conjured.

The

gation of divine epithets in the Old Testament,

as also in the Christian

all

back to the root-idea of the efficiency of a knowledge of

possible; the fifty
cases.

the

names
are

if

names of Marduk, the hundred names of

the

Allah,

similar

In

Babylonian

magic" and also

in the

Egyptian"
the

this practice

was

established.

For Hellenic magic may be

haTiKtoi"

cited

many names

of

Hekate,

the

^<5y"'

In

this

accumulation

" Wessely, xxxvi. 75. 1. 1227. Cf. the list of invocations in a "Christian" amulet: Adonai, Thodonael (= Toth -f- Adonael), Sabaoth, Emanuel, the holy angels, etc. (Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 293).
*"

For the

text

and literature see to No.

:

28.

etc.
{c.

I suppose the formula read originally "in the name of the God of Abraham," See Heitmiiller, op. cit., p. 180 for the invocation of the patriarchs, etc. Origen Cels, iv, 35) appears to admit its efficacy.

"

" Cf. the Gaonic maxim that there are many things in which the angels are independent of God. Blau, op. cit., 92 with which contrast the notion of the ephemeral existence of the angels who proceed from the Dinur of God; Weber, Jiid. Theologie, 166. Eisenmenger, Entdecktes Judenthum, ii, 371 all but Michael and For the Gabriel according to a dictum of Bereshith R. (Lueken, Michael, 39). equivalent efficiency of divine and angelic names see the magical text, The Sword of Moses, published by Gaster, 1896.
;

" Jastrow, Religion Babyloniens " Budge,

op.
cit.,

u.

Assyriens,

i,

291.

171.
6.

" Wiinsch. Ant. Fluchtafeln,

J. A.

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ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

59

of divine names there lurks the uncertainty whether they are names of

one being,
fusion

or, as so

many
the

potencies,

names of as many
under No.
ii,

beings.

This con-

appears

in

parallel

texts

where the second

in the first

(Myhrman's

text)

turns the three

names of the Jewish God

in the case of

into a polytheistic trinity.

syllables, the

But except

accumulated magical
is

"barbarous names" of Greek magic, the Deity

;

not in our

texts given

Deity

is

not

many names this much more than

is

due

to the fact that the reference to the

a passing compliment.

However
is
it

the

names

of the demons must be exactly known, and especially

receives an extravagant accumulation of designations
;

the Lilith

who

she

is

akin to Hekate

and the "Hekatian names" are showered upon

her.

For the demoniac

names

refer to 12.

The use
are

of so-called kabbalistic names

letters,"

syllables,

phrases

as potent charms,

may

next claim our attention.

The

roots of this usage

many,

and the origin or etymology of

specific

cases mostly defy

is

explanation.

The

practice

is

rare in Babylonian magic," but

in its lineal

common

in the sorcery of ancient

Egypt" and
reflected

descendant the Hellenistic

magic," and hence

it

was

to the

Jewish sorcery, the Talmud

abundantly illustrating the use of these barbarica onomata."'

source of this usage
is

One

primitive
;

the mystery which

(Is.

is

thrown about magic

rites

"the

wizards that squeak and gibber"

8: 19) are universal; the Babylonian

priest generally whispered his formulas (cf. the title

masmasu)

the solemn

parts of Christian rites have likewise tended to inaudible pronounciation.

There

exists a tendency

toward intentional obscuration of the formulae,

to even greater corruption.

which by psychological necessity would tend But magic

in general
is in its

purpose a

scientific exercise,

and we must suppose that

unintelligi-

something

intelligible

was once expressed by the now

" For the mysticism connected with

Rhein. Mus., hi,
77,

letters see Dieterich's interesting discussion,

"ABC Denkmaler."
xvi, 188
(cf.

"
see

case in

Myhrman, ZA,
cit., c.

Jastrow,

i,

339), for the text of which

15: 4.

* Budge,

op.

S, e. g. p. 172-

" See Heitmiiller, op. cit. 197 K.; Abt, Apuleius, 152. For the Ephesia grammata, (the papers of Welcker in his Kleine see Kuhnert, in Pauly-Wissowa, s. v. Schriften, iii, and of Wessely in Program of the Franz Joseph Gymn., Vienna, 1886,
I

have not seen). " Blau, op. cit., 61

f.

Griinbaum,

ZDMG,

xxxi, 269

f.

60

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

ble term.
lost

Much

of the later nonsense

was the

survival of phrases of the

tongue in which the charms had their

rise."

Such a part may have

been played by Sumerian phrases in later Babylonia, and the great western
sorcerer Apuleius recognizes the origins of his magical lingo as magica

nomina Aegyptio vel Babyloniaco

said to
alyvTTTia!;eiv.

ritu,"

and the Hellenistic sorcerer

is

Some

of the phrases are

still

intelligible,

such as cnn, "quick" (off with

you), with abundant parallels in the Babylonian and the Greek magic (the
repeated raxr),'' also brief imperatives, as
"fly
J?T,

nr,

or

nt,

from

yyt,

etc.,

away."

But the great majority of the forms are

e.

unintelligible.

It is

to be observed that raucous sounds,

g.
K"

YP (kas) and especially sibilants (sh)

is

are very frequent; in

Pognon's texts

often inserted between

words."

May we compare
E'n?

the hissing implied by the ancient

Hebrew

sorcery terms,

and

tJTlJ ?

Many
on
this

such syllables or letters are surrogates for the divine

lent itself to this treatment."

name
used

nin%

which especially

So we

find the changes

rung
like

word:
X,
:

~\

flV,

in'',

nynx,

etc.

Or
it

abbreviations
is

are

the repeated
times, in 31

DTI^K bn 'JIX; in 20: 2

In
irrnx'',

extravagantly repeated six

a play on the three

8 eight times.

31

6,

we have

vowels as

in

Greek magic.
all
its

Then
various

there enters in the use of the principle of Athbash, in

e.

forms,

g.

I'SVO

(Stiibe,

1.

66)

nin''

Such prima facie

;

unintelligible

forms themselves became corrupted

14: 2, are

in course of time

perhaps

MS

MS, PS PS,

from the former theme.

Probably too the

" See Deissmann's remarks on the distinction between hocus-pocus and survivals of Egyptian and Babylonian magic in the vocabulary of the papyri Bibelstudien, i ff.
;

" Abt, Apuleius, " See to 14: 4. " In our

152.

texts cf. i: 13, 3:

s,

14:

2,

25:

s,

29:

10.
3,

" For extensive magical formulas based on the Name, see Nos. give a list of these terms at the end of Glossary A.

6,

31, 35.

" Cf. the introduction to Schwab's Dic<tooiV? rf'o(7e/o/o(7ie; Blau, o/". ci/., 117-146. Against Jewish orthodox use, our texts do not hesitate to write ni.T cf. the Samaritan usage. In one case it is vocalized in a proper name, n<3!T3>l3, 36: 4, q. v. The reminiscence of the ancient pronunciation survived in the lower classes and certain sects, e. g. among the Samaritans, and in magic, cf. the forms Ia/3c, etc
;

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

61

principle of
in

(mathematical) gematria
but also

may

be supposed/' of old standing

Judaism,**

found
in 9: 5

in the
f.

theosophy

and current use of the

"letter out of letters,

Greeks."

The passage

which speaks of

name out

of names, interpretation out of interpretation," doubtless refers

to the abstraction of such

hidden meanings and values out of words.

occurs a rhyming "nonsense" couplet used with

In one case, 15: 4

f.,

magical intention.
in

For

this as noticed to the

passage there

is is

one example
found,
e.

the Assyrian magic.

S.""

Assonance of succeeding words

g.

35:

Both assonance and rhyme are found

bctttr

in the western

magic;

e. g.

adam alam

alam hotiim;" and

op^h)
Svar/pt
jiaviiu
votipe

xoSripe

avpe avpoe KavKtBTtj

SudcKaKtar^."*

Rhyme

appears in the lines

TovTo
ypd(pe
:

tg^^

QvptyA,
OvpiijX,

Mi;fa)^X

raPpii/Ti,,

Miaay}^, 'Ippaijl^ 'larpaf/?..^

do not

find

much proof

of intentional

misspelling;

most

of

the

apparent cases are cleared up on inspection of the text.

deal of care
letters or
is

In fact

a good

exercised in this regard (n.

b.

a case in 4: 4), and erroneous

in

words are often erased or repeated correctly;

form most of

the texts compare favorably with the magical papyri.

" Schwab,
*"

a case in

No.

42.

Found by

ancient tradition in Eliezer

=
is

318;

cf.

Gen. 15: 2 and 14:

cit.,

14.

" Deissmann, Light from " The Talmudic shabriri

peeling off of the

the Ancient Bast, 275; Wiinsch, op.

briri
riri

23.

ri

different

in character; the gradual

word
xlii,

finally destroys the

13,
1.

demon.
xxviii, 72.

" See Wessely,

**

from Marcellus,

Wessely,

xlii,

45,

747,

1.

964-

" This identification of the angels recalls the assimilation of the gods in the famous Babylonian passage; "Ninib the Marduk of strength, Nergal the Marduk of battles," and similar astrological identifications; see A. Jeremias, Monotheistische Stromungen, 26.

For assonance and rhyme in Greek magic, see Philologie, Supplementband xix (1903), dassische f. 544 ff. M. C. Sutphen, "Magic in Theokritos and Vergil," in the Studies in Honor of B. L. Gildersleeve (Baltimore, 1902), 318; Abt, Apologie d. Apuleius, IS4- For
90,
1.

" Wessely, xxxvi,

in Fleckeisen's
;

1814

ff.

Heim,

Jahrbiicher

similar cases in our texts see 19: 18, 25:

S,

35

5-

62

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
of

An

important part of the

Word

Power

in

developed magic

is

the

use of sacred scriptures, the epics, legends of the people, and the citation of appropriate precedents.
his

Babylonian, Egyptian, Jew, Greek, each had

thesaurus of sacred legend, which age had consecrated as veritable

in themselves potent."

words of Deity and hence

runes,"

These are "the ancient

N'onp

NT'C, of 32: 9."

Early

house

amulets

have been

found

in
;*

Assyria

inscribed

with

quotations from the legend of

Ura

the pest-god

and there are other traces

In the same

way that Coming Forth of the Day," largely consisting of myth, and the Legend of Ra and Isis, were used in Eg>'pt as magical texts." In the Greek magic we have Nor were the prophylactic and divinatory use of the Homeric verses."
of the use of epic

myth

in the

Babylonian magic."
as

portion of the

Book of

the

Dead known

"The Chapters of

the

the Jews behind their neighbors, with their fast fixed canon of
scripture.

sacred

The book

of

Deuteronomy ordered or

at

least

suggested the

use of the weightiest "word" in the scriptures, the Shema, as a phylactery

to

be inscribed on the hands and between the eyes (in place of totemistic

tattoo-marks)" and on the sideposts and gates of the house (where earlier
prophylactic amulets like the Babylonian had hung).

Or

certain passages

appeared palpably appropriate, just as the Ura-legend was used as a prophylactic; so Ps. 91, especially v. 5
spirit,
f.
;

or the divine scolding of the evil

"Yhwh
by

rebuke thee, Satan,"

in

Zech. 3:2.

few of the bowls

largely

published

Schwab,

(exterior),"

H, K, O, are mostly or

" Cf.

Is.

55

II.
,

'V, cf. ivufai carmina, incantamenta, etc. of occidental magic. use of the same root in Arabic 'V in Ju. 5 12 has this sense.
; :

" For

Cf. the

" King, ZA, Magic, 83.

'"

xi,

50; Fossey, op.

cit.,

105; Jastrow, op.

cit.

i,

285; Thompson, Sem.

Jastrow, op.
op.

cit.,

i,

363.

" Budge,

cit.

125, 137,

and

p.

141 for

remarks on
latina,"

this magic.

" See Heim, "Incantamenta magica graeca as in n. 66 and Wessely, xlii, 2 ff.

in

Fleckeisen's Jahrbitcher,

" Cf. Eze. 9: 4, Is. 44: 5, Gal. 6: 17, Rev. 13: 16 f., etc. The practice was continued into Talmudic times, Sabb. 120b, etc.; see Blau, op. cit., 119. "

PSBA,

xii,

327.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

63

composed of scripture verses."

We
i,

find

in

them the Aaronic

blessing,

Num.

6: 24
18,

ff.,

Is.

44: 25, Cant. 3: 7;

f.,

contains the whole of Ps. 121,

7.

Ex. 22:

Cant. 3: 7

Ps. 16:
first

17: 8, 32:

is

an amalgam of Dt.
first

6: 4 and Ps. 91, with the

the latter, etc.

word of

the former followed by the

of

G
late.

reads Dt. 29: 22 and then reverses the order of the

eflfusions are exceptional,

words."

But these genuinely Jewish

and may be
lack

comparatively

The Nippur bowls

and reference.

are

marked by
is

their

of

scriptural quotation
thee,

Very frequent

"The Lord rebuke

first
:

Satan,"" at the end of the inscription.

:

No. 26 opens with the

:

words of the Shema, followed by Num. 9

is

23 and Zech. 3

2.

Num.

23

of value as containing the root

Biblical

1D5',

a frequent and potent theme in

is

Jewish magic.

and of good magical tradition

the use of

Amen
also

(generally twice or thrice repeated), Selah," Halleluia.

These are

used

in

Talmudic charms,
Sabaoth,

e. g.

Yoma

84a

"kanti, kanti, kaloros,

Yah, Yah,

Yhwh,

Amen, Amen,
Mandaic

Selah."

The magical

Halleluia recalls the

probable use of Hallel-like forms in incantations."

are not found in the
is

These Jewish terms

texts, in

which the sectarian doxology, "Life

a/"/"
:

victorious" replaces them.

In the Greek papyri

and

aXltXmia

are

frequent," and
TO aAAe?iOvia
Kal

we have
to

a case of syncretism such as this

^ojirr^cvra to aftf/v koI

vayy?uov.^^

But

this use of scripture is

not such as
in the

we

should expect to find from

any Jew even moderately versed

Old Testament.

The

spelling

is

" For
op.
cit.,

biblical verses of prophylactic

f.,

70

93

f.,

and

his article "Amulets," in

power approved by the Talmud, see Blau, Jewish Bncyc; also Kayser, "Gebrauch

von Psalmen zu Zauberei," ZDMG, xlii, 456, presenting a Syriac MS. containing the Psalm verses useful in magic and divination. For the use of Psalms (especially
Ps. 91) in the late Italian magic, see Pradel, Griechische
.

sUdifalienische Gebete, 69.

;

Jewish magic, called S?1BD, see Blau, op. cit., 85 the practice reversed the hostile charm. With the attempt at disguising the plain meaning, of. the intentional confusion of lines in a Greek defixio, published in Wiinsch, Antike
this practice in

" On

Fluchtafeln, no.

4.

"
of

formula recommended
word.
i,

in
is

the Talmud, Berak.

not,
I

sa.

" This magical use of Selah

the
It

think, noticed in the several

modern

studies

appears

also

as 2aAa

on

an

Abraxas gem.

Diet, d'archeologie

chretienne,

144.

" Cf. Blau,

*

op.

cit.,

94

f-

E.

g.,

both together, Wessely,

I.

xlii, 28,

1.

279.

"

lb. 66,

31.

64

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYI,ONIAN SECTION.

not Massoretic, the quotations are not exact."

to

There are but two references

2,

the

supreme history of the Exodus,

In the Greek papyri there
is

14:
far

34:

4,

and the

latter is

confused.

more

citation of the sacred

history; cf. the "Jewish" text of the Great Magical Papyrus at Paris, published

most recently by Deissmann."

This contains a brief summary of

God's great acts for Israel, although the crossing of the Jordan precedes
the passage of the

Red

Sea."

The "Judaism"

of our bowls

is

often less

than that of the papyri."

There are several references

in the citation of great spells.

to ancient

myth and apocrypha,

spell

especially

So
6,

4,

"the

of the sea and the spell

fell

of the monster Leviathan"

1.

"the curse,
4,

etc.,

which

on Mt. Hermon,

Leviathan, Sodom, Gomorra"; 4:

"the seal with which were charmed

;

the Seven Stars and the Seven Signs"

First

10

3. 5,

"the seal with which the

Adam

sealed his son Seth," or "with which

f.

Noah
of

sealed the ark"

;"

also see 34: 4

All

sacred and legendary history

is

is

series

spells, just as

the
as

Babylonian epic literature

magically used,

Ea

or

Marduk appearing
lie

the high priest of exorcism.

So

also in

Egypt the epic of the gods gives

hands

assurance of present magical help.

"My two
.... even

upon

this child, the

two hands of
son Horus."

Isis lie

upon him, even as

save

Isis laid

her two hands upon her

"O

Isis,

me

as

thou
is

didst

save thy son

Horus.""
derful

And

so in the Greek papyri the adjuration

Israel,

often by the wonspells; see the

works of the God of

which are regarded as

great Magical Papyrus.

Blau, p. no, that this paraphrasing and variation in was intentional magic which perpetuated the pronunciation of the Great Name would not have hesitated at using the exact words of scripture. The quotations have often come through eclectic mediums. ".Light from the Ancient East, 250 ff. " Cf. the Talmudic charm against the toothache, Sabb. 67a, in which portions of the pericope of the Bush were recited Blau, op. cit., 69. " "Man kann den Aberglauben der Kaiserzeit nicht in die verschiedenen Der Aberglaube ist Kategorieen heidnisch jiidisch und christlich einteilen Deissmann, Bibelstudien, 25. seiner Natur nach synkretistisch" " Cf. "the seal which Solomon laid on the tongue of Jeremia," in the great Magical Papyrus, 1. 3039, Deissmann, Light, p. 257 which has its parallel in the charm with which Enoch's brothers charmed him, 3: 4. " Wiedemann, Magie u. Zauberei bet den alten Aegyptern, 1905, 22, 26.
I

"

cannot agree with

scriptural quotation

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

65

In this connection

may

be noted a few passages which appear to be

derived from apocryphal or kabbahstic literature, fragments snatched to

decorate the lean skeleton of incantation.

E.

g.

8: 13: "holy angels, hosts

of light in the spheres, the chariots of El-Panim before

beasts worshipping in the
fire

Him

standing, the

of His throne and in the water, the cohorts

of I-am-that-I-am"
in the

14: 3: "I adjure you by

Him who

lodged His Shekina

temple of light and hail"; or the poetic description of the angels in

12: 7:

"They are

filled

with glory

who endure and keep pure

blowing
!

since the

days of eternity, and their feet are not seen in the dances by the world,

and they
the

sit

and stand

in their place,

like the blast, lightening like

lightning."

beneficent
An
his glory;

Annunaki
later

These passages, reminiscent both

literature, are recited

of

the

Apocalypse and the

kabbalistic

with

magical intent."

important part of magic was the epic of the god

and the praise of

in the

compare the insertion of the Hermetic

KoafioKotia

Leyden magical papyrus," and the

epic of the attack of the rebel

series.

spirits against the

gods in the i6th tablet of the Utukku

The

story

of the god's power or the praise of his glory were "words of power" against
the fiends.*"

There
details.

is

dreary monotony in

these texts, yet

much
ills.

variation of
client

After possibly an invocation, comes the name of the

and

family,

and then the categories of detested demons and

Then

follow
is

the

various

Names

in

which the

spells are invoked.

Noticeable

the

frequent repetition of the same form, even three or more times

3).

(e. g.

No.
in
is

This insipid use has

cit.,

its

parallel in the
5,

KarMca/ioi; cf. the

examples

Wiinsch. op.

nos. 3, 4,

where with

slight

changes the exorcism

repeated at least three times.

the charm;
it is

Multiplication increased the efficiency of

the

liaTTo?.oyia

of the Gentiles {Mt.

6:7).

But the

relig-

" Cf. the amulet

celestial

in Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 294, where the ranks of hierarchy are enumerated as standing by the great and lofty Deity.
182.

the

" Dieterich, Abraxas,

Herodotus notices the use of a theogony or divine

history in the incantation of a

magus

(i,

132)

see in general Conybeare,

JQR

ix,

93

f.

Fossey, op. cit., 96; and for the western magic, Wunsch, op. cit., 13. and legendary narratives are found in the Syriac charms published by Gollancz, Actes du zieme Congris International des Orientalistes, 1887, sect, iv, 77. Cf. also the similar Syriac charms published by W. H. Hazard in JAOS, xv (1893).
Cf.

"

Scriptural

284

ff.

66

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

ious imaginativeness

and poetic invention of the ancient Babylonian and

Egyptian magic has disappeared.

its

reductio ad absurdum, personality

The spell, the human and

i^pk

^iyoc
is

has suffered

divine

thrown out of

doors.

 12.

The Objects
the

of Exorcism; the Demons, Etc.

The magic of
dissertation
is

bowls

is

of

too

late

an age to require here a

on the

rise

and spread of the

belief in evil spirits.

Our

sorcery

fin

de

Steele.

When

the old-world religions began to decay, and the

in the political convulsions

gods that once were near to men disappeared

which marked the passing of ancient

tribe or city

and the domination of

a world-empire, or suffered under the strokes of philosophy and skepticism,

the spirits of
fears of men,
ill

were not banished, and the superstition that feeds on the

to

came

occupy the center of the stage of the spiritual drama.

Nor

did the rise of the great spiritual religions counteract the tremendous
evil,

development of the superstition concerning the powers of

for they

did not deny them, but recognized their existence, often regarded themselves
in the negative light of prophylactics

and antidotes against the great outfaith

standing fact of evil agencies.

The Persian

was boldly
ill.

dualistic

and

magical in

its

rites

for overcoming the

powers of

Jewish monotheism

was too

tense,

and the cardinal doctrine of the one God was saved by that

unfortunate, though possibly necessary, salvage from antique polytheism,

in the

shape of angels and devils

who were

nearer and more real to

man

than distant Deity.'

The

Christian Church followed the tuition of her

mother and her pagan converts brought along with them the superstitions
of the Graeco-Roman world
entail the foil of
;

the doctrine of the Incarnation seemed to

embodied demons, and diabolology entered into the formal

Christian theology to an extent

unknown

in official Judaism.'

'

Cf. Bousset, Die

flf.

Religion

des Judentums im neutestamentlichen Zeitalter, 313

ff.,

326
'

For the diabolology of the Hellenistic world, see the works of Heitmiiller, also in general P. Abt, Tambornino, cited in the previous section Wendland, Die hellenistischrdtnische Kultur in ihren Beziehungen zu Judentum u. Christentum, 1907; for Jewish and Christian denionology, see n. 35 for literature.
Reitzenstein,
;

(67)

68

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

Our magic
and

is

a degenerate survival of the religious and magical develop-

ments of ancient Egypt and Babylonia, of the Hellenistic world, of Judaism,

in the study of its

demonology,

we

are dealing with a mass of time-worn

and banal demons, which do not promise much for fresh investigation.
Nevertheless the analysis of the different kinds of demons

may produce

here and there a note of interest.

have noticed above the magical

efficacy ascribed to

naming the names

it

of

deities

and demons (

ii).'

Personal names for demons,

is

true,
e.

are not very

common

they are generally epithets or generic terms,

the Satan," etc.

g.

"the Killer, the

Demon,

One

class of
list

demons however
of names which
is

seems always to have enjoyed the privilege of a long

it

was the

sorcerer's duty to

know and

to conjure.

This

the female
in

demon
No. 42

represented in the old

Babylonian texts by the Labartu,

the
te.xt

Jewish by the Lilith, in the Greek by the Gello or Baskania.

is

Our

an exorcism of the
it

evil
;

Lilith
I

and

its

virtue consists in the

knowledge
details.

gives of her

many names

refer to that text for comparative

Likewise the Labartu has her six (seven?) names, which are to

be carefully pronounced.'
epithets attached to

We
in

may
f.,

also

compare the accumulation of

2,

demons

in 2: 2

8:

24:
12:

13, etc.,
9,

and

recall a like

process in the
similarly

names of Satan

Rev. 9:

11,

while Egyptian magic

amassed the names of the demon Apep.'

Also for further identi-

fication of the

demons the names of

their parents, or even

granddams are
Also the

given,' for every specification enhances the

power of the name.

personal description
exactly

is

efficacious, for this indicates that the sorcerer

knows
rise

whom

he

is

exorcising.

Such magical descriptions sometimes

delineation

to almost epic tones, as in the

of the

Seven

Spirits

in

the

Babylonian Utukki-series.''

reminiscence of these hair-raising pictures

appears in the Mandaic bowls published by Pognon and Lidzbarski, in which

and the summary of

Cf. also Origen,

C. Celsum,
ix,

i,

24

f.,

v,

45

f.,

his

argument

given by Conybeare,
*

JQR,

65

f.

cf.

a similar text
"

See the opening of the Labartu texts as published by Myhrman, ZA, xvi, 154; on an amulet published by VVeissbach, Bab. Miscellen, 44.
171.

Budge, Egyptian Magic,

See below under (l)b.

'

'

Thompson, Devils and Evil

Spirits of Babylonia,

i,

51.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

69

the

hurtling,

scolding,

fighting of

the Lilith-witches

is

depicted in un-

canny terms.

But

in general

our texts do not extend much beyond the

mere

registration of categories; this decadent sorcery

made up

for the lack

of poetical imagination by a mathematical tabulation.

Superstition in order
;

to be comprehensive encyclopaedically accumulated all the terms of evil

not

only the inherited demoniac categories, but

all

which new races and

faiths

had

to offer

were gladly accepted.

Hence

in

our texts the naming of the

devils

and

ills

results in the registration of

an

indefinite
start

number of

species.

An

analysis of our general category

may

from a threefold

division,

namely: (i)

evil spirits, in the strict sense of the term, as personal beings;

(2) evil agencies, especially the species of black magic, which have been
potentized
into

almost personal

existence;

(3)

natural

evils,

especially

physical maladies, but also such mental and moral affections as loss, shame,
etc.

which
This
is

are regarded as instigated by demons, or as themselves evils

is

with personality, although often the demoniac element

the order

vague.

we

find generally in
e.

our present

texts.

And

it

is

an-

tique.

It

appears in the Babylonian,

g. in

a text where the several evil

spirits are

named (Utukki,

etc.),

then "the enchantments, sorceries, witch-

crafts," then "sickness."'

All the three categories do not so often appear in

the Babylonian magic,

but here again

various

we
ills.'

find the

more frequently those under (2) and (3) are paired, same order the bans (mamitu) and then the

human
fj

This order appears also on the whole in the Byzantine

:'"

charms published by Vassiliev

^^epiafioQ
^p'lKTi
II

rd

aKa-dapra

nvcvfiara,

Si

jiaoKavia

tj

tpap/iOKeia
Ij

f)

TTvpeTOC list

fi

Mjinvlov y avvavr^fia novripov y

voaripuv ^ KCMpov
list,

ru^/lov,

and so on with a
all celestial

of diseases.

Compare

a papyrus

in

which are

and

terrestial spirits, sins,

dreams, bans, witchcraft."

first

This

is

the natural order of the evolution of magic:

the animistic the evil

fear of demons, then the opposition to mortals

spirits to their malicious purpose, finally the

who have bound

more exact diagnosis of the

maladies which are specified in secular terms.

At

the end of the develop-

Fossey,
E.
g.

La magie

assyrienne,
v,
I.

161.
ff.,

Surpu-itvxes,

55

Zimmern, Beitrdge

z.

Kenntniss

d.

babylon.

Religion, 23.
'

Anecdoia graeco-bysantina, 332. " Wessely, Vienna phil.-hist. Denkschriften, xxxvi,

':,

81,

1.

1443-

10

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

ment

this last category

may

alone remain, as in the Babylonian medical

It

texts or the

modern Jewish and Arabic charms.

may

here be remarked

that the never-ending enlargement of categories of evil spirits, apart

eclectic causes,

from

may

be due to Persian influence, although hardly any of

the details can be traced to that source.

(I)
(a)

The most honorable

place in the
still

first

division

is

to be assigned to

the ancient gods and the spirits

haunting their temples, which the de-

velopment of religion and especially the monotheistic trend had depotentized

and turned into demons.

of to-day.
in the

The

religion of yesterday

becomes the superstition

Polytheism died hard.

Even with
D'npsn

the triumph of the

Old Testament, there survived the

belief in the
'33

One God many deities who

i),

appear as lieutenants of Yahwe, the

(Job,
i

as capable of

disobedience and subject to divine wrath

{Gen. 6:
24: 21

ff.,

Ps. 82), as the

planetary spirits

(Dt. 32: 8

[Greek],

Is.

ff.),

as angels,

a
at

more
first

thoroughgoing assimilation with monotheism, though the angels

have an independence and sovereignty recalling the Sons of God

10: 13, 21, and Satan), or finally as evil spirits.

(e. g.

Dan.

The supreme
when

declaration

of Second Isaiah that the gods are naught and nothing, unfortunately
not sustained, and even onetime beneficent gods,
as
is

was

banished, returned

demons
found
in

to

vex the
:

faithful.

classic expression of this

demonology

Paul

"the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to

demons
ment of

{ dai/iovloic ,)

and not

to

God"

(I Cor. 10: 20)."

The

fullest developspirits

this theory is

found

in

Mandaism, where the ancient

devils.

of the

planets have

become the chief

So also

Mohammed

reduced the

pagan gods to Jinns.

These discarded

deities

may

therefore head the

all

list

of evil potencies,

and so we

find in 38: 8:

"Charmed be

gods (N'niiK)" and temple-spirits

and

shrine-spirits

and

idol-spirits

and goddesses (KriKnnDj?)." The old proper

name

of the goddess Istar had already in the Assyrian

become a common

" So

DS'S

had become
koI

Sam6via

in

the

Septuagint,

and

cf.

Baruch 4: 7:

KpocKweiv TO

dai/j.6via

to ldu?.a

(also Rev. 9- 20).

" Cf. the Babylonian Hani

limnuti.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
in general

ARAMAIC
(istarati)."

INCANTATION TEXTS.
In the heathen text No. 19
(1.

71

name of goddesses
is

we

learn of the sixty gods and the eighty goddesses

8)

the former

figure

a survival of the ancient sacred

number
is

for the fulness of deity, hence

the

number

of

Anu ;"

the "eighty"
Syriac,

merely cumulative."
is

Once the

rare

feminine
spirit

Knn^N

(in the

Pesh., etc.)

found, used of a female

(Wohlstein, 2417: 5)."

it

Probably

is

under Mandaic influence that we

spirits; n.
b.

find the planets re-

garded as baneful

the old

myth of

their fall cited in 4:

6.

and the charms against sun, moon,

of Mandaic origin" see Pognon's

stars, planets,
list,

34:

For other demons

;

Inscriptions Mandaites, 93

to these

may

be added from Ellis

J^TJ, the

Mandaic form of Nergal

here
is

the
evil

unlucky planet Mars, and

genius."

"i1t33N,'"

who

transformed into an

Under

this

head there

is

one interesting species, that of demons which

are the spirits of the pagan shrines and simulacra, and so are regarded
as haunting them.''

Again the forceful protest of Second

Isaiah, of Ps. 115,

" So Hani
Also
n. b.

u.
:

istarati.
13,

KAV,

180.

Cf. Heb. tss mntPi", Dt. 7:

13,

etc.,

of ewes.

Ju. 2

with Moore's comment.

this mystical

" For the survival of

Keilschr.-forsch.,
ii,

number
is

in

Judaism, see Griinbaum, Zeits.

1.

f.

222.

list

of 50 gods

given in one Babylonian hymn, see

iv,

Reisner,

Sumerisch-babylonische

Hymnen,
;

no.

152

ff.

cf.

the

^wr/iM-series

(Zimmern, Beitrage), no. iv, 1. 68 ff., viii, I ff. Sometimes the number alone (6, 10, Jastrow, Rel. Bab. u. Ass., i, 289. In No. 38 15, 60) sufficed by way of abbreviation cf. the 366 Uthras in the Mandaic are mentioned the 360 broods of evil spirits religion and the 360 gods which Islamic tradition claimed were housed at Mecca. According to Pesah. iiib, seq., a service tree near a city has not less than 60 demons
;

in

it.

" According to old Semitic use, cf. Mic. 5: 4, Prov. 30: 15 ff. N. B. "the 7 sealers and the 8 brothers" in the Mandaic amulet published by Lidzbarski in the Florilegium
to de Vogiie
(1.

7 f.).
in

Cf. 19:

4-

Sayce-Cowley's Elephantine papyri, and two Nabataean inscripthe also notice the Arabian goddess al-Lat, tions, see Lidzbarski's glossary Babylonian Allat, goddess of the nether-world. For occurrence of rhn in Phoenician, see Baethgen, Beitrage, 58 f.
I

"

find

nrhit

" See Brandt, Mandiiische Religion, 43, " Brandt, ib., 51, 199; Mand. Schriften,

n. 2.

184.

" For
just cited,

a
1.

list

of these planetary spirits in the Mandaic

ff.

cf.

Lidzbarski's amulet

247

" Cf. Origen, C. Celsum, vii, 35 and 64: the localities demons are temples and shrines where they can enjoy the

especially

incense, biood, etc.

haunted by the Also

72

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
was a virtue

the satire of Bel and the Dragon, had failed; there

cults

in the

and sanctuaries of the old

religions.

So

the ekure appear in our

bowls, as in the Mandaic books," as established deities.

The word
and

ekurru,

once the name for a temple had already in the Assyrian become applied to
deities, ekurrati."

The temples themselves were

personified

practically

deified

;"*

later superstition retained the idea

by regarding the
e.

ekiire as the

gods of the temples, and so as gods

sna't Nniay pn'K',

in general;

g. Lidz., iv:

Dica

19:

8)."

Of
5
e.

like

number 60 shows, xmay = K'hIjn (cf. character are the nans, or na'ns = nsTiKS (once, in
where
as

the

Schwab Q:
in general
;

npna),"' properly "images, idols," but used at large of gods

g.

we

read of "invocations of the gods,

'S,

and the goddesses.""

In some of the
'bi

There are
they
the

'B

of the upper, lower and middle regions."

rather
far

lists
;

appear

down;

e.

g.

5:

2,

nitji
in

noNl

'ini

'TC

cf.

Mandaic passage, quoted from the Ginza,

the

Pognon B,

p. 75,

where

they occur after

demons,

devils,

spirits,

amulets,

liliths,

being thus
in the

much reduced
eclectic

in grade.

Levy

translates the

word by Gespenster;"
There

magic of the time the word may have come to be

identified with

eUulov

both phantasm or ghost, and idol."

is

the distinction

in the

Talmud

the reality of oracles at those shrines

see the

is

admitted, although explained

apologetically;
i,

argument

in

Aboda

Z. S5a, cited by Joel,

Der Aberglaube,

p. 86.

Cf. I Cor. 10: 28.

81.

" Brandt, Mand. Schriften, "

Delitzsch, Ass.

Hwb.,

21.
;

" Reisner, Sum.-bab. Hymnen, iv, 1. 165 Jastrow, op. cit., i, 282. Beth-el appears in the same use in West Semitic: the god Bait-ile, KAT*, 437 f., the name Bethel-shar-ezer, Zech. 7 21 and now the many similar names in the new Elephantine
:

papyri published by Sachau.

" The word

also survived in its original sense,

e.

g.

Pognon, B, no.

13.

" For the form,

see Noldeke,

Mand. Gram.,
5.

25.

"2:7,
"

Lidz.

4,

Wohls. 2422:

" Pogn. B, no.

25, erd.

ZDMG,

ix, 467, n. 5.

' The Persian word was early introduced into the Occident. MS. and Symmachus's testimony (margin of Cod. Marchalianus)

According to one
Tzaraxpa
is

(+

eifa/.a

as gloss) translates the vn'^N of Is. 8: 21,

found.
(1892),

See Nestle
ii,

in

where the unintelligible -arpm Transactions of the IXth International Congress of

generally

Orientalists,

s8.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
'B

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

73

between male and female

I
).*"'

xmansi nans and

srapiJ ['"Til^nB

(Schwab

am

inclined to associate with these patkaras the

listed

Kona

of 38: 8 and

40

19,

where they are

between the smsj;

and

Nns^ns or the

xmay

and
Ass.

8n^5^nD'y.

The word would then mean "shrine-spirits" (Syriac />^ro^ifea. parakku). The change of the first vowel (a to i) is possible." But

another etymology
parik (the

may

be

proposed from

the Persian pairika

Pahlavi

modern Persian Peri)."

These creatures are described as beau-

tiful seductive witches, are

connected with comets, and also according to

Philologiits

de Harlez are companions of certain genii invoked by magicians.

cally, this

would be the most

fitting

etymology for our word; but

prelittle

cedence

in the lists indicates a

higher rank than that assigned to the

known

(so Spiegel) and insignificant Pairikas.

false

For the

gods also appears Nnj?D

,nij?t3

(sing.

1J?to),

"error,"

used

like

^'^N, etc. in the

Old Testament.
groups of demons which immemorially had
Like the iitukki of the Babylonian

(b) I pass

now

to those

stood as the evil spirits par excellence.

religion" they mostly appear in tribal groups, without personal distinction.

Most constant among

these classes are the

pVT

and

p'E'

which may be
of a definite

expressed by "devils and demons," with as

idea as these English words convey to us.

much The

or as

little

DHB' occur in the Old

Testament, the word having an obscure history in connection with the

Assyrian sedu;
sedu."^

in

function the IK'

is

the

Babylonian sedu limnu, "evil

pT'tr

In the later Jewish demonology the

are the hobgoblins, the

"*

With

'D

=r a deity or demon,
n'3J, "shrine"

cf.

the use of
to

a^ita,

"tomb," as grave-demon;
2.

so in a Greek amulet published by Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 293, and see his note

Also
of
I

in the Syriac

comes

mean

a god, a false god,

Sa. 7

3 translates

nnriB'V

In Islam the false

and in Peshitto gods were called asndm, "idolsj"

6,

Noldeke, Gram. d. neu-syr. Sprache, ti3'n'Sn, 8: 3. Or an assimilation to Ni3>ne ?

Cf.

"

or

Mand. Gram.,

20;

cf.

" See Spiegel, Eranische Alterthumskunde, ii, 138; A. V. W. Jackson in Geiger and Kuhn, Grundriss d. iranischen Philologie, iii, p. 665 C. de Harlez, Manuel
;

du Pehlevi, 1880), s. v. in Glossary. " See, for the Babylonian demons, Fossey, La magie assyrienne, Rel. Bab. u. Ass., i, c. xvi Thompson, Semitic Magic, 43 ff.
;

c.

2; Jastrow,

**

See, inter

al.,

Baudissin, Studien

art. "Feldgeister," in

s. sent. Religionsgeschichte, ii, 131, and his Hauck's RE'; H. Duhm, Die bosen Geisler im Alter, Testament,.

74

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
of the Greek, for which the

prevailing class of

demons

they are the

^aifiovta

Peshitto returns to the Jewish term."

As Judaism
sriN^JTtr
,

has

its

feminine
:

niTC, so once we find reference to the

7:

14.'"

In II

18: 4

Ellis

I,

Lidz.

5,

we

learn of a

"king of demons and devils," with which compare Asmodaeus, the king of
the

demons."
is

But
in

in

these

texts his

name
evil

is

given as

N31J3,

NJNnJUX,

which

found

19: 10 as
text,
11.

name of an
6,

deity (?X3n na), while the

plural in the
deities.

same

13,

has evidently the meaning demons or

1.

In a broken text (Pognon B. no. 24.

X71D
'33,

19), a

X'TBH N3^0 occurs.

cf.

In 29: 9 the sedht are described as of the Targum.

"sons of shadow,"

the

^ibo

The

]^Vt

inherited a good

name from

the old

Aryan theology

(^
in

gods), were depotentized in the Persian system, and came into Semitic

currency through the Mandaic and Syriac.

(The word does not occur

it

Targums and Talmud.")

In the Peshitto use of the term

appears to

apply to the demons of mental and moral disorders, thus indicating something distinct from the sedm.'

The

"spirits"

or

"evil

spirits"

nv"i

nn,

Nnt"a Nnn,

pe"3

I'mi

both masc. and fem.)" form a triad with the preceding species.

Levy

49, 20;

logical
p.

Thompson, Semitic Magic, 43; and the discussions by the students of Assyriomagic, Zimmern (Beitrdge and KAT"), Tallquist, Jastrow, Fossey. Fossey,

50, quotes IVR 6a, 26, to the effect that the sedu is the demon of the evil eye another proof that demons and their functions were interchangeable.

" For these and the following demoniac species in Judaism, see Eisenmenger, Entdecktes Judentum. ii, 408 ff. Grunbaum, in his admirable "Beitrage z. vergleichenden Mythologie aus d. Hagada." in ZDMG, xxxi, Weber, JUdische esp. 271 ff. Theologie, p. 242 ff. Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus, ii, 759 ff. Blau, Das altjiidische Zauberwesen, 10 ff. Levy, ZDMG, ix, 4S2 T. Witton Davies, Magic, Divination, and Demonology among the Hebrews and their Neighbors (London, n. d.) the art. "Demonology" in Jewish Encyc; Conybeare, "Demonology of the New Testament," JQR, viii, ix Everling, Die paulinische Angelologie u. Ddmonologie; also V. Baudissin and H. Duhm as cited above, note 34. " Cf. SaijiQve^ 6aift6viaaai, of the Leyden Papyrus, Dieterich, Abraxas, 194, 1. 10.
;

" Also simply the king,

saSrj

Eisenmenger,

op.

cit.,

ii,

422

(a tradition of the

"Molek" of the Old Testament?).

" According to Levy, not found in Jewish literature, op. " Ace. to Baudissin, op. cit., 131, the Harclean version
Peshitto w.
!*in
.

cit.,

488.

replaces

Vittv

of the

" Cf.

Ellis 5

4,

napji

-lat

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

75

and Blau regard them as ghosts/' but without warrant, as the Rabbinic, Syriac and Mandaic use of the word shows. They are the Trvei/ia-a mvr/pd or
,

aiea^apra

of the

New

Testament, the equivalent of the Babylonian utukki

limuuti.

This development of
spirit

mi we may

trace in the

Old Testament

where "a
like the

of evil," "the evil spirit," appears as an agent of

Jahwe

Satan such potencies easily passed into malicious demons.

are prominent in Jewish lore, where they are

The Maszikm which

the general category for
all

demons," appear but seldom.

evil spirits in their juxtaposition recall the
e.

These

devils,

demons and

several species so frequently enumerated in Babylonian demonology;

g.

as listed

more than once

in the

Maife/M-series,

the

utukku,

sedu,

rdbisu,

ekimmii, labartn, labasu, abhazii, followed by the

registration of several categories there
is

liliths."

But beyond the

no equivalence

in

name (with one

exception), in definite character."

certain

amount of

distinction can be

drawn

in the

Babylonian

field,

but in our texts no differentiation exists.

Indeed the three species are rather tokens of the several sources of our
particular magic, the

Hebrew (nil), Babylonian

(It?*),

Persian
is

(NVl).
in con-

The only

reference to the "seven spirits" of Babylonian magic

nection with the Nn?33D (see below).

But

it

is

the Liliths which enjoy the greatest individual vogue in our

demonology.
evil

Many
are

of the charms culminate in that objective

to

the other

spirits

most often merely generical, anonymous,

whom

the

general compliment of a spell must be paid, but the Liliths are definite
terrors,

whose malice

is

specific

and whose

traits

and names are

fully

known.
*'

0pp.

cit..

p. 482, p.

14.

The view
i,

that

demons were ghosts of the dead indeed

later

existed; see Justin Martyr, ApoL,

c.

18

and for
spirits

Judaism, Eisenmenger,

ii,

427.

They may have been

temptation
(see Blau).
vi,

specialized as the

of demoniac possession and moral

For the

relation

of

1'"^"^

and

nveiftaTa

see Baudissin

in

Hauck's RE',

12

f.

" So Weber, Blau. "

Tallquist,

Die

ass.

Beschworungsserie Maqlu, 1894, no.

i,

1.

136, v.

1.

77,

N. B.

just seven species.

" For the distinctions between the Babylonian spirits, see Jastrow, Thompson, Devils, i, xxiv, Semitic Magic, i, Fossey, op. cit., c. 2.

op.

cit.,

i,

278;

76

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

The genus appears

feminine,
lilu

in the

Babylonian incantations, as masculine and

lili."

and

lilit,

along with an ardat

The two former words

The
origin of the word,
etc.

survived in Jewish demonology and both occur abundantly in our bowls,

though the Lilin are only pendants to the

Liliths.

whether Semitic from yb

Halevy,
et al.,

"nightmare, nighthag,"
lil,

with Schrader,

or from the Sumerian

lies

"storm," with Sayce," Zimmern,"

R. C. Thompson,"

beyond

my

present scope.
lil

Probably as others have

"night,"

suggested, the resemblance of Sumerian

to

T?

may have had

its

part in shaping the

phantom of
wind

Lilith

and her troop among Semitic-speaking

is

peoples

but

would suggest
lil

that the prime connection

not etymological

but semantic:

nn

spirit;" Lilis

and

Liliths are specialized

forms of fmi.'"
In the Babylonian the Lilith (ardat
lili)
;

is

the ghostly

paramour of

men, and her realm

is

the sexual sphere

hence

women

in their periods

and

at childbirth, in the

maidens, children, are the special objects of her malice."

inscriptions,
life,

Hence

bowl

made

out for the protection of homes and

the peace of family

it

most often

in the

name of
that

the
is

women

concerned,

is

an amulet against these noxious

spirits

particularly desired.
life.

We

may

say that the Lilis and Liliths are the demons of the family
I,

Texts Nos.
Liliths.

6,

8,

g,

ii,
i

17,
:

may

be referred to especially for the

:

They haunt
in the

the house,

6,

lurk in the arches and thresholds, 6

4,

one dwells
the

house concerned, 11:5.

So

in the

beams and
" Ace.

crevices, the cesspools, etc.," even as

Talmud they dwell in in Greek magic demons

to

Zimmern, KAT', 459

etc.,

i,

p.

xxxvii,
(e. g.

specialized

paramour of lilu. Better Thompson. (.Devils, Semitic Magic, 65), who regards the ardat lili as the more marriageable) hlith, hence the original of the Jewish Lilith.
145.

" Hibbert Lectures, " KAT', 460, n. 7.

" Semitic Magic, 66: if Semitic, from root iiS"?, "be abundant, lascivious." " Cf. nn in Job 4: 15; the wind-draught easily passes into a ghost.
" The single appearance of Lilith in the Old Testament, Is. 34: 14, represents a more primitive stage of the fable than the Babylonian Liliths. She is just one of

the spirits haunting waste ruins.

" See Thompson,

Jinns, etc.

I.

c.

et seq.,

who

discusses the

demonology of marriages with

n''7'S,
J'aits

evil

" Jewish Encyc, iv, 516b. In 29: 6 f. (cf. 1. 9) occurs STtrai KnB3 and the decent lilith"; this recalls the good demons of Jewish lore,

"the
Vt^V,

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
i

INCANTATION TEXTS.

77

are given the like habitat."

In No.

they are described as generating off-

spring with

human
night.

folks,

appearing as phantom
the interesting

men and women

to

women
get, di-

and men by

Hence
prey."

phenomenon of the magic

vorce-writ, by which the sorcerer, like a Jewish rabbi, separates these obscene

beings

from

their

Especially

do they vent their rage on

little

children as the detested offspring of

throttle

human wedlock;
:

they plague them,

i8:
6,

and devour them, suck

their blood (e. g. ii

8,

36:

9,

Lidz.

5).

The name

for one of these demons, in No. 36,

is

"Murderess daughter

of Murderess," and "strangler."

the like fiendish character;

In the Jewish demonology the Liliths have

affirms that they kill chil-

Bcmidbar Rabba 16
is

dren."

In

No.

II

the

Lilith

associated

with the personifications of

typical

barrenness and abortion.

The
cf.

figure

on No. 8 gives the picture of a

obscene Lilith
of the species,

she
cf.

is

depicted with loose tresses, one of the characteristics

8: 3;

Nidda

24b, Erub. loob.

lilit

The

later Lilith thus

partakes of the nature of the elder

children."

and of the Labartu, the enemy of

The

Liliths are intimately

known,
e.

their

own and
8,

their parents', even

the granddam's

names are

given,
Stiibe)

g.

Nos.

11.

At

the beginning of
is

Wohlstein's text 2416

(=

a whole brood of

demons

named."

Especially in the case of this species

their foul

most exact descriptions are given of

Liliths

ways and apparitions," for the

were the most developed

products of the morbid imagination

of

the barren or neurotic

woman,

Eisenmenger,

ii,

431

f.,

and the good and bad sedu of the Babylonian

449.
1.

also

so the

utukku, Fossey, op.

cit.,

" Wessely, " See to 8:

xlii,

66,

19: they are bidden "not to hide in this earth nor

under

the bed or gate or beams or vessels or holes."

7.

The

separation had to be legally effected, for the Lilith had her

Cf. the tales of the female Jinns in Arabic folklore.
ofi.

nuptial rights or powers.

" Cited by Weber, Conybeare, JQR, xi, 16.

Keilschr.-Forsch.,
ii,

cit.,

255.

So

But not

in the

also in the Testament of Solomon, ed. Talmud, according to Griinbaum, Zeits. f.

226.

" See Myhrman, ZA,

on a passage

xvi,

147

ff.

" See Wohlstein's note; the mother's name 'D',

in Pesah.
Lilit,

"little

mother," throws light

cf.

112a.

In general these names are epithetical;

the

demon

Ahriman bar

B. Bath. 73a.

" See above.

78

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYU)NIAN SECTION.

the mother in the time of maternity, of the sleepless child."

Somewhat of

the elder and biblical notion of the Lilith as denizen of the desert appears
in the expressions

Kiai NDJa,

n"i3T tt'^'^, 17: 3,

is

27:

7.'"

further development of the Lilith

her assimilation with the witch

the descriptions of the species in the Mandaic bowls recall the uncanny scenes of the witches' nights which are the theme of
still

existent folklore.

The

Lilith is the Baskania,

(i.

e.

witchery) of the Greek charms."

e. g.

The

epithets "cursing,"
Lilith-idea.

and "undoing,"

34: 13, belong to this phase of the

Very

interesting

is

the similarity of the Semitic Lilith, and in course

of time her assimilation to the psychological horrors which haunted

elsewhere, especially to the identical forms in the
ology.
I

men

Graeco-Roman denion-

refer to the Lamia," the

Empusa," the Gello," the Marmolyke

In connection with the text
I

and Gorgons, and the incubi and siiccubae."

No. 42 which presents the legend of the Lilith-witch,

present the parallel

take occasion to
in

forms of

this
is

conception as

found

the western

world.

This developed myth

a later accretion to the ancient inchoate

ideas of these monsters.

" For the

psychological
c. i,

Roscher, "Ephialtes"

in

basis and subjective fact of these apparitions, Abhandlimgen of the Saxon Academy of Sciences,

see
vol.

XX

(1900).

* Cf. ekimmu harbi, Maklu-strits

"evil
spirit

iv,

1.

22 (Tallquist,
i,

p.

66),
cf.
i,

and the exorcism,

167,

to thy desert,"

Thompson,

Devils,

152,

ii,

26;

191

ff.

The

banning of the demons into the desert and mountains (cf. Mf. 12: 43) is frequent in the magical papyri, e. g. in an amulet published by Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 294: Iva airiMare h ayptoic optatv koI cKdae (pvyaSev&f/acTe Cf. Wohlstein 2422 (1. 28), "go and fall on the mountains and heights and the unclean beasts." As Wohlstein notes, the latter clause is a most interesting commentary on the anecdote of the Gadarene devils which asked the liberty to enter the swine. Mi. 8: 28, etc.
.

" See
"

at length

under No.

42.
s.

Daremberg and

Saglio, Dictionnaire,
s.

v.

" Pauly-Wissowa, RE,

*

v.

For Gello as a lilith-name and as probably equal to Ass.

iiicubi

gallu, see notes to

No.

42.

" For the

subject

see

Roscher, Ephialtes,

60.

The

special

demon which

is

the

of this classic treatise corresponds to the male Lili of our texts, but his
is

vogue

far

more extended.

He

is in

form

goat, satyr, faun,

etc.,

a rural as well as

a domestic terror.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
of species of

ARAMAIC
demons
still

INCANTATION TEXTS.

79

long

list

remains to be considered, most

of which are not

much more than names.

is

One
I'bnD

of the most frequent and or

:

evidently most dreaded

the class of the

Nn^Dnc.
7, recalling

Once they
the Seven

are spoken of as the "seven 'O of night and day," i6

Spirits of Babylonian mythology."

Stiibe (p. 59) suggests derivation

from

P33, "bind," and

incantations.
seize,"
i.

Myhrmann

(p.

350) compares Assyrian kabalu used in

venture to suggest metaplasis with the Syriac lab, "hold,

e.

"take demoniac possession of," so that

Cf.

species with the Babylonian ahazzu."

Ka-a?.a/ifidvetv

we may compare this Mk. 9: 18, and the

^

terms

naTex^iitvoi

and

Karoxot. indicative

of supernatural possession."
J'trnp

There are the

evil angels,

who

are called

sacri, in

the

"angels of wrath and the angels of the house of assembly.""

We
to

read

of the

NOK^D

"txi

37
is

8,

rites

in

which angels were bound

in

hellish

operations.

The word

used of pagan deities

36: 5 (cf. 19: 13), even

as

hyytloi

appears in the papyri."

The

angel of death
F.

who shudders

at

the Great

Name

appears in 3

6,

Schwab

"The Satan" appears and

Rabbinic" and Arabic
lore.

also "the Satans," as in

is

Enoch (40:

7)

and

There

no amplification of the doctrine of

"
"

Cf.

Thompson, Semitic Magic,

47.

Ibid., p. 43, etc.

56.

" See Tambornino, De antiquo daemonismo, " Cf. Mt. 25: 41, Rev. 12: 7, "the devi! and
the

word

in this sense in I Cor. 11:

notes, without citation, an evil spirit

and the absoUite use of with reference to the myth in Gen. 6. Blau iSnpn nil, p. 10, n. 2. For evil angels, see Volz,
his angels,"
10,

JUdische Bschatologie,

23.

" Wohlstein
in
1.

2422.
ri'an

The

editor

makes no comment on

this or the parallel

phrase

7:

nnvis

no'K.

ncn

evidently equals ^ivhn (see below, note

112).

The

"house of assembly" recalls the ancient Semitic idea of the "lyio "in, Is. 14: 13, the assembly of the gods on the Semitic Olympus, Walhalla having become a conventicle of demons! (Demons are located in the north by Jewish legend, Pirke R. Eliezer, Or '3 'a amaywyti, cKKXriala, iii, and other reff., in Eisenmenger, op. cit., ii, 438.) may refer to the conventicle of a magical cult (cf. "the synagogue of Satan," Rev. 2:9). But the phrase is probably to be interpreted from a passage in a "Christian"

amulet published by Reitzenstein,

TTvedftara

op.

cit.,

295, top

dpKil^u

v/ia^

ra

haxdaca
Ps. 96:

i^r/Kovra

r^f KK?.^ffia^
g.

rov

Trovypov.
1.

" E.

Dieterich,^ fcraxoj, 192,

10; so also in the

LXX,

e. g.

7,

and an

inscription cited by

Jiid.

" Deharim R., TheoL, 253.

Cumont Oriental c. 11: "Sammael

Religions, n. 38,

p.

266: diis angelis.

the head of

all

the Satans," quoted by Weber,

80

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

the individual Satan.

Jio-tiiD

Once with

the Satans

(35: 4) are associated the

and xbiasn, the former a

?)," the latter the

class of seducing spirits

(metaplasm of
iiafioloi.

SCD
:

almost unique Semitic transliteration of

'aan^'yai
'3D,

In 2

3 are mentioned the

PP'T"

the Fiends and Foes.

I'P'tB.

The
Syriac

appear in association with the

meteor, blast of wind,
etc.
;

Np'T is a

in the

The Rabbinic and Mandaic it has the more The

the

general sense of a plague."

idea

The Mandaic has

as
5
:

inherited an old Babylonian

of

the

cakiku,
,

"blast,"

a
4,

demon, and then death-demon."

Satyrs,

D''"i''j?B>

appear once,

a reminiscence, as the form shows, of

the
title

Old Testament."
of Satan
o/ic^-of,

The

\'-\\nti'

of

Schwab

G
9.

are black devils;

cf.

in Epistle of

Barnabas, 4:

In Hyvernat's text occurs the phrase

mobn

tiTi,

which Griinbaum

most plausibly

translates "the Jinn of Solomon.""

The word would then

made
that,

be one of a few terms in our texts which suggest Arabic connections (see
KD'J^t;',
\''P^<y.

below).
is

But the reserve

is

to

be

as

Noldeke

maintained, the root

well

common-Semitic, and the spread of the word may

have antedated the Muslim Conquest.

in

We
vii.

may compare
The
^^^13

the god

Gennaios cited by Cumont

is

Pauly-Wissowa,

1174.

in::

of 37

to be
;

explained
devils

from the Mandaic KlJU (Syriac

their
in

Arabic jund),

"troop"

molest

victims
the
i.

in

bands,

cf.

the

name "Legion"
(snaiic) of

assumed by the demoniac

Gospel, and the "tribes"

demons

in

38: 6; also

cf.

13:

"

Cf.

Tim.

4.

I,

"seducing spirits and doctrines of devils."

in

" So probably read forTpJ? " Norberg, Lexidion,

55.

Hyvernat,

1.

4; in 19: 13,

'pi'T.

ad voc, cf. the sunu sikiku, "roaming windblast," ThompFor the simile of demons to storms, see ibid., i, 89, and compare the etymology of lilith (see above). For the word see 12: 8. " But the idea of the hairy goatlike demon which obsesses its victim with mischievous or obscene purpose is universal. Cf. the Arabic ifrit, asabb, with the same root-meaning; Wellhausen, Reste des arabischen Heidentums, 135; Baudissin, Studien, i, 136. The same phenomenon is abundantly vouched for in the Greek demonology see Roscher, Ephialtes, 29 f., for the goatlike form of the Ephialtes, and p. 62 for its epithet pilosus; and compare Pan and the Fauns. See Roscher, note
Diet.,
27.

" Muss-Arnolt,
ii,

son, Devils,

4,

1.

28sb, for similar representations in the superstition of India.

In 5

4 the satyrs are

represented as haunting a particular stretch of road.

" Probably to be read

in 37

10.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
1.

INCANTATION TEXTS.
found the piiT.

81

In
is

15:
in

and

Myhrman
Jastrow's

are

The second

sure

my
Kin\

text;

and Levy's lexicons give the word as a

is

variant to
the root
is

"ostrich." but doubtless the former

(cf.

the correct spelling;"

onomatopoetic

bb\ and English "howl" and "roar"), con-

noting a howling creature and was applied to the ostrich

(see Jastrow)
D'Jn, the
is
;

so

the Tosefta

but in the

Targums

it

generally translates the

Hebrew

D"V,

uncanny creatures
translating
D'Jn.

typical of desolation.

In the Syriac,

NniT
it

jackal,

But the Rabbinic references indicate that

liliths,

was rather
hexaplar to
>a/iia ."

a fabulous than a zoological species, akin to the

ruins,

satyrs

and vampires that haunt

/j.

and

this

connotation appears in the Syro-

34:

17. translating

ri'^'b

by NIIT

while

This equation gives the key to our present word.

Symmachus gives The Babylonians

represented their demons in uncouth shapes of birds and animals.*"

Besides the use of certain generic terms, such as SOE'V, "oppressors,"

there remain several rare or obscure species: the metaplastic
for battala,
'3137,

also

UXob, probably
NJNtDD)
X3^t3,

"undoer"

the

XJKD^i (alongside

No. 20,
"shadecites

probably from root Or? "curse."" or a form of the Targumic

demon."

The

ptSSE' in

Hyvernat.

1.

3,
is

for which

Grunbaum

(p.

221)

the Arabic

sifilt,

species daemonis,
'D'J,

probably to be read

pt33B',

"plagues"

(see p. 80).

For the

possibly "familiar spirits," see to 6: 2.

There are also names of individual demons.

the

Some can
Siax 3
2,

be identified
;

Kn'BOn, corresponding to the Arabic

ghiil
:

(see to 8: 2)
:

in a depo:

tentized deity.''

Some

are recognizable epithets

syano 37
G.Long

10,

'TIC Schw. F.

Others defy etymology: nipmpntJ'K Pogn. B, npDT 34: 10

:

(q. V. for a possible interpretation). ^r\Ti 3

2,

n'vion Schw.

lists

of

such obscure names are found in Schwab

and

these are probably on a

" According
form
;

\'h\h^

to Jastrow, Lagarde's editions of the appears as a variant in one place.

Targums have everywhere

this

this

" See Field's Hexapla. N. B. the interpretations of the uncanny creatures passage as demons by both the Greek and the Targum.

in

"" This word is to be distinguished from I'll, an eye-disease (see below) because of the uncertainty of the spelling of the two words the 'I'll at end of Schw. G may be the one or the other word.
;

" "

Cf. the Syriac SJIKB'.

Sttibe,
1.

4.

See Pognon, Inscriptions simitiques, 82; Clay, Anmrru,

162.

82

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

par with the mystical names of the angels (see 13)."

note the blanket- formulas for demons

Finally

we may
Greek

who

are

named and who are not

and
in the

named, and which have

magic."

their parallel in the Babylonian,"

There are comparatively few certain references

etc.,

to ghosts; the
is

P'^^"'.

as spirits of the dead,

may

include them."

One

case in point

found

No. 39: "charmed the With that appears to her .... [in some shape] charmed the Hlith that appears to her in .... [the shape of ?] Tata her
in

niece;

charmed

all

the defiling ghosts, NnsiOT, that have entered,

which
definite

appear to her in dreams of nights and visions of day."

ghostly apparition
is

Here a

really a diabolic delusion.

Also Nos. 20, 25 contain

general charms against ghosts.

pears, Kn^JpC (see to 8: 2).
to be directed against ghosts
spell.

One technical term for ghost possibly apThe last of Wohlstein's series, 2422, appears
is

and

an interesting example of necromantic

Familiar names are given to the spirits and they are cajoled to do no

harm.

Also
is

in Wohlstein, no.

2422 appears the

(KO^J'n)

iri'D

ni

s<")3'p

nu
(

nn.

There

constant reference to dreams

and apparitions

xnim,
cf.

Krtn)," which are the milieu of demoniac and ghostly apparitions,

13; hence
''tP^iV

7:
is

'n

"disturbing dreams," in

which phrase the noun

practically personified

category of evil
S'lKin
(cf.

spirits.

We
in

have such a com-

bination as:

S''Jirni

Knsien
night
is

(Pognon A),
in

which nn are impure

second
^11t^',

conceptions

of

the

D^n

Syriac)

the

word, which

Pognon does not

explain,

doubtless the Talmudic

"leaper," exactly

the Ephialtes of the Greeks, a kind of incubus."

This distinction of the

dream from ghost or demon

dreams are frequent
" This giving of
;

represents a later psychology.

Charms
bveipov^

against
^piKTovc,^

in the

Greek papyri; thus against

diabolology
iii,

names to demons may be in imitation of Persian Geiger and Kuhn, Grundriss d. iranischen Philologie, 659, listing 54 individual demon names.
unintelligible
in

see Jackson

" Thompson, Devils,

i,

153.
,

" E. g. 6atft6vwv KOI /til ovo/ia!;6ficvov Pradel, Griech. u. sudital. Gebete, 22, 2. *" For a typical Babylonian incantation against ghosts, see Thompson, Devils,
1.

i,

37-

" For oneirolog}'

in later

Judaism, see Joel, Der Aberglaube,

p.

i,

103.

" See Roscher, Ephialtes, especially

48

f.

for the etymology.

" Wessely,

xlii,

31, top.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
da'ifwvag^

INCANTATION TEXTS.
Tzdaav

83

or a
ffdiJof

^vXaKTi/piov
;*"

GijfiaT0^v?.a^

wpo^

Trpof

^avTafffiara,
ipA^ov^

-Kph^

v6aov Kal
oveipuv."

another against enemies, robbers,

etc.

and

and

(pavrdafiara

These dreams and the similar panic fears of day and night are also referred
to in extenso in Gollancz's Syriac charms..

(2)

Respectable or "white" magic includes not merely the laying of

spirits

evil

but counter magic" against the machinations of hostile sorcerers.

itself to the rites

Just so the Babylonian Makln-str'its devotes

the witch by

of destroying
;

means of simulacra which are consumed

in the fire

the

Greek magic has the same defensive purpose.

The Mandaic

texts recall

somewhat of the ancient dread of witches with

uncanny and obscene persons, and,
the
lilith

their description of those

as I

have noted above, the witch and

are practically identified.

efficacious if the sorcerer

It

was most

were known so that he could

be named and the "tables turned" upon him by casting upon him his malign
arts,
all

for

no curse "returns empty."

Such a case appears

in

Schwab G;
fictitious;

the evils that have fallen on the victim are bidden to fall on the head

of

NDK 13 N1D1K.

But examination of the name reveals that

it is

NiWK means
sorcerer's
ner,
in

"spellbinder" and

KDN simply means "mother."

The

writer of

the bowl has satisfied his client by assuming that he

knows

the adverse

name.

It is

nothing else than the legal "John Doe."

all

In like manto

Wohlstein 2416,

evil

works,

etc.,

are

commanded

return

against their instigator.

But inasmuch as the

sorcerer's

names are not generally known, the

incantations content themselves with listing the various kinds of magical

practices

and putting them under the potent

spell.

The Surpu-stnts

illustrates the prophylactic practice; for instance, its third tablet" is con-

" "

lb., 42.

lb., 64. Dream-magic was highly developed among the Greeks; we have charms for sending dreams, bvetpoTro/nroi e. g. Dieterich, op. cit., 191, 1. 15. Magic is required as an antidote. Hence dreams are listed with other maleficent agencies,
,

e.

g.

TTvevfiara

x^^iivm,

a/iapriai,

dvetpoi,

bpnoi,

fJaoKavta;

Wessely, xxxvi, 8l,

1.

8l.

" Probably

technically expressed by 1'^3'p.

13.

" Zimmern, Beitrage,

84

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYU)NIAN SECTION.

cerned with breaking every possible kind of ban (matnit) that

befallen a person.
tablet:
grief,

may have

Hence a recurring phrase

the pain,

in

the praxis of the fifth

"may
the
is

the curse, the ban,

the misery, the sickness, the

sin,

the misdeed, the impiety, the transgression, the sickness,

which

in

my

body, be peeled off like this onion."

etc.

We

mark here

the

union of curses,

with evils of the

find

flesh, just as

they occur in our bowls.

this

Accordingly
against

we
;""

exorcism effected with

prudent intention
perhaps
generally

papo,

etc.

rcnn

(+

i'E"3),"

"black

arts,"

with the sense of poisoning,

ND'lp, "invocations."

ipapfiaKOTroiiafri'^ip

xnno,

"sorceries," 39: 4;*

iTriK/f/nFic

(the singular

in

16: 10), the

'pT

or

icpol

Uym

of maleficent magic," also termed the

xbpna.

There are the

op'""

various terms or kinds of curses, the mamit of the Babylonian, the

of the Greek magic

the

Nnt21^,

especially
specified,

in
e.

Pognon's Mandaic bowls,

g. no.

where the authors of these bans are

prostitute,

15: father, mother,

;

foetus, laborer,

master

who

has defrauded him. brothers

XO'in, which
is

also

the frequent

nT'J, maleficent

"vows" and the

the Syriac

Christian equivalent of

avh^tfia,

perhaps also Ti^K (Wohlstein, 2426: 5)."

its

This

listing of the

bans and their originators has

e.

abundant

parallel in

the Babylonian magic;

cited,

g.

the third tablet of the .$i<r/)-series, already

in

which
father,

all

possible kinds and origins of curse are listed in

sister,

165
etc.,

lines:

of

mother, grandfather, grandmother, brother,

posterity, infant."

The unborn

child, naturally
is

regarded as homeless and

miserable, hence a malignant wraith,

classed in the Babylonian magic

"
**

For

this

and following technical names for sorcery, see

11,

beginning.

Cf. the Latin equivalents, nefaria sacra, maleficia. artes nefandae, malae artes;

see Abt,

Die Apologie des Apuleius,

in

30.
13.

" So

the Syriac, also in 7

e. g.

But

^apiiuKov

survived in a good sense in

Bishop Serapion's prayers, "Thy name be a (p. for health and soundness." For an extensive discussion of the word, see It is formally impossible to distinguish between the words Abt, Apuleius, 112. Cf. the use of the adjective "sorcerers" and "sorceries," except in the Mandaic.
literature with magical tinge,
in no. 30 of

KrtJiw, 3g:

6.

" For these words see the convenient summary in T. W. Davies, Magic, Divination and Denionology among the Hebrews and their Neighbors, 44 ff.
" See above,
:

11.

Pognon was

the

first

correctly to interpret this term, B,

p.

19.

" In 2 6 we find KfiOinN, xriDtS", Kni'tJ, used of the "white magician's" own work. " A similar list in Ellis 3 Schwab B. In the later magic these classes are listed in exorcism of the evil eye.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

85

as in the

Mandaic

citation with the causes of ban,

and so too the hierodule

or prostitute.""
Nntsib
is

The

difference between the Babylonian

mamit and

these

that the former has rather the sense of taboo, the latter of a

malicious curse effected under foul auspices.""

Then
and the

there are the "names,"

^^''12,

e. g.

i6: 8. snnDit?, of hostile invocations,'"

"words," curse formulas, including the informal imprecation.

evil

Compare "the

word" of

the

witch

in

Babylonian

magic,""

and the
lip."'"*

current Babylonian phrase, "the evil mouth, the evil tongue, the evil

The Talmud has

"Bound and

the principle,

"None open

his

mouth

to Satan."""
in for

By

natural passage of thought the tongue and the

e.

mouth come

exorcism,

g.

held be the mouth, and bound the tongue, of curses

its

Bound be
and
tongue

the tongue in

mouth, held be

its lips,

shaken .... the teeth

stopped the ears of curses

is

and invocations."""
;

The binding of
thirty of the

the

a frequent element in the Greek magic

some

KardSeafioi

in "VViinsch's

Appendix of defixiones

to the

Corpus

Inscript. Attic, are for

binding this "unruly member."""

Further objects of exorcism are the

rites

Ml, "mysteries," the

1.

sacramental

of maleficent cults; the

NmODN

(Stiibe,

2) and nos (Wohlstein,

2426: 5), enchantments effected by priests (pon).""

its

unique word

in

use in the bowls

is

snobtTK, found coupled with the above terms.

Halevy
it

and Wohlstein"" compared form IV of the Arabic verb and rendered

a delivery to
evil.

as

But
cit.,

it is

to be

compared with the Targumic

IDPt^N,

used

*" Jastrow, op.

""

i,

367, 373.
,

So the Greek
the

Karaieafioc

and the Jewish collection of charms

xxviii-ix.
in

in

Thompson,

"Folk Lore of Mossoul,"

" Cf.

PSBA,

names of Hecate
i.

the

Greek

Karadea/iot,

e.

g.

Wiinsch, Antike

Fluchiafeln, no.
""

See Jastrow, op.

op.
cit.,

cit.,

i,

285.

"* Fossey,
"*

50,

with citations.
i,

Berak. 19a, 60a, Ketub. 8b; see Joel, Der Aberglauhe, and Blau, op. cit., 6i,^with Talmudic instances.
'"

70 (but rationalizing),

L-dz.,

4.

An amulet of later age Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, 307. (Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 295) analyzes the evil tongue into the lie, accusation,
'^

magic, sycophancy.
'"'

So

rightly

Stiibe;

the heathen

priest

was, and at last appeared exclusively

the second of Wiinsch's Fluchtafeln is the design of to be, a magician. *" Comptes rendus, IV, v, 292; ZA, viii, 336.

On

an

altar.

86

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

in Targ. Jer. to

Lev. 8: 28,

etc., in

sense of dedication,

nun.

Its counterrf^.e^i,""

part

is

found

in the

Mandaic system, where the

rt^fr//,

N'^ND^tr

are the

and

it is

the exact equivalent of the Greek

"'"1D''N,"'

the (magic) rites."'

Also

the usual terms, the

the

"h^p, "countercharms," the

"'lU'p, etc., all

are listed for exorcism.

More obscure are the NmnD (Ellis 3: which may be possibly compared the Kmitf
2426:
6."'

10)

=
)

"hidden arts"

with

of

Schwab R, and Wohlstein,

have aroused question.
eye;
flpC

Also the
fipt^,

snBip''B'

(once KnsipntJ'K
the

Schwab proposed
11: 6)."'
cited,

"envisager," of

evil

Stube,

Wohlstein,
Lilith,

Lidzbarski, connect with the root "to knock", (cf.

used of a

This meaning
it is

is

corroborated by the amulet of Lidzbarski's just

where

parallel to X3"in

and
I

X'"ip(l. 11 ff

But from
nection
rappings.

its

peculiar intensive

form
the

think the

+), wasting and mishap. word must have some conknockings and

with

magic

arts

cf.

modern

spiritualistic

Probably the exorcism in the fragment published by Schwab,

xii,

PSBA,

299,

from

sin

and

guilt (KHNtin, KO'trx),

immediately after "arts" and

"" Brandt,

Mand. Rel,

120,

170;

Mand.

Schr., 8, n.

5,

36, n.

i;

Noldeke, Mand.

Gram.,
above.

p. xxviii.

'" Dieterich,

Pognon

Abraxas, 136. Stiibe (p. 37) first offered the explanation given discusses an obscure phrase in his bowls tliKnaScMi '"is'nc (B, p. 49),

Lidzbarski treating the same phrase (Bph. i, 94) such a form and translates, "I deliver them," which is unsatisfactory. Probably our noun is to be understood here, reading the nominal suffix 11 for the verbal jw Our word may be a translation of the Greek ts^^tt); but n. b. Robertson Smith's note on the mystery idea involved in aslama (he might
translating "and their adherents."
rightly takes exception to

have added the Hebrew B'oSe'), Rel. Sem., 80. '" Noldeke, Z. holds that f. Keils.-forsch., ii, 299, animadverting upon Hyvernat KID'K, translated "prince, angel," always means "charm." Now the parallelism in '3 '3T '3Sd, 1. 15 (see above, Wohlstein 2422 between nB33 M'an nD'K, 7, and "genius, angel" n. 70), appears to approve Hyvernat, while in the Talmud '(* ', angel of nourishment). But Noldeke's etymology is doubtless right; (e. g. >3lTon A proof of this is a genius to be invoked was himself called an incantamentum. found in the Mandaic amulet published by Lidzbarski in the Plorilegium dedicated to de Vogije, p. 349, in 1. 29 f. (not understood by the editor cf. 1. 210), where Hibel
1.

Ziwa

is

the

Ktacm
:

iq;i,

"the

True Charm";
;

'i

1B'P

"iD'K.

Cf. the

Mandaic

genius "Great Mystery."

"'

Wohlstein

"bose Schickungen"
text,

or

it

may

be

related

to

Assyrian satdru,

sadaru, "write," of a written charm.

"'
hit,"

So

in a

Babylonian
cit.,

of demons

"The man they

strike, the

women

they

Fossey, op.

282.

J. A.

MONTGOMBRY

ARAMAIC
tJ^a

INCANTATION TEXTS.

87

"vows," with which compare the

Dyt5'K in his

text

i8,

is

exercised

against practices which magically placed "sin" on the shoulders of

some

innocent person.

Compare
its

the symbol in Zecharia's vision of the removal

of wickedness and
is

curse to the land of Shinar {Zech. 5).

But there

doubtless a reminiscence here of the old Babylonian forms in which a

;

sense of personal guilt appears in the incantations

5

so frequently in tablets
is

and 6 of the

^wr/iM-series,

e. g. 5,

1.

yy

fT.,

where the summary

made

of

"the curse, the ban, the pain, the misery, the sickness, the ailment, the sin

{ami),
(hititi)."

the

misdeed

(serti),

the

offence

(hablati),

the

transgression

The above would be

force.

the only case then of a sense of sin in

our

texts,

but from the point of view that the sin has been inspired by a
Heitmiiller pertinently remarks:"" "Die Siinde
ist

demoniac

ein

Art
e.

Besessenheit."
nvel'/iara
;|;i9(5)'ia,

And

so sins are listed in the Greek objects of exorcism,

bpnoi, (iacKaviai."^

g.

a/iapriat, oveipoi,

The malice (s'nro

unsJD) of Lidz. 4

is

the enmity which magic

could conjure up against an enemy, a dreaded means of revenge, and very

frequent in ancient magic.

Compare

the Jewish charms

from Mossoul

having this

specific object,"'

and for the Greek world the Cypriote leaden

in

tablets published

by Miss L. MacDonald,"'

which the gods are constantly

invoked to suppress the wrath and anger and power and might of the
adversary."*
in

tablet to

provoke such malice against an enemy

is

no. 2
is

Wunsch's small

collection.""

The

B"3 ^'n or

rB"3

Vn

(30: 4)

summing up

or personification of

all this

kind of

evil potency.

Particularly dreaded were the material

means of
into
evil

sorcery, amulets,
spirits.

etc.,

which themselves came to be personified

The most

frequent of these objects of exorcism are the nDin (sing.

stones, beads,
etc.,

Nmoin), small

carried singly, or on strings and necklaces, primarily

used as amulets, but coming to possess at least in the Mandaic superstition

" "'
"'

Op.

cit.,

307.
81,
1.

Wessely, xxxvi,

1443

ff.

(the Paris Papyrus).

Thompson, PSBA,
lb., xiii,

xxviii, 106, 108, etc.

"* "* " *"

160.

Cf. the

charm

in Wessely, xlii, 60

f.

See the

editor's

comment,

p. 8.

For

their character as spirits, see Noldeke,

Mand. Gram.,

76.

88

UNIVBRSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

a baneful influence."'

We

might think of the manipulation

;

of, for instance,

an opal to bring another

joints of
an^iT't 'n
,

ill-luck

but probably the objects are

more obscene,
"impious,"
NDpJj;
,

dead men's bones,

etc.

Their standing epithet

e. g.

is

and we read of their "tongue,"

in like

7.'""

The
pa't?

"neck-

lace

charms" are exorcised

,

manner,"* also the

to the

(15

;"' 6, q. v.) it

NS^3

"pebble," Ellis 3: 11,

would belong

same

class,

but

is

prob-

ably to be read XDiD.

The magic bowls

perhaps Ellis
34:
10.
/.

themselves are

among

the evil influences

(7:

13,

c), and so the magic knots,

is

'icp

7: 13, and

np'v

(?)

There
nstn,""

one reference to the magic

circle of the doctors

in

of sorcery,

X'JKm
'i"iD

and to the use of wax,

''bi'M

NTp, both

39: 7 (q. v.).

The

of 7: II (q. V.) and the

"iNtn

of

Pognon B,

no. 27,

may be

explained

like

circles.

The

'S'T

of 7: 13 (q. v.), entered between the "arts"

in magic.

and "bowl," may be the hairs of the victim as used

'" The museums of antiquities possess many such necklace charms, which are often composed of stones of the shape of a drop or an eye prophylactic against the evil eye? See for example, the illustrations to the art. "Amuletum" in Daremberg

and Saglio, Dictionnaire des antiquites grec. et rom; Elworthy, The Evil Bye, fig. For the use of stones in Babylonian magic, see the 3d tablet of the Labartuseries and Myhrman's note thereon, ZA, xvi, 151 cf. Jastrow, op. cit., i, 338, and Thompson, Semitic Magic, p. Ixiii. In Syriac imn is also used of the joints of the vertebra = the sa/'pti of the ass as prescribed in the Lahartu texts. With this cf.
21.
;

the prescription of parvuni asini freni anuluin in digito portandiim, Cyranides

6,

ii,

15.

Mely and Ruelle, Les lapidaires grecs, Paris, 1898, quoted by Tambornino, De ant. daemonismo, 83. The mystical properties of stones in Egyptian lore is well known, and they were associated with the metals and planets see Berthelot, Les origines d'alchimie, Paris, 1885, 47, 218 etc. For the use of stones and bones as prophylactics against the evil eye, see Seligmann, Der base Blick, ii, 24, 141 fT. For Hellenistic references and bibliography, see Abt, Apuleius, 115. Buxtorf and Levy, in their dictionaries, j. v., and Griinbaum, ZDMG, xxxi, 263, understand these charms as
ed.
;

flf.,

pearls or corals.
'" Cf. the
Af'iJof

fidyv!i(

vveuv: see Abt, op.

cit.,

115,

121,

and

n.

b.

the baitulia

described as
"'

by Philo of Byblos, Eusebius, Praep. evang., i, 6. Once, as though misunderstood, masculinized. 'pJN, 12. 9; also wnpJK.
'/.(Soi

Ififvxoi

cit.,

For these

articles see Krauss,

Talmudische Archdologie,

i,

203

ff.

Blau, op.

91.

""

For the Babylonian

ideas of the virtue of the circle, see above,

8.

Choni,

the famous rainmaker in the Talmud,

was

called

^JJ?Dn
cit.,

the circle-drawer, because

33.

of his use of this device, Taanith

cit.,
i,

3:8;

see Blau, op.

33,

Choni was an Essene, but he appears to have stood

in

According to Joel, op. good repute with the

orthodox.

J.

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MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TUXTS.

89

To

that very malignant potency, the Evil

Eye

of sorcery

there
:

Nature's
if

endowment
not the sole

is

comparatively

little
it

reference in the bowls, although

is

in the later

magic of East and West

often the chief,

object of exorcism.'"
is

The

longest pertinent passage in the Nippur texts

30: 3

f.

"the eye of
into

man

or woman,"' the eye of contumely, the eye that

looks
thinks

right
is

the

heart."

By

the

word

NTNDI
its

Pognon,

B,

p.

41,

meant one who

casts the evil eye.

Or from
123.

idea of "beckoning"
e.

may
Is.

it

be connected with the malicious "putting forth of the finger,"

cf.

g.

58: 9 and

possibly

Code Hammurabi,
the

Griinbaum

is

doubtless

right in holding'" that

among

Jews the

evil

eye was of a diliferent char-

acter

from the western

(cf. also

Jettatura, referring rather, as also in the

to the

Old Testa-

ment

Mt. 20: 15),

is

moral powers of envy, hatred, and so

forth; the evil eye

rationalized

and moralized.

Wellhausen also notes

the connection of the evil eye and envy in early Arabian thought.""

(3)

We

come now

to those objects of

exorcism which to modern science

and "common sense" appear as natural physical or psychical maladies, but which ancient thought regarded as actuated by demons, even
that the
to the extent

malady

in question in this

was personified as an
good and

evil spirit.

It is

a question

how

far

we have

phenomenon
spirits

the survival of ancient animism which

evil,

peopled the universe with

Steele

and how far

in the fin

de

magic of these bowls we have the

result of a (poetical?) personifi-

cation of evil which comes to be taken as real by the superstitious mind.

The

ancient demonology survives but

it is

reinforced by the hypostatizations

and personifications of the play and fancy of the later mind, working sometimes in the
field

of a worse superstition, sometimes at the service of the

In the

free and philosophic imagination."'

Old Testament the Word, the

Aberglaube,

*" "*

For Talmudic notions, see Blau, Zauberwesen, 152;

in

Joel,

i,

74.

A Palestinian amulet published by the writer eye of his father, mother, women, men, virgins and demons."

JAOS,

1911, 281:

"from the

ailment and shame and spirit

" ZDMG,
"

xxxi, 260

f.

Reste arab. Held.,

I43-

'" Cf. the issue of

the

Platonic Ideas into the Gnostic Aeons.

90

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
g: 4, cf. Gen. 3: 24), are person-

Spirit of

Yahwe, even
to

his

Sword (Am.
the

ified; the evil spirit of

Yahwe
Seven

(i Ki. 22)

becomes

in the

end an

evil spirit

antagonistic

its

origin;

sevenfold gift of

the

Spirit

in Is. 11, 2,
i
:

Greek

text, issues in the

Spirits about the throne of

God, Rev.

4.

And
is

so the Chariot and the

Wheels and the Beasts that accompany God's

It

theophany came under the same treatment of mystical personification.'"

a similar phenomenon that

we

find in the

Testament of Solomon

the

seven demons brought to book by Solomon give their names as "Deception,^

Strife,

Battle," etc. or the thirty-six elements

in the

(aroixeia')

are hypostatized

into

moral essences;'" and

Sins,

same manner the Church personified the

in his perfect

Seven Deadly
poetry.

which the Protestant Spenser dramatized

For various psychological reasons there was an increasing multiwhich exorcism might be practiced
;

plication of the evils against

specific

not only

demons,

like

Tiu the Babylonian fiend of headache, but diseases

social evils such as enemies, loss of property,
intelligent

under other names, and

might be exorcised.

shame,

Probably the more

man

regarded this as a
it

rational substitution for the elder demonology, while to the superstitious

merely meant more demons.

At

all
ills

events in the later magic

we

find

more
is

of the hypostatization of natural

how seriously

it

is

to be taken

not

always certain, and their commonplace names are simply given, whereas
the old Babylonian magic

would name the demoniac germ of the malady.

ills

Hence

in

our

lists

of exorcised

we have

in addition to the actual devils,

already catalogued, series of evils which are somewhat on the borderland of

diabolology.
is

The

old exorcisms

still

are effective but the old demonology

not ample enough; a

man wants

to exorcise headache, while he

may be
rites,

skeptical as to the existence of Tiu.

Probably too as the exorcist ("medicine

man") was

also the physician,

in the

and medicine was born out of magic

we may observe
rational spirit.'"

naming of the

actual maladies an intrusion of the

"" So the "thrones, dominions, principalities, powers," of Paul (Col. i: 16); not only Gnosticism worked out this line of thought but also the Church took this

heavenly hierarchy seriously.

'"

JQR,

ix,

24,

34.
ii,

So
2
:

in

Hermas, the vices of the tongue are

;

called

Aat/idvia

{KaraTuiXia, etc.)

Mand.,

cf. v,

7;

xii,

2:

2.

'"

Ahhazu becomes
z.

the

name

of a certain
61.

fever

(a "yellow" fever), Kiichler,

Beitr.

Kenntniss

d.

ass.-bab.

Medesin,

N. B. the assignment of the several

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY we

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

91

In the Babylonian
ing of
specific
is

find cases in the magical texts of the

summariz-

maladies

along with the demons.

long and interesting

list

example
physical

presented by Jastrow.'"

The
limbs,

series

is

introduced by a
of
liver,

of

ills

contortions,

broken

affection

heart, gall-

bladder, etc.
certain

Then

follow the evil eye, curses, calumny,

the text
is

etc.,

and then

named demons;
it

an interesting predecessor of our inscripfirst.

tions except that

rationalistic

places the maladies

Is this the

consequence of a

tendency?

In the texts published by Kiichler

we

find semi-

magical prescriptions for diseases alone.

The New Testament

our
era.

gives a first-hand insight into the popular

demon-

ology of a representative portion of the oriental world at the beginning of

We
,

find there devils of

17,

dumbness and deafness and blindness

(Mt.
Trvev/ia

12:

22,Mk- 9-

etc.);
;

one

woman had

"a spirit of infirmity,"

aa^eveiac

Lu. 13:

II

Simon's mother-in-law was seized with a great

ineriftvaev^'^

fever and Jesus rebuked the fever,

case he rebuked the wind.
clean spirits to cast

tq nvperv ^'^

even as

in

another

And

Jesus gave

his disciples

power "over un-

them out and heal every

disease and every malady,"

Mt. 10."
In the Egyptian magic there
is

the like identification of diseases with

full

demons,"* and the Greek magical papyri are

of

it.

Cf. the
jrpbg

title

of a

charm given by Wessely,

TTjodf

<j>v\aiiT>]ptov

aufiarcKJiMa^

npog

Sai/iovag,

(pavraafiaTa,

iraaav

vdaov Kal

iraiJof,'"

So

in the

samples of Syriac charms published

"all

by Gollancz"' we have the same summarization of

along with the demons,
e.

manners of diseases"
dark

g. p.

79: Exorcised,

etc.

be "all demons, devils,

phantoms,

every practice, all temptations, unclean spirits, cruel dreams,

demons, asakku, namtaru,

etc.,

to the different parts of the body, head, throat, etc.;

Myhrman ZA,

xvi,

146.

"
""
"'

Rel. Bab. u. Ass.,

into the

As Jastrow says, we gain here "a further insight i, 367 ff. Other connection between the medical caUing and that of the exorcist."
i,

examples, Thompson. Devils,

17,

I4S. ^tc.

=
An
See

Hebrew
angel

lyi.
ayyeJ.of,
19.

stein,

Poimandres,

It is

of fever, et al., appears in Byzantine charms; see Reitzenthe Rabbinic hiD'k, discussed above, n. 112.
viii,

"*
'"

at length

Conybeare, JQR,

583. etc.
ff.

Cases cited by Budge, Egyptian Magic, 206

39,
1-

*" xlii, "'

589.
4,

Actes du iiieme Congres des Orientalistes, Section

77.

92

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYEONIAN SECTION.
terror

apparitions;

fear"'

and trembling,

and

surprise,

dread,

anxiety,
febrile

excessive weeping; fever-panic, tertian fever,

ills,

all
its

kinds of fever,

inflammations,

etc.

when

a child troubles
all

mother with pains of

sicknesses,
all.

travail;"" tumors, pestilences,

....

pains and

all

wounds

and

all

oppositions, surprises, revenges .... the nine sicknesses,"

etc.

And

Vassiliev has published a

number of Byzantine charms

first

directed especially
:

against specific diseases,'" the

ndvTa TO aKap\fara
f)

of which
i/

is

a general panacea
//

opm'fw t/^uf
>/

TTvei'/iara,

f/

[JaaKavin,
f)

(pap/iaKeia,
i)

(jiofiefiia/iuc,

>/

ipp'K'/,

irvpe-iic,

e7rij}ov?MV,

f/

awdvrr/fia^*^
i^avarov,
r^

vovTipbv,

voaepov,

Kufov,

}/

tu^^oi',

f/

a?M.?.oi\

ij

aeAT/viaKiiv,
voffr/fidrtjv

fiT^^etc

(sic^

a?L^toi'fisvov^

fiop^hfitvnv^

r/

dpaev,

;;

'&r//.v,

7/

(sic):-

The most common of

especially epidemic disease,

the demoniac categories bearing

upon physical
:

maladies are those with the general significance of "stroke, plague"

Kt23lK';
'JJ3B,

N3J33

and

n.

b.

ri'v^s

i6:

lo;

Nnino,

Mand. sn'no;
Cf. Ps. 91
:

t2''e'

(taitr?)

34:

10,

39: 4;"' also the

XDOn, "sufferings.""'

5,

a psalm and a verse which the Jews regarded as a valuable

phylactery, and Ps. 89: 33.

here, =: pd-iafia.
It is

The

Nnaip''K'

treated above

may

be included

a minority of the bowl inscriptions which refer to special diseases.

11, 16, 24, 29, 34, are
lists

Of
in

our texts Nos.

Lidzbarski
5
;

of this character; so also a clause

of

diseases appear in

Wohlstein 2422, apparently

mostly cutaneous affections,"' and at the end of Schwab G.

Fears are a frequent object of exorcism in the Greek magic, e. g. Wessely, xlii, and collation of the subject by Tambornino, De ant. daemonismo, 58, 65 f. see also Dieterich, Abraxas, 86 f.
64,
1.

"'

25,

'" "*

This

in earlier

magic would have been ascribed

i,

to the jealous L,ilith.

Anecdota graeco-byzaniina,
Abraxas,
196,

332.
21, etc.:

'" Cf. Dieterich,

1.

explained by Pradel as of a demon's

G,

occurrence, Siid-ital. Gebete, 96.

'**

So

in

Schwab

wnnp, and

cf.

use of verb =^ ip.

For
62

a
ff.
;

op.
19,

cit.,

survey of the Hellenistic personifications of disease, see Tambornino, Mania; febris, etc.; also see Reitzenstein, Poimandres, e. g. insanity

Wendland, Die hellenistisch-romische Kultur,

*" Cf. the

125.

....

pd-mafia
F., xvii,

prayer of the B;shop Serapion directed against ndaa nXnyfi, ndaa fidart^, in Wobbermin, Altchristliche liturg. Stucke, in Texte u. Untersuchungen,
p. 13. 17,

N.

2,

'"

The nDn, Schw. M:

right after "arts"

and before B"2 nycN may refer to

tortures inflicted by magical operations.

"*

See Frankel's criticism of readings, ZA,

ix, 308.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

diseases,

93

We
a large

find listed general

names of

e. g.

"C'p

'Jmn,

'3'3,

pvis<0;

number of cutaneous

diseases:

NsnJ,

riTtn,

naian, N'niBsn, KDin, In

DiDTn;'" a series in 24: 2:

sn'TN,

SJIS, sriTN, probably fevers.

nd^j?,

Schwab
("con-

G we

read of "np'N

f=

Wohlstein, np', "fevers"), sbnn,

nock and

NnC'K (neo-Syriac, malarial fever),'"

KDnj? ("swelling"?),

snainB-

sumption," Rabb.

nsnc;*)

't"2

'

(?)."'

smvB', 11:

2, is

possibly "fever."

The demons
tumor of the
list

referred to in 34: 10 {q. v.)

eye, dysentery,
is

may

be the spirits of cancer,

and

in

1.

13 palsy of

hand and

foot.""

long

of fevers

presented in the

first

of Gollancz's Syriac charms.

In the Berlin bowl 2416 Wohlstein reads a certain affection as

Til

NHfa,
it,

translating

it

"boser Fluss"

Stiibe

reads

it

'2

Tl), interpreting

by a desperate solution, as the

as a maleficent charm.

sacrificial

jugular vein which he supposes

T""!!

was used
and
as

Jastrow in his Lexicon gives both

1

nn\
in
it

leucoma of the eye (again the same confusion of

Kill"

and
is

T
I'll

the
is

word

discussed

above),"*
.

The

correct

spelling

and

closely related to
is

DniOD

"blindness," Gen. 19: 11, 2 Ki, 6: 18.

(cf.

The

root

parallel to

Ti3

"be clear, bright"

the Assyrian)

;'"

the

sense of blindness in connection with this root arose from the fact that
the sun produces blindness (eye-diseases are

most common

in the Orient),

or

from the dazzling sensation

suflfered

by those

aflFected

with certain

optical diseases.

No. 29: 7 we have a characteristic magical prescription for a woman who is exorcised from the various categories of devils and charms (xnpjy)
"" '"

For these and the following terms,

see Glossary C.
cit.,

disease asu in Assyrian, Kiichler, op.

131,

197.

Frankel (i&., 309) eft. dropsy or urinary affection? Hull. 105b, and explains as "water from which a demon has drunk." It may be the eye-disease known to the Jews as "water," see Preuss (cited in next note), p. 305.
Wohlstein,
2422:
20,

'"

'"

and

iv,

For the diseases in the Bible and Talmud see Jewish Encyc. 517 f. for demons of diseases, with bibliography, viii, 413

art.
f
;

"Medicine,"

noteworthy

treatments that have since appeared are Krauss, Talmudisclie Archdologie, i, 104, Medezin, IQII (with extensive bibliography), while J. Preuss, Biblisch-talmudtsche Fishberg, The Jezvs, 1911, cc. 13-1.S, may be consulted with profit. Many of the medical

terms
""

in

the bowls are not to be found in the Jewish literature.

this

For

disease Tl, a
'"
etc.,
is

"Yarod" disease, form of our word,

this root.

see Preuss, op.

p.

cit.,

308.

He

notices also the eye-

310.
riri,
ri,

The Talmudic formula

formed from

against blindness, Shabriri, briri,

Ab. Z. 12b,

94

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
then are mentioned

and then from KDD'a

NiaT
s<nJ2l

a menstruation malady

( ?)

Kn'paao

which are evidently the causes of feminine irregu"'DitD,

larities,

followed by

"pollutions" (fluxes?), and the

si^S'J
(1.

na,

probably
'T3
e.
r"i

epilepsy.
'i'SJi
.

In a badly arranged series in No. i6 "the spirit

we

find

9) the
i.

literally

(=

breath?) of stench and asthma,"

of the
f.,

foul or labored breath symptomatic of diseases (see ad loc).

In 11: 3

again a charm for a woman, after the

list

of demons appear xmpj? and Kn!53n

which we should translate "barrenness" and "bereavement," understanding

them

as personified."*

But

in the parallel

Mandaic
Lilith

text of Lidzbarski's

(see to No.

11) bereavement has

is

become a

(KJT'^'S

Nnbasn,
xnopi

'Ti

takkdlta).

Which

the original of these forms?

In 34: 10

jnyaN

might be rendered, "ugliness and distortion," with which compare the

charms of the Greek youths

Another

in the papyri for health,

good

looks, etc."'

class of evils are those of a social nature.

So poverty KniraD'O,
it is

figures in 34: 12, but

from two other passages we

see that
life

the hostile

witchcraft that would effect poverty in the victim's

'DT
'01,

which

is

exorcised:
piB'n

mos,
where

"the genius of poverty," 16: 10, and Lidz., 4: snps

"distress"

xnnpK

and "sickness" are epexegetical to "invocations."

found an exorcism against,
all

Again

in 34:

12

is

kinds of losses:

KJ't

N3ini SJDnin

.nyx'

in 7: 11 are troubles involving shame.'"

We

mark

that the rationalization of maladies

had not gone very far; For modern magical

the decadent Babylonians were satisfied with the exorcism of devils and

witchcraft and avoided the diagnosis of diseases.

practice in this field see the collection of Jewish

charms pubhshed by R.
In these the spirits

C.

Thompson, "Folklore of Mossoul," PSBA,

fled,

igo6-y.

have

but the ancient magical practices remain effective.

"* Cf. the constant personification "" E. g. Dieterich,

in
3.

Greek magic of

(iaoKavla.

Abraxas,
of

197,

I.

" Cf. the ij?si

ifi.nB

my

amulet published in

JAOS,

191

1.

281.

 13-

Propitious Angsls, Deitiss, Etc.

In the Babylonian exorcistic system the beneficent gods and spirits

were arrayed and invoked against the demons and

kind.
deities'

ills

that affected

human
In

Jastrow gives a specimen of such an invocation of some twenty

and discusses

at length these various lists

fifty

and

their orders.'

another example, given by Reisner,'

great gods, seven gods of destiny,

It is

300 Annunaki of heaven and 600 of earth, are invoked.

then that

not inevitable

we must go

to

Persian dualism to discover the origin of the

Jewish angelology.

be exalted alone broke

there

its desire that the one God down before the specious and alluring argument that must be more who are with us than those who are against us (2 Ki.

Absolute monotheism with

6: 16).
It is to

be premised that in
is

many

of our texts the religious element

is

very deficient; reliance

placed upon bans and formulas with often no

reference to Deity or other personal agencies of friendly character.

inscriptions
in

Those
are

which

such

supernatural

agencies

apart from

God

invoked
origins.

may

be divided into three classes, representing so

in

There are those

which the

well

many distinct known names and name-

formations of the Jewish angelology appear; although, as remarked above,

12, the

word "angel"
deity).

is

not used in
there
are

all

cases in the usual Jewish sense

(often

Then

the genii

of the Mandaic religion,

mostly with names of outlandish formation.

And

finally

there are the

invocations of evidently pagan origin in which deities are named, although

unfortunately most of their names are obscure or perverted by the text

tradition.
like a

Further these different elements are confused and what appears

at

good Jewish text

times

admits a pagan

deity

into

its

celestial

From

the ^wr/iM-series,
i,

iv,

I.

68

ff.

" *

Rel. Bab. u. Ass.,

289.
iv,
1.

Sum.-bab. Hymnen,

152

ff.

(95)

96

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
Church

hierarchy

somewhat
\\'e

as

the

mediaeval

came

to

canonize the

Buddha.

( 1 )

need not dwell long upon the Mandaic

genii.

Pognon has
be added a

given a survey of those occurring in his bowls,' to which

may

few more from Lidzbarski's and

my

texts.

Some
e.

of the names are patb'ysnij;

terned after the Jewish angelic nomenclature,

g.

(=

bsBIl), or

have forms
find

in -ai,

e.

g. 'SJnJJ, 'sniya,

called "angels"

(No.

38), or

we
the

name

O'lNnCKp

patterned after the obscure Mandaic principles

Piriawis and Sindiriawis.

number of

the

names are not found

in

known Mandaic

literature.'

(2)

The

angelology of the apparently Jewish texts and the angelic

nomenclature are not as elaborate as

we

find in later

Jewish

literature,

e. g.

the Szi'ord of Moses' or the Sefcr Rasiel^ the bulk of which consists of
lists

of angelic names.'

The majority of our

texts have

no such names.

The most common

names are formed

angels are Michael. Gabriel, Raphael.

in -cl,

As

a rule the

although other formations appear and quite unin as angels.

Jewish potencies are brought

Our
its

texts stand

on the border-

land of Jewish angelology and not within

orthodox development.
Michael does not have
first

Taking up

first

the

known

angels,

we

find that
in
14,

necessary precedence.*

He

sometimes appears
ct al.
(e. g.

the

place followed

by Gabriel, Raphael, Nuriel,

the

Nos.

34, Hyv.l, but as often

order

has

Gabriel

first,

Gabriel,

Michael,

Raphael

(Nos.

7,

20.

Myhrman, Wohlstein
*

2422, 2416'), or Gabriel occurs

without Michael

(e. g.

B,

p.

93.
I

is an evil spirit, and is classed among Wohlstein, 2417: 6. N. B. the occurrence of this name as Abyater in an Ethiopia apocryphon, Littmann, JAOS, xxv, 28. Afriel, 16., 29, is a form of Raphael, corresponding to the form occurring in the bowls see Glossary A, J. V.
'

In Ellis

the

Mandaic genius Abatur

the

ghostly spirits in

'

Gaster, Journ. Royal Asiatic Soc, 1896, and in separate imprint.

'

Composed by Eleazar of Worms,

See, in general,

13th cent.

Schwab, Dictionnaire de Vangilologie, 1897 (in Memoires of Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-lettres, Series i, vol. 10, part 2). The Essenes laid great stress on the names of angels, Josephus, Bell, jud., ii, 8: 7.
' '

See Lueken, Michael,

1898, especially 4.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
The
latter

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

97

Nos.

10,

15)."

order

is

of course that of their appearance in

the Jewish literature (Old Testament and Tobit).

Other angels may pre-

cede these or occur without them.

Aniel appears as the fourth in a tetrad

(Wohlstein 2416).

The
(Dan.
ence,
its

title

pecuHar to Michael

in

Jewish

lore, the
:

Great Prince, bnjn

"itrn

12,

Aboda Z.
at

42b, etc.), appears in 5

3,

but without specific referlist

and

the

end

of

No.

in

the

of

angels,
first,

which

in
is

occurrence at the beginning of the text names Gabriel

;

Armasa

"the great lord"

nat's text,

so the application of the epithet

is

uncertain.

In Hyver-

which appears to be comparatively

:

late,

we

find Michael's full

(

glory expressed

"the mighty, the king, genius of the law"

In 34: 7 he
is

S3?0

N133

NnmsT
er"
(

K-iD'K).

called the "healer"

( N^D^?'),

Raphael "reliev"healer" sug-

K'bna), and Gabriel the "servant of the Lord." the

frequent

title

gests that the

opening invocation, "In

thy

name,
is

Lord of

salvation (xniDN), great Saviour (S-'DX) of love," which

not a regular

Jewish form of address to Deity,

tion
is

may

refer to Michael;" but the supposi-

not reinforced by the position Michael takes in these texts.

In

Wohlstein 2416 kabbalistic surnames are given to Gabriel and Michael,

DDS^K and n'nion (so

W. would

read),

the

latter,

"likeness

of

Yah,"

corresponding to the later Jewish notions concerning Michael as almost

*t6f
iTtpo(_

Cf. the kabbalistic forms in 24: 4 (of angels?) and the group

of seven barbarous names in Schwab

M,

Dalai, Salal, Malal,

etc.,

presum-

ably standing for the seven archangels."

once, in the introduction to Stube's text

Reference to the

latter is

made

(=
. ;

Wohlstein 2416) where exor-

" See for early precedence ihid., p. 36 f in Enoch 20: Uriel, Rafael, e. g. Raguel, Michael, Sarakael, Gabriel. For Gabriel we may note that the Mandaeans gave him high honor, identifying him with HibelZiwa (Norberg, Onom., 33; Brandt, Mand. Schr., 21), while they appear to have ignored Michael. " Lueken, Michael, No. 3.
11,

87:

M.

is

price of love.

For the

epithet referred to, see

notes to

" Cf. the dictum of Sefer Raziel (quoted by Schwab, Dictionnaire, 7) that in it is necessary to pronounce the mystic names of the planets. Cf. a form of charm in Wessely, xlii, 65, where the seven angels are named in one column, and parallel to them two rows of barbarous mystical names, the first column containing
divination

varying permutations the of seven vowels; aer/wvu x^X f^'X'^1^ vvaev, e. g. N. B. the many mystical or magical names of the deities or "angels" in the Harranian philosophy; Dozy and de Goeje, Acfes of 6th Congress of Orientalists,
11,
i,

297.

98

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

cism

is

made

in the

Hafkiel, Mehafkiel/"

heaven and earth

name of Metatron, Hadriel, Nuriel, Uriel, Sasgabiel "who are the seven angels that go and turn around and stars and zodiac and moon and sea.""
one of the
(six) archangels, in
Uriel,
dif-

In this last series Metatron takes the place that should be given to
Michael.

Metatron" appears
Jer. to Dt. 34: 6:

earlier

as

Targum

Michael,

Gabriel,

Metratron, Jophiel,

Yephephia.

He

is

really a rival figure to Michael, springing

is

from a
Israel,
is

ferent religious concept; Michael

an angel, the patron of

hence

the Angel, par excellence, the representative of deity."

Metatron

in origin

an

idea, Platonic, Philonic,

however we may

call

it,

produced by the necesIt is interesting

sity of

a Demiurge, a "second god" between Deity and man."

histories of the rival ideas.

to

watch the somewhat unlike

Michael remains
is

an angel, but Metatron becomes more and more a mystic being; he

sociated with the

as-

Enoch and
he

Elija legends, and his identity with these

human

beings

may

be described as an assimilation of them to Metatron or as his

;

incarnation in them
kabbalist,

is
is

both divine and human."

To

the mystic, the

(cf.

such a figure

more sympathetic than

the archangel

the

argument of the Epistle

Michael.

to the

Hebrews!), and so he replaces or absorbs

those

Hence he

is

described in terms like

given to
:

Michael.

Eisenmenger quotes

(p.

396) a long

list

of appellatives

he

is

Prince of
kings, etc.

the Presence, Prince of the

(cf.

Law, Prince of wisdom. Prince of

called the Prince of the world,

the titles applied to Michael in Hyvernat's bowl), while elsewhere

ibid.)

(Eisenmenger,

he

is

cf.

the

title

"the great prince" discussed above in connection with Michael."

We

may

"'

Most of these names are plays on evident roots. " For references and literature on the planetary angels
ii,

add Eisenmenger, Entdecktes Judentum,

315
ff.

383

ff.

see Lueken, op. cit.. 56; Bousset, Religion des Judenttims,

" See Weber, JUdische Theologie,

op.
cit.,

37,

and for origins of the idea

Lueken, op.

cf.

Bousset,

348.
this notion went, see
cit.,

" For the extremes to which

36

ff.

" Both ideas are associated

apx^yysTu)^ of Philo.

in

Philo's

mind; see Lueken,

7,

on the

7.6yoi

" For
IS
ff.

later legends see

cussion of this later (Gaonic)

Eisenmenger, ii, 394 B 'nd the interesting critical disdevelopment of Judaism by Joel, Der Aberglaube, ii,

"

Cf.

K13 a>bv

who

jtands before "the true

God"

in the

pagan text of No.

19.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

99

suppose that on the periphery of Judaism as well as in

its

esoteric circles

the idea of Metatron would be especially acceptable to those

who were

not

weaned from polytheism.

Comparing Nos.
3,

19, 25,
3,

we come upon an
is

interesting identification.

KDDIK, which appears in No.

the Greek Hermes,

more

especially the

Hermes
the

of the mystic Egypto-Grecian theosophy (see to No. 3).

etc.

He

is

Word,

(No. 19) and

in 25

f., is

identified with Metatron."

Thus

we have here

a welding together of the esoteric Jewish Metatron and the

equally mystical

Hermes

of
I

Hellenism.

Whether our magicians were

I

aware what NDOnN meant,

know

not and

doubt

it.

It

gave them one

more mystical name and combination.

Just as
in the
is

Hermes was dragged

of
Gabriel,

in,

so other

names or words were put

category of angels or intermediate beings.

the

So

in 7:

8 the invocation

in

name

Michael,

Rafael,

Asiel,

Hermes,
it

Abbahu,
impossible

Abraxas,"'
to decide

And

so with

many terms

in these invocations

is

what we are dealing with

(e. g.

Agrabis, 17: 4), whether a surro-

gate for a divine name, an intermediate being, a pagan deity, or perhaps

a sorcerer's name. only so far as the

tial

The expression "in name was concerned

;

the

name of" was taken

for.

seriously

the name, the word,

was the

essen-

thing, not the prosaic object

it

stood

The same phenomenon

appears in the magical papyri.

There we

find

now an exorcism

in

the
(a;)f

name
TTvevfia,

of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jesus Christ

sic)"

(xwf ) and Holy

name
of
'ou

Spirit

wherein
&eov

the exorcist shows bad orthodoxy, whether as

Jew
?..,"

or Christian; or again an incantation in the

aSuvac

Seov aa^aa^ &eov

ajipaaa^,
k.

9eov

/itx<"!^

aovptr/?^

'Scov

yajipitj'k

^eov

pa<^ati'>.

Seov

t.

where gods, angels and formulas are mixed up

in the incantations

just as unintelligently as

from Nippur.
in other

As

for the

minor angels most of them can be found

to

Jewish

literature,

and reference for them may be made

Glossary

Schwab's dictionary
bowls.
In their

of angelology.

lists

the angelic

names

in the

" So Michael was identified with Hermes, Lueken, op. ence to Hermes-figures bearing Michael's name). " For some of the angel names
See above
in

cit.,

28, 78

(with refer-

the papyri, see Liteken, op.

2,

cit.,

71.

" Wessely, Vienna Denkschriften, xxxvi,

Ibid.,

75,

1.

1227.

144,

1.

144.

11.

100

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
(verbal) element
the

formation they follow the general rule of making the

express the object desired in the incantation.

first

Thus

in

love-charms

Nos. 13 and 28, the angels invoked are Rahmiel, Habbiel and Hanniniel.

(3) It

is

difficult to

say
is

how many

of the bowls are Jewish; the presI

ence of Jewish catchwords

tion to a

not a sufficient criterion.

would

call atten-

few of the Nippur bowls which are

the last one cited, No. 28,

definitely pagan.

Of

such

nature

is

where along with the angel Rahmiel

of invocations of apparently heathen
certainly identified.

appear the mighty (passionate?) Dlibat (a Semitic Venus) and [blank]

gods.
deities.

No. 19 has the longest

list

Only a few of them can be

two words (masc. and
;

Hermes appears
Gnostic Aeons

there, probably

fern.) representing the

(n'blTX, h)Ti<)

Bagdana,
in the

"with

70 exalted priests,"

who

appears

as

demon (Abugdana)

Mandaic bowls."

Other names have a very

:

non-Semitic sound, and

we

can identify some Greek divinities

Zeus,

Okeanos, Protogenos (see the commentary).

Akzariel,
etc.,

Also we find angelic names,

to the

and again Abraxas, and reference

is

60 gods and 80
Salvation,"

goddesses.
etc.,

Yet the opening invocation

is

"in thy

name Lord of

who
Of

also the "true God,"

is

1.

17.

peculiar interest

No.

36, in

which the exorcist declares he has

been empowered by certain deities: "The lord Sames (sun) has charged me, Sina (moon) has sent me, Bel has commanded me, Nannai has said to

me

[blank], and Nirig (Nergal) has given

me

power."

In quite antique

wise the sorcerer

oracles.
in the

(perhaps a priest,

N"I013)

professes to have received

Apart from the striking

parallels of the prophetic

commissions

Old Testament, we makes

find the expression of like

assumption by the
:

exorcists in the Babylonian magic.

sorcerer-priest that

Thus from

the C/f/t^^M-series

"The

clear the ordinances of

Eridu

am

of

Marduk

sage magician, eldest son of Ea, herald

cunning
of

in

magic
I,

Marduk am

am I" my spell

;"

am I, the exorciser of Eridu, most again "The man of Ea am I, the messenger is the spell of Ea, my incantation the incantation
:

" Pognon B, p. 93, Mandaic genius Abatur

"*

Lidz., 4: 2

(p.

103, n.

7)

cf.
i.

the change of the beneficent

into an evil spirit in Ellis

i,

Thompson, Devils,

133.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
Cf.

ARAMAIC
I

INCANTATION TEXTS.

101

of

Marduk."*

also the Maklu-series

shall

"The god and goddess have

commissioned me,

whom

send?," and, "I go on Marduk's comdoubtless one of the latest survivals of

mand.""
priestly

In our text

we have

exorcism

in the old

forms coming down from the asipu priests of

Babylonia; these forms doubtless were cherished long in the Harranian

religion.

='

Ibid., 23.
ii, 11.

" Tablet

52, 158.

Cf. also

g,

en4

IV.

HISTORICAL CONCLUSIONS
14.

Age of the Bowts

Very diverse views

by students.
It
is

as to the antiquity of the bowls have been offered

unnecessary to consider the hypothesis of their pretexts

Christian origin."

Chwolson as an epigraphical expert submitted the

he was acquainted with to a careful examination and believed he could

assign them, by comparison of the scripts, to different centuries early in
this era,

from the second

formed

to the fourth or fifth.

But epigraphical evidence

is

in the case of a

script like that of the square character

fallacious.

Especially in the case of rude popular texts, in which antique forms of

writing have survived, no certainty from epigraphy can be obtained.

in general a

chronology obtained from epigraphy

is

most dubious

And may

refer to the current opposing arguments over the Siloam inscription and

the Gezer calendar tablet, or note the remarkably fluent, almost cursive
script of the potsherds

from Samaria, which only

their certain

provenance

compels us to ascribe to the Omride age.

But most of the students would be inclined

siderably later, between the fifth
conjecture,

to place the

bowls con-

and ninth

centuries, although rather

by

from the impression made by the Levy and Halevy thought, but
were inclined to date the

contents, than through posfallaciously, that they could

itive proofs.

detect Arabisms, and

quest.'

texts after the Arabic conearlier than the eighth

Noldeke would place Hyvernat's bowl not

century, basing his opinion on the forms of the Persian names.'

Schwab

assigned his Louvre bowls to the fourth or fifth century.*

*
'

See above,

5.

Levy, ZDMG, ix, 474; Halevy, exactly, "vers le pieme siecle."

' *

Comptes rendus,

1877,

292,

specifying

more

Zeits.

f.

Keilschriftforsch.,
ii,

ii,

293.

Rev. d'ass. et d'arch.,

136.

(102)

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

103

It is

evident that, in the case of a large

number of

texts
it is

coming from
impossible to

different locaHties and in most cases not observed in situ,

take a

datum from any one and so

literary

fix the

chronology of the whole species.

Magical

forms

are

peculiarly

persistent;

we may

think of the

uncertainty as to the age of the Greek magical texts, in which, for instance,
a Christian theological phrase

may

not define the age of the magical formula,

can only give a clue to that of the particular document.

And

so our texts,

copied and recopied as precious magical prescriptions, repeated possibly

by laymen long after the special school of sorcery had ceased to

exist,

may

have extended over a

later

series of centuries.

Some bowls may

be considerably

than others,

e. g.

Hyvernat's with

its

reference to "Ispandas-Dewa the

Jinn of Solomon," and Schwab's

and

composed of

biblical verses.

Fortunately more certainty as to a unity of time can be had for the

texts

from Nippur.

These were found by expert scholars

in situ at certain

noted levels of the ruins.

While written

in three different dialects

and as

many
age.

scripts, nevertheless the

appearance of the same persons and families

that they
all

in the three classes tends to

show

belonged to about the same

We

are not therefore to suppose a stratification of Judaic, Syriac,

Mandaic
elements.

layers, representing so

many

different ages or even distinct racial

Nor do

the variants within the texts of the square script compel

;

us to assign them to different ages

these are but calligraphic variations.

There
and
if

is

every reason to place the Nippur bowls within rather a brief period,
light

one or a few texts threw any

upon the chronology, we could

place the age of the whole collection.

The provenance of

the bowls

from Nippur was described

in

they lay above the stratum of the Parthian temple.

This building had

been destroyed, was covered with sand, and upon the Tell settled small
Semitic communities, Jews and Mandaeans, drawn to the deserted place

probably by motives of religious community

that these bodies,

life.

Indeed

we may suppose

separated from the main currents of

their larger societies,

made

a practical use and profit out of their religious prestige in the pre-

paration of magical texts.

To
the

speak more exactly of the archaeological

conditions, in the "Jewish" houses discovered

by Peters an upper stratum

a

contained

Cufic

coins

of

seventh

century,

lower
latter.

stratum

only

Parthian coins, Jewish bowls being found also in the

The lowest

104

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

dating then dating

is

is

the seventh century, on the basis of the Cufic coins, and this

to be

pushed back,
slip

if

it

be modified at
the

all,

because of the ease

with which small coins

down through

soil.
is

The

archaeological

evidence then for the terminus ad quern of our texts

the seventh century

(probably

its

beginning), with a fair leeway back into the preceding century.

said, the epigraphical

As

have

evidence

is

weak reed
on

to lean

on

for chronology.'

The

only

new

fact I can bring to bear

this feature of

the discussion
I

is

the novel Syriac script exhibited in seven of our bowls.

this script in

have discussed

6 and there came

to the conclusion that

it is

an early type of the Edessene

identity with the

style of alphabet, a result corroborated

by

its

Manichaean alphabet.

But again
is

this

may

be a

case of survival; certain evidence from epigraphy

nil.

There remains the

the texts
is

philological testimony.

The "Jewish" Aramaic

of

just such as

we

find in the

Talmud, and with evidently

like

dialectical variations; a
dialect,

few forms appear representing the "Palestinian"

remains of which occur in the Babylonian literature.

is

The Mandaic

dialect

fully formed,

and has exercised

its

influence, at least in spelling,

upon the other two, the Rabbinic and

of the Syriac lexicographers.

Syriac.

There are many words which

can be illustrated only from the neo-Syriac dialects, or from the compilations

But these words may be old and only by

chance have failed to make their appearance in literature.

Syriac form Nt3V "goat,"
fact that a Persian word,
is

Thus

the late

now found

in

the Elephantine papyri.

till

The

e. g.

dastabira, does not appear

it

later or is a

hapax legomenon,

is

not proof of late age unless

can be shown to be of

late Persian formation.

us to assume a late date.

to one

Nor do I find that any of The majority of them

Namenbuch, appear

the proper

names compel
rely mostly

are Persian, and do not,

who

is

a layman in this branch of science and

Justi's
first

who must

upon the authority of

toward the end of the

to be necessarily late, say

millennium.'

'

It is

impossible to

make an

epigraphical examination of

all

the bowls published,

for in the majority of cases facsimiles are not given, or they are poorly made.
*

is

not at

Noldeke's argument that the element -duch for -ducht speaks for a late age all stringent for a Semitic dialect which would naturally abhor a termination

in a

double consonant; the Syriac texts have -ducht.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

105

There

is

one

line of negative
I

evidence which

is

the only clue to a

terminus ad quern which

of names, the
)t:^^b,
list

can discover on this basis.

Despite the variety

(

of which includes two Syriac Christian names

a

Nnayo

NnnD na) and

is

Greek name
origin.

n''KnxD''t2 ),

also

probable Indian
the

names, there

none of Arabic

pair of

common nouns and

use of a for the conjunction in two cases do give us etymological connections in that direction; but tions
in

S in this usage
is

is

found

in the Senjirli inscrip-

and the Elephantine papyri and

texts.

a spelling ad

aurem

it is

corrected

one of Schwab's
sr^J^C),
I

As

for the

two words
sorcery

N3'J,

Jinn,

and p^C (and

possibly
after

cannot grant that these loans must have taken place

conquest,

the

Mohammedan
name

when
b.

was so eager
Aa/?o;io()

to include

every possible

of evil spirits (n.

the adoption of
at

and

inas-

much

as the

good Semitic word may long have been

home on

the Arabian

frontiers of Babylonia.

My
that
is,

consequent conclusion

is

that the

Nippur texts should be placed

in a period not later

than the sixth or the beginning of the seventh century,

only as a terminus ad quern, approximately 600 A. D.

The abandon-

ment of the Tell of Nippur may have been caused by the Arabic conquest,
which, as

we may

assume, ultimately drove away the Jewish and Mandaean

south (they were

settlers to other abodes, the latter to their recesses in the

not,

think, recognized as one of "the peoples of a book"), the

former

to the towns.
later,

As

for those texts

from other quarters

that appear to be

they are but the continuation, which

I

we should
in 2,

expect, of the magic

late de-

of the elder bowls, and as scendants of the species.

If

have noticed

towards the end,

my

conclusions from the data of the Nippur bowls are justified,

they afford us one result of comparative value.

magical, and

While the great mass of

is

more

particularly Jewish magical literature,

known

to us

only in late documents,

of Moses, the

we may but speculate

as to the age of the

Sword

Wisdom

of the Chaldaeans, the Seal of Solomon, the elements

texts are contemporary

of Sefer Raziel

our

and authentic documents of

the late pre-Islamic period in Babylonian history.

15-

Origins and Relations of the Bowl Magic

"Jewish incantation bowls"

to

is

the
It

title

that has been generally applied

our species of magical

first

texts.

arose in consequence of the fact that

the

bowls interpreted, as also the majority of those

in

now known,

are

written

the

script

and

dialectic

forms of the speech of the Talmud,

and withal appear preponderantly

to bear the

earmarks of Judaism.'
in

The

subsequent discovery of similar supplies of texts Mandaic

composition

and contents, and now the presentation

Syriac
texts,

in

this

volume of a number of

enlarge

our

vista

concerning

the diffusion of this special

form of magic among the races and

against texts of

faiths of Babylonia.

Further, over
find

whose Judaism there may be no reasonable doubt, we

a number which are out and out pagan, while the majority are certainly
eclectic

in

their theological

tastes.

These observations require that we

extend our study beyond the domain of Judaism to discover the relations
of these bowl-texts to the general
first

field

of magic, as

we know

it

for the

centuries of the Christian era, and to the earlier strains which entered
it.

into

What

are the historical connections of our texts, and what light

religious or spiritistic thought of cosmopolitan

do they cast upon the

Baby-

lonia in the age of the Sassanian empire?'

In the magic-wild age at the beginning of our era, the Jewish magic

was recognized

as one of the three great schools of sorcery, along with

the Chaldaean and the Egyptian.

notions of primitive

The Jews had inherited the rites and magic from the Arabian Hebrews and from ancient

Canaan

despite the severity of an ethical monotheism, which throughout

Hence our rude and vulgar

texts are of philological importance as almost the

only early contemporary documents of

'

these

dialects.
;

The

analogies have been set forth in the preceding sections

I

in the

following

paragraphs

can

only

speculate

on
n. 2.

the

genealogical

relations.

Cf.

Deissmann,

Light from the Ancient Bast, 261,

(106)

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

107

its

growth had placed a unique ban upon the practice of sorcery,

this

feature nevertheless survived.

sorceries of

While the Second Isaiah

(c.

is

deriding the

Babylon and exposing their helplessness

47),

we have
Book

stray glimpses of the persistence of ancient rites closely akin to magic, which
still

claimed the adherence of renegades (B:ze. 8;

Is. 65,

66).

In the

of Tobit are given magical remedies for the expulsion of foul demons with
the concurrence of angels; Josephus
the
tells

of his sorcerer

who

could pull

demon out of the nose of Solomon.' The New Testament

cast

the

possessed with a root indicated by

the
first
;

gives

extensive
I

and intimate

picture of the magical conditions in Palestine

"If

through the finger of

God

out devils, by

whom

do your sons cast them out?"

inquires
v/

Jesus.

In Acts

we

read of well-established sorcerers

people and even Gentiles in foreign parts, a

who bewitched the Simon Magus and Bar-Jesus

Elymas.

But apart from the hoary forms of Mezuzoth and Tephillin and
first literary

some mortuary charms,' our

magic are found
in the

specimens of Jewish or Judaizing

Greek papyri of the Christian age, and there how

not.

much

is

Greek and how much Jewish we know

Here appear various

forms and anagrams of the Ineffable Name, quotations from the Scriptures,
historical references to

Solomon and

especially to Moses,'

who

came, as

the great mystagogue and magician, to be identified with Hermes-Thoth,

and was regarded as the teacher of Orpheus.'

Eighth Book of Moses,

He

is

made

the author of a

Hermetic book, through and through Egyptian and

Hellenistic, entitled the

as a continuation of the Pentateuch,

which Dieterich

has published at the end of his Abraxas.

lished a delicate erotic

Blau and Deissmann have pubspirit,

charm, composed in true Greek

and yet the

former may be right

In which direction

in claiming its

phraseology as preponderantly Jewish.'

take,

was

the give

and

what were the connecting links?

Dieterich would find in the Essenes and Therapeutae the bond between

'

A.J.,

viii,

2,

5.

For

a survey of Jewish
vii

magic and a large bibliography, see

iii,

Schurer, Gesch.
*

d. Jiid.

Volkes, 32,

(ed. 3,

294).
bibl.,

See H. Vincent, "Amulette judeo-arameenne," Rev.

1908, 382.

(with ample

bibliography), and Montgomery,

'

JAOS,
in

1911. 272.
11.

See the analogies presented

Dieterich, Abraxas, 70.

'

See notes to No.

28.

108

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYU)NIAN SECTION.
wherein lay the peculiar type and

Jewish and Hellenic magic'

particular contribution of

But

just

Judaism

to the world's magical faith,

we do

not

know, for the reason that we have no early magical documents of unimpeachable

Jewish

origin.

And

if

we

possessed

documents

from the

Palestinian life of the Hebrews,

how

far even then could

we

decide what

was

specifically

Hebrew

and not Canaanitish or borrowed from the spheres

of culture to the east and west?

What

different origins are assigned by

8.'

the commentators to the occult practices described in Eze.

When we

pass to the eastern

home

of the Diaspora
its

marvellous encyclopaedia, the Talmud, with

glimpses

we have that into the common

;

life of the people as well as into the discussions of the schools

its

magic holds
con-

sway more or

less

over

all,

and

its
if

existence,

if

not

its legality, is

fessed by the spiritual masters, who,

we may

contrast successively Mishna,

to

Gemara, the Gaonic period, with one another, came more and more
recognize and legitimatize the practice of magic.'"

We

catch in the

Talmud

and the subsequent authoritative

literature

some of the magical phrases,

learn something of the practices and beliefs in demons,

stitious

mark

the supertheir

fears of the people of Babylonia, of the

Jews as well as of

neighbors."

Our bowls and

their inscriptions are rude

and unlovely, with

none of the sombre dignity of the Babylonian incantations, or of the often

lyric

beauty of the Greek magical literature

;"

but these bowls are of prime

interest as giving us for the first time extensive texts of the eclectic

Baby-

lonian magic of the

cessors

first

Christian millennium.

They
yet

are degenerate suc-

of

the

elder

incantations of

the

land,

they are

autograph

evidence of the superstitions which Talmud, with caution, and Eisenmenger's

Bntdecktes Judenthum, with malice, reveal, and are precursors of that sea
of magical literature which has come

down

to us

under Jewish auspices.

Ih.,

137

ff-

See Kraetzschmar, ad
Joel,

loc.

" See
see Blau,

Der Aherglauhe.

the sections C, D,

(pt.

I,

pp. 55, 64; pt.

2, p.

2)

for this comparison.

For the Talmudic teachers who allowed and practised magic,

Das altjUd. Zauberwesen, 26, 54. " According to Blau, pp. 23, 84, the Babylonian Jews were far more addicted to magic than the Palestinians. " Cf. the noble Hermetic hymn of creation, the "holy word" in the Eighth Book
of Moses, in which
Dieterich, p. 182.

"God smiled seven

times," and each smile

was an

act of creation

J. A.

MONTGOMBRY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

109

And

withal they give a sample of the medley and fusion of peoples and

religions in the land

which the Jews had long since

is

called Confusion.
line of

The order
investigation
is

of the day

to Babylonize,

and our evident

primary

to discover the relationships of the bowls with the ancient

last

Babylonian magic, the literature of which in the

published
in

decades has been

large

quantities

by the most distinguished Assyriologists."

My

notes to the texts and the Introduction

show how apparently numerous

are the connections between the object of our study and the magic of

Babylonia.

While there

is

only one instance of the specific bowl praxis in

its

that earlier literature,"

still

method of defixion

is

quite congruous with

the ancient magical operations.

As

of yore, the sorcerer appears as the

;

commissioner of Deity or of the gods ( 9) he follows definite and repetitious formulas, similar to the Babylonian siptu ( 11). He invokes most
frequently,

or at least primarily, one chief god, "the Lord of love and

healing," just as the Babylonian called on

Ea

or Marduk, but, as in the

elder incantations, other gods or their angelic equivalents are invoked in

large accumulation

13).

Most

striking in the correspondences

is

the

registration of the devils, black arts

and maladies

to be exorcised; as in
lists

the Babylonian, so in our magic these are specified in long detailed

(
12).
.

In fact our spells far outdo the Babylonian repetition of the

spirits.

seven classes of evil

In the Mandaic texts the terror of the witches

is

appears, in others the evil

all

charm

reversed upon the head of the sorcerer,

as in Babylonian magic.

Rites and words and the instruments of magic,

in the

which are personified, are as much the object of detestation as

series.

Maklu-

Diseases and

all

human

ills

are inspired by devils, indeed are devils

and

are treated as personal essences.

is

The

magician's ban, the spell of the

mighty god,

laid

upon them

all,

and they are forthwith assumed to be

"bound," and "tied," as in older days

the operation.

when simulacra sacramentally

sealed

Even

the quotation of Scriptures and references to sacred

legend have their parallels in the Babylonian incantations, which used the
ancient myths as further

potent

charms (11).

It

is

unnecessary

to

proceed

with the

summary of

general correspondences, but enough has

" See for the

**

literature, Jastrow, Rel.

ff.

Bab.

u.

Ass.,

i,

ch. xvi,

and

his Religious

Beliefs in Bab. and Ass., 296

See

p.

43-

110

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

been noticed to dispose our minds to the dictum of Zimmern:" "Diese (the
incantation bowls) im

Ausdruck

oft iiberraschend

an die alten babylonischen

denen unter

Beschworungen erinnernden
den mit
liefern

jiidischen Beschworungstexte, bei

Namen
in

angefiihrten bosen

Damonen auch Lihth

fiir

haufig erscheint.

ihrer

Weise ebenfalls den Beweis

nachhaltige Einstromen

babylonischer damonologischer Vorstellungen

in

das Judentum.""
if

Yet the implications

that

may

be drawn from this judgment, even

In the
first

not intended by the writer, are open to criticism.

place, as

observed in the preceding sections, similar correspondences with the Greek

magic are

to be noted in almost every instance.

This fact compels us to

recognize the possibility of eclectic as well as of immediate Babylonian

influence
exist

upon the Jewish magic.

fields,
still

And

then, secondly,

marked differences
gravity,

between the

changes in

the

center

of

omissions,

accretions.

There

remains a large degree of substantial reason in the

opinion earlier expressed by Noldeke, surveying the material from a different point of view
:

"Die Verbindung mit altbabylonischen Aberglauben

diirfte also ziemlich lose sein.""

The study

of magic

is

still

in its begin-

nings,

and students are too prone

to find a genetic relation

to bear in
spirit

mind

that

we

are dealing with parallel

when we have workings of the human

field,

operating in a universal and amazingly uniform

while at the

same time, particularly for the age when Hellenistic culture was dominant,

we must
distant.

give allowance for the interfusion of factors geographically most

Of

the old Babylonian

names of demons, only two appear

its

in

our

texts,

the sedii and Lilith

(with

male counterpart), but

these, if originally

Babylonian, in ancient times had pervaded the Semitic world.

The utukki
biblical pre-

Umnuti are the xnE"3 pnn

cedent."

"evil spirits," but these

have their

Semitic words.

The Babylonian vocabulary has been suppressed by genuine The extensive praxis of the Babylonian has also almost
;

disappeared

the inversion of the bowl, some rudely scrawled designs, and

" KA-r,

463.

" The
" Z.

actual adoption
f.

by the Jews of Babylonian magical

rites is

portrayed in

Ese. 13: 17
f.

Keilschriftforsch.,
KlTiStS"

ii,

297.
2.

" The

may

be Babylonian, see to 8:

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

Ill

one or two magical prescriptions" are

elder practice.

all

that remain in our texts of the

its

The use of
KaTa6eafio<:

the bowl in a love-charm has

parallel only

in the Hellenistic

or defixio, likewise buried in the earth.

(as in the

The

sorcerer invokes the

names of ancient masters

lay

Greek magic

again), he no longer

is

professionally independent like the asipu priest; even

the
spells.

laymen

borrow and

The mere "word"

or "name" has

replaced the practice; in the Babylonian magic the gods were prayed to
for their assistance, and

we

often question whether

we

are dealing with

used, and

magic or religion; here

their or the angels'

names are simply

Abraxas

these are sufficient to invoke their potency, without appeal to- the heart or

mind of
a deity
letters

a living deity.
if

The use of
a deity can

word

like

illustrates the

extreme consequence;

become a name, so a word can become

"in the

nnmen nomen! The formula

spiritual
it

and phrases as well as before divine names.

;

name of" can be used before At first sight this nameabsurdly

magic appears more

mechanical, because
it

actually

proves to be more

invokes a binding of the gods and heavenly powers

by a cheap and easy formula without any of the "service" of the gods, with
litany

and

priest,
is

which the elder

rites prescribed.

There

thus a change in the spirit of the magic.

;

The

old Babylonian

was
that

religious in his incantations

it

is

only in the so-called medical texts

religious

we

find

the

passage

from the

sphere to that of entirely

mechanical operation, which

absolute magic.

may

issue either in empirical science or in

The

sense of sin lay heavy upon the Babylonian devotee,

he needed to dress

in sackcloth

and wallow

in ashes, while the incantation

required rites of purification and confession of sins in pathetic and ethical

litanies."

But any such

religious element

is

entirely

wanting

in

our texts,

apart from the stereotyped introductory formula, "Lord of healing, Lord

of love" and two obscure, probably traditional references to sin and

guilt."'

We

have

in

a word a purely magical system, that

is,

one whose

efficacy con-

sists in

doing or rather saying certain things without a prayer or lustration

or confession.

" See Nos.

12,

13.

"

Cf. the "confessional" in the second tablet of the Surpu-&tr\ts.

p.

* See

86.

112

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

It

may be
is

further noticed that in the use of the Jewish Scriptures,

which

very scanty, the passages of real religious import are not employed This
is

( ii).

especially true of the

Nippur

texts,

and often

all

that

we
this

have reminiscent of the Bible or of religion are the stereotyped Amens and
Halleluias,

common
there
is

property of the magic of the age.

Along with

unreligiousness of the magic goes a certain impression of impersonality

throughout
attention
tiality,
is

a general lack of reference even to personal sorcerers

itself as

paid to the operation of witchcraft, regarded

is

a poten-

and the mechanical danger

met by mechanical means.

find

In these differentia
is

from the old Babylonian magic we

much

that

apparently or evidently Jewish, and again some factors that are not so

categorically explained.

We may
Jews

think that the comparative absence of

magic

rite is

due to Jewish influence, as also the large use of name-sorcery.

since A. D. 70

The

cultless condition of the

and the long previous

to one sanctuary,

term of six centuries in which the

official cult

was confined

must have incapacitated the Jew for the

not

rites

of the magician.

He

dared
their

make

simulacra,

many

practices

were out of question because of

evidently heathen associations ("the

ways of

the Amorite").

But he had

a holy book

made up

of sacred words, and a god unlike any of the pagans,

who might
images and

not be seen,

who once had spoken

was revealed

(Dt. 5), and

many

sanctuaries

in his

Names."
sorcery.

who in lieu of And so holy

His
religion,
its

words and names became the province of the Jewish

when
in

it

passed out of the naturalistic or the ethical sphere, found

in

outlet

logolog}',

Rabbinism with

its

logomachies, in
letters,

magic and kabbalism

the angels, which

with their manipulation of words and

Even

were

imported as a kind of humanizing mythology into Jewish monotheism,

came

to be but plays

on

roots, invocations of the attributes or activities of

deity, so that finally angel

was merely synonymous with charm."

the

In

these

particulars

Jews may have contributed

and
in the

to

the

later

Mesopotamian magic, as well as

bowls
there

to that of the Hellenistic world.

clients,

In our

we
is

find

Jewish families as the

Nippur

collection
b.

a frequent reference to the venerable Jewish master, Joshua

Perahia, as a revealer of heaven's mysteries; but as he appears also in the

" Kabbalism appears as early as the present text of Ex.

3,

14.

" See

12, n. 112.

J. A.

montgome;ry

aramaic

incantation texts.

113

Syriac bowls, which are probably of pagan origin, he

may have

already

become a common
of

traditional figure like

Moses
school

in the papyri.

Nippur had
it

been since the Exile a center of the Jews,^ and in Talmudic times
just east

lay

the

famous

Rabbinic

at

Sura,

between which
Babylonian

and Pumbaditha to the north of Babylon the

spiritual life of

Judaism

circulated."

But Nippur does not appear

It is

to

have remained a

Jewish seat of importance.

mentioned but once

in the

Talmud," and

the settlement which the Pennsylvania expedition unearthed on the top of

its

ruins was, at least so far as the bowls testify, a

mixed

folk,

among whom
This

the identical magic flourished under Jewish, Mandaic, pagan forms.

interchange of magical property precludes us from specifically speaking

of

many

texts

as certainly

Jewish, even

while

we

recognize

numerous

Jewish elements.

It is interesting to

observe that the Mandaic texts are

truer to the theology of the sect than

many
is

of the so-called Jewish bowls.

The Jewish magic here in Nippur, as of the Jew cannot admit that it itself

elsewhere,
eclectic,

was

eclectic.

The

religion

and the self-consciousness

of the intelligent orthodoxy in rejecting or at least minimizing magic as

part of the Jewish system, approves itself

when we study our specimens

as native.
I

of magic

their science

is

as

much cosmopolitan

I pass

now

to another clue for the origins of the bowl-magic.

have

discussed under No. 3 the frequent references to the genius Armasa,

is

who

identified with

Metatron and

called the

Word, and
is

is

none

else

than the

Hermes of
lovesick

the Hermetic theosophy.

No. 28

a magical philtre for a

wife,

the terms of which find their closest correspondence in

Greek charms; No. 19 names a number of deities, among whose obscure names we can identify Zeus and Okeanos, and perhaps the names of the
Aeon-pair.

There are other

clues of connection with the

Greek magic,

discussed in the Introduction and the texts; I

may

refer especially to the

" For the river Chebar hard by Nippur, the Kabar of tablets found by the Pennsylvania Expedition, see BE. ix, plate 84, 1. 2. For the names of the numerous Jewish settlers there see Clay's Murashu texts and his summary in Light on the Old Testament, 404, also S. Daiches, The Jews in Babylonia in the Time of Ezra and Nehemiah according to Babylonian Inscriptions (Publication no. 2 of the Jews'
College,

London). " See S. Funk, Die Juden

"

in Babylonien, Berlin, 1902,

ii,

153 (with

no reference

to Nippur).

Yoma

lob, identified

with the biblical Calneh

114

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYEONIAN SECTION.
day out of a month and a
as

identical pharaseology in the choice of a certain

year as auspicious for working the charm."

Such terms

Abraxas

direct

our thought to the great western world and the imposing magical fabric
of Hellenism."
I

And

this

system directs us to Egypt.

have spoken of the permutations made on the Sacred

Name

as typi-

cally Jewish.

And

yet there

was another people which equally

cultivated

the mystery of ineffable names, a people older than the worshippers of

Yahwe, the Egyptians."

hardly

The Jewish development in independent of Egypt. However this may be, we

vowel permutations, and

this

regard was

find in the

Greek

magical texts the fusion of the two theosophies, the Jewish Ineffable Name,

with

all its

like sacred titles, Sebaoth,

Adonai,

etc.,

mixed

pell-mell with those of

Egyptian origin.

And

further the accumu-

lation of

barbarous
behind
it

syllables,

such as appear in our texts, has no known

tradition
it

hailing

from the Jewish and Babylonian theologies;

This phenomenon

must be traced back

" See

to the Egyptian magical science."

p.

5S.

" The recent rapid development of the study of magic and the increased application to the magical papyri have aroused in various quarters the question concerning the nature of the Jewish magic and its relations to that of the Hellenistic world. This investigation appears to have been first broached in a critical way by Blau (pp. 37 ff., 96 fF.), followed by several writers whose works have been constantly cited in the above pages Dieterich, Deissmann, Conybeare (who considers the Testament of Solomon to be of Jewish origin), Gaster (in introduction to his Sword of Moses), Reitzenstein, Heitmiiller, Wendland. Our specimens of magic hail from the eastern confines of that world, even from beyond its political borders, and are speaking proofs of the eclectic and cosmopolitan character of Hellenistic magic.
:

"Budge, Egyptian Magic, ch. v; Erman, Egyptian Religion (1907), 154. the influence of Egypt in the Hellenistic magic, see the excursus in HeitmuUer,

For "Im

Namen
Religion
alt.

Jesu," 218.
to

" In addition
of
the

the

observations

in

11,

see

Budge,

/.

c; Wiedemann,

Ancient

Egyptians

(1897),

268,
;

quoting

Synesius's words: the

also his Magie u. Zauberei im Agypten (1905), 32. The Greek papyri are faithful repeaters of this Egyptian art. Stiibe, remarking on the kabbalistic use of letters (p. S4), thinks that here we have traces of the passage from the Talmud to the beginnings of the development of the Kabbala. But as of Egyptian origin or kinship, the use is not to be dated by the Kabbala. It existed on the periphery of Judaism long before it was taken up by the Jewish doctors. Indeed Chwolson (CIH, col. 115) denies any special relation of these texts to Talmudic ideas (against Lenormant, Essai, i, 212, who held that our magic was a product of the Babylonian academies). Wohlstein was the

Egyptian "mumbled a few unintelligible syllables"

first to observe the eclectic character of our magic, ZA, viii, 316 hardly a trace of technical Kabbalism is to be found in them.

f.

In matter of fact

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

115

is

continued and flourishes with abandonment in the Greek papyri, and

there again this form of magical spell falls in with the Jewish currents.

This Egypto-Hellenistic magic

is

one of the prime sources of our

texts.

and the impression made upon me

in

my

study

is

that they resemble

much
with

more. this form of magic than that of ancient Babylonia.

of this invasion of western sorcery into Mesopotamia

The beginnings

may have begun

it

Alexander's armies; there can be

little

doubt but that pervasive Hellenism

settled.

soon domesticated
It

its

magic, as everything else Greek, wherever

in its

doubtless

was reinforced

development on Babylonian
life

soil

by the

Hellenistic Jewish
soil

magic that had grown into luxuriant

its

on the theosophic
energy to
all

of Egypt and thence sent forth

race.

waves of

spiritual

the

homes of the dispersed

It is difficult in

the field of magic to decide which

is

cause and which

effect,

for the spirit of magic produces like fruits spontaneously everywhere.

Our bowl

sorcery

is

connected
it

doubtless

by many

lineal

bonds with

ancient Babylonia, but

shows as unmistakable

links with the Hellenistic

still

magic, to which the Jews contributed, and from which they received

more.

The problem

of these texts

is

the

same that confronts us

wrote these?
each one

in specula-

tion over the

Greek magical papyri.

Gnostic,
all

Who

Egyptian, Jew,

Greek,

Christian,

contributed

his magical

names,

mysterious formulas, bits of sacred history, each outbidding the other in

the effort to attain the

same ends and arriving

at

an indistinguishable limbo
all

of monotonous sameness.

The

texts

were written for

who would

use

them, and those

who

received their magical traditions adapted them to the

changing fancies of age and clime.

Our

texts

exhibit a like eclecticism.

Babylonian, Jewish, Mandaic,

Gnostic, Hellenistic, and indirectly Egyptian, elements are there, in various

combinations.

The Jew
by
liturgy,

contributed a certain quality of monotheism and

made
with

it

palatable

his angelology; his Divine

Name,
lore.

his Scriptures

and

apocrypha and
like

were storehouses of magical

All this

was fused

elements from parallel sources, and the product was useful to any
it

body of magicians, even as

of
clients,
is

was

in

demand on
all

the part of every class

sect.

pagans, Persians, Jews, Christians, every kind of

is

And

what

true of our texts

true of

the Jewish magical literature.

116

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
illustrative of a special

The bowls then

as of the
eclectic

are not so
religious

much

Jewish magic

conditions of
its

later

Mesopotamia; here the

ancient magic, divorced from

content of real religion, came to be rein-

forced by

new

currents of superstition from the West.

religion,

Whatever be the
sisters,

relation of

magic and

whether they are twin

or the one

the parent of the other, or innate rivals, in our special and confined field

we

may
It is

observe the break-down of the ancient noble religions; gods have berites esoteric

come names,

and

selfish

and malignant, holy writings formulas.

not Judaism

we have been

studying but a phase of fin de siecle super-

stition.

In recent years so
religion, philosophy,

much has been made

I

of Persian origins for western

surprised to find hardly a trace

and magic," that

am

even in a word" of the Zoroastrian system upon our bowl-magic.

the

This

is

more remarkable

as

it

belongs to Persian

soil

and flourished under the

Sassanian empire, while the dualism, demonology and magical practice of

Persia would have been so natural a nursing mother to the superstition

we

have been studying.

it

Had

the Zoroastrian influence spent itself and, after

had given

itself to the

world, did the

more

virile currents of the original

stock and of the

West

reassert themselves

and triumph

in Iran's territory?

Or

has the influence of Persia been overrated?

As
classes,

to the

comparative age, in point of literary tradition, of the three

it

"Jewish," Syriac, Mandaic,

types.

is

impossible to decide;
ii,

all

follow

common

In the case of the Mandaic replica to No.

text.

the former

has the secondary

The Mandaic charms

(e. g.

are closest in spirit to the

old Babylonian magical literature, those in the Syriac appear to be expressive of the current

paganism

No. 36).
in
etc.

" See Cumont, The Oriental Religions

266
f.
;

Roman Paganism,

esp.

nn. 37-39, p.

Bousset, Die Urspriinge der Gnosis,

" N. B. the Ispandas-dewa in Hyvernat's text, and iO'lE, possibly the Persian The arguments for Persian influences advanced by Levy, ZDMG, ix, 471 f., are now antiquated by the Babylonian literature. The fashion of interminable lists of demons may come from Persia.
Peri.

TEXTS, TRANSLATIONS, NOTES

CBS

Catalogue of Babylonian Section University of Pennsylvania.

(

Numerals in radius where the

Brackets,
[

number the

lines of

the spiral inscription, starting

from the

text begins.

],

indicate suppletion of lacunae.

)

Phrases in
translator.

in the translation represent amplification or interpretation

by the-

Inferior points attached to

Hebrew

characters indicate doubtful readings.

Points on the line indicate missing letters or words.

Superior
original.

points,

in

the

Syriac

texts,

represent

the

diacritical

marks of the

No.
13

(CBS

8693)
(2)

ma[K

pnjni'

kitidk
(5)

(3)
]'\nb

n^n

'in'm [imnJB' 12
s!3D

h-idnt

[mB]K
n2T

inni)

xmoK
(8)

in^m

na [injo]nn

in!'T (4)

nynp r^" wvi iniac

Kn'!"!>T r\v<ap

pnn

ni'D

i'[o] I'dk

aD

(6)

nn injona mni'i

imac

13

ryby n^wts'K
p-iD
11

kcd n3 iiuonn
nr\''?''?^

Kini'i

pDD

niJ 'J3^
ii

(9) n^B'
n-iB

nmoB' in hiek inn^ (7) ?in^n'3 pi^n pan^nt [Dijtrn n'i"!' ^ro ba

3KDt3 i3aB'inK3
p-lJCOl

p^3niD

'1

pmE3
t}*

(10)

wi p

'1

nnnm xmna
PDDT
xnaifi
. .

ijy
'1

piasn

pDiiSI

pX'K

pB'JB'21

pnjSOl

(11)

pOJSDI psI'Vl

PDDH
'i

pannni
Exterior
't^j

poa

nim3
(14)

naa!'

kb'J''k

'J3^

ptsToi
paat}*

Tioir:!'

ptd' piimQi p^jm pannsi

^ja

(12)

eye
n'ocn

Qioa Koa^ai

nii"i'3

kb'J'n

n^yi n3J niona ^^:b) (13)

an-'b^b

Kj3na (15) :mif la^^n'si awSian ntj"a

'^'bv

n^ana
i's

ib'j

ij-j

nvi ni'iv

max

td'

Translation
This the amulet of Ephra (2) bar Saborduch, wherein
salvation
shall

be (3)

for this

Ephra

b.

S.

and also (4)

for this

Bahmanduch bath
this

Sama, that there be for them (5) salvation, namely for S. and for this Bahmandiich b. 5. (6) Amen, Amen, Selah.
This
(7) this
is

Ephra

b.

an

amulet

against
this

the

Liliths
b.

that
.

haunt
I

the house of
all

Ephra

b. S.

and

Bahmanduch
(117)

(8)

adjure you,

118

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
which
begotten by

Species of Liliths in respect to

your

posterity,

is

Demons
rebel
blast

(9) and Liliths to the children of light who go astray: Woe, who and transgress against the proscription of their Lord; woe, from the

(10)
.
. . . ,

fast-flying; woe, destroying; woe, oppressing with

your foul wounds

(11)

who do

violence and trample and scourge and mutilate

like

and

break and confuse and hobble and dissolve (the body)

....
;

water; woe,
fearful and

and where you stand, (12) and where you stand

(sic)

affrighted are ye,

bound to

my

ban,

who
.?'

appear to mankind, to
in the likeness of

men

in

the likeness of

women
lie

(13) and to

women

men, and

with mankind they

by night and by day.

With
his

the formula,

TWM

(14)

GS GSK,

have

I written against

thee, evil Lilith,

whatsoever name be thine.

We

(15) have written.

And

name

shall save thee,

Ephra, forever and ever.

Commentary

A
the

phylactery in the

name of a man and wife

in

for protection against

liliths

and

their

broods which haunt the home.

The same couple

are

the subjects of the

charm

No.

13, in

which the

woman

invokes the love

of her husband and the

details I refer in this
1.

blessing

of children.

For the general magical

and the following texts

to the Introduction.
i-.

msK:

in

No. 13 written with both n- and

(i)
hypocoristic

The name may be

Jewish or Persian,

from

Dnax, or (2) a hypocoristic

reduction from one of the numerous names in Fra-; see Justi, Iranisches

Namenhuch,

loi

ff.

for the prothetic vowel,

cf

ibid.

6.

The Persian

name

of the mother by no means determines the race of the family.

imat;'

=
=

"Sapor's-daughter" not instanced in Justi; duch for ducht;

see above, p. 104, n. 6.

2. 'inn 3.
'1

'n'D,
:

1.

4; both forms in the Rabbinic.

D''Vl

unless a scribal error, a unique adverbial development of

the

preposition,

"and withal," := simul

ac,

or

o/iov

mi^

e.

g.

Dieterich,

Abraxas, 147.
4.

inJOnn:
in

see Justi, p.

374

f.

also in

Pognon B.

NOD:

No. 13 also 'NDD.

frequent Jewish name; see Heilpren,

ii,

nnnn

-no {Seder ha-Doroth), ed. Maskileison, Warsaw, 1883,

296

f.

The two forms

are hypocoristic; see Noldeke, art. "Names," Bnc. Bib.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TBXTS.

119

50

f.,

Lidzbarski, Bphemeris

ii,

ff.,

13

ff.

(For the early form and

history of these terminations, cf. the results of Ranke, Early Babylonian

Personal Names, 7

ff.).

The

full

Jewish and Syriac.

It

occurs as a

name was N''OD, "blind," occurring in feminine name (as here) in Asseman's
col.

Catalogue, cited by Payne-Smith, Thesaurus syriacus,

6.
an^b^b
:

2655.

pi.,

also

snx'b'b
ppls.,

The
etc.

liliths

are the only

in
1.

named

objects

of

exorcism,

but

masc.

are

found

10

ff.,

probably by

technical phraseology.
r\2T.

V Km
the

cf.

Pcsah. iiib:

'nn

'niEJ

12T: "those

which haunt caper-

berries are spirits.

iin?n'3:
cf. in

pronominal

suffix

expressed

with the intrusion of

'bsiai
'^"13

h;

the

Assouan papyri of Sayce and Cowley,

:

(F, 9).

8.

[mjca

if

correct

restoration,

the

charm would obviate the

demoniac procreation described.

9. "Sons of light":
N"il3

is

primarily

fire

and the term would indicate

the angels, expressive of the legend that the angels emanate like sparks
(cf.

icn

'J3

Job

7)

from the dmur, the stream of

ii,

fire

under God's

throne, Hag. 14a, and other reff. in Eisenmenger,

371

ff.

Cf. "the hosts

of

fire in

the sphere," 8: 13.

is

In 16: 7 the demons are "sons of darkness."

flesh,

But as the reference

a

to

demoniac unions with human

It is

the expression

appears to be transferred to mankind.

then parallel to "sons of light,"

name

given in the Mandaic religion to the Uthras, Brandt,

life,

Maud.
19.

Rel.,

30,

and also to men predestined to

Brandt, Mand. Schr., 13,

The

redeemed come

to share in the light-nature of the angels, cf.

viol

Dan.

u:

3,

Enoch

38-39, cf. the

mjt6^

of the

NT.

In the myth of

Adam Kadmon,
sup-

man was
pose that

originally a being of light

(Bousset, Hauptprobleme d. Gnosis,

ff.).

202, etc.; for the Kabbala, Karppe, Zohar, 2,72

K113

Hence we must

has been reduced from

is

KTnu

"light" (cf. the Arabic),

and

the expression

to be correspondingly rendered.
6.
'

The
cf.

predicates follow-

ing recall the

myth of Gen.
in Syriac,
sp't

pnnD, as
10.

but the

is

only the sewa;

interesting

1.

11.

pms ma
Np-r

'i:

An

parallel

to

well-known

Talmudic formula against witches, Pesah. iioa-b: 'a^ma

ma o^mp mp
"Your
cf.

Nmn

KpniD^

sma

'a'^ii^an

in^x,

generally

translated:

head be balder, your crumbs [with which you conjure

the anecdote

120

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
69] be blown away, your
I

of Abaye in Hull. losb, Joel, Der Aberglaube,

spices fly
oflf,

i,

the wind carry

away

the fresh saffron.'"

doubt

if

so

much

sense can be made out of the doggerel; following the Talmudic

tradition

our phrase would mean "your breadcrumbs away with the gust!"
itself

By

the words could simply mean, "be blown

away with a

gust," with reto 18: 9.

duplication of the verb.

For

mp

in the

Talmudic passage, see

noun from DCn?

the

The combination in the middle of the line is obscure; a verbal middle The participles 01 pbano portray the fiendish assaults of
in Lidzbarski's

demons; the same accumulations

Mandaic bowls.

Cf.

the action of the

11.

demon
K*

of epilepsy in

Mk. 9: 14

ff.

For the
innJiyD

see above p. 61.

for the relaxing effects of disease cf. Ps. 22: 15, Eze.

p3
7: 17-

painai

panna, a dittograph induced by the scribe turning over the

bowl to write on the exterior and repeating the word.

The

in the first

form represents the sewa.

12. p'D'
(cf.
:

The meaning

is: stay

banned where you are!

etc.

metaplastic form

of root nOK, found in the Targums,

Heb.

1D10).
:

roTD

cf. ^trf^Ki.
is

8ia,

Nnn''N3

JtJD

iT^

'DTK.
;

The climax
the

of the
in

description

the worst and most obscene of the plagues

same phrase

Pogn. B, no. 27.

13.

D1D3: in Ellis i: 8

QOa appears

in conjunction with the Tetra-

grammaton.
14.
'3'^,

''^bv-

the

form

is

singular,

and the phrase refers to the

many names
meant.

of a

lilith
it

(see 11, 12
difficult to

and No. 42).

With- Nn^b'b
is

is

determine whether the singular or plural

cf.

For

"lilith

of whatsoever name,"
are not mentioned.
Utukki-sevles

14: 6:

demons whose names

are mentioned and

in the Babylonian,
i,

who
e. g.

The same indefinite invocation (Thompson Evil Spirits of Babylonia,

Pradel, Griech. u.
siidital.

153)

spirits "that

have no name," presenting a blanket formula for names

/i^

not
22,

known;
1.

cf. daiu6vwv koI

6vofttt^6/ievov

Gebete,

2.

15.
'

7X, a

Hebrew

reminiscence; in general

cf.

Ps. 20: 2

f.

13

17

See Blau, Zauberwesen, 77. The connection of this Talmudic passage with Bze. ff. has not been observed by the commentators.

No. 2
'nspnp
Hbnt-i
ks'XJ

(CBS
'i'''n3

2945)
^kh'-eis

TiDipn

'B'sjt

nn

pass njx
(2)

j!'tN

ain

JD3 Kj'ijini si'S'sai

Jinb

Km

wdoikt ^^^^b xjb"3^i

"ca ijoa
(3)

[x''3n]
n'j;jsi

niut noip sbnaT

moN

'\-''\i2

'23ni"j;2i

pna

ir^ts

nnxi

k^qb' xnan

Knanj in njusn
iTn'33
'Nri'iT

rrn pri'tin inonnn

]):>'?

ovTa cn
ui

Kj^jn tn'vi'n ksb^ki

son

(4)

DVTD

3in

xjD'tf-a snri'

(5) in!' Kjn^j nhk'p

n^jnni

n^nn'sai

nn k3'K3 in snnnj in
{"yi

njnx hjn nn^a htiu

la^rN* ^-sni iTiJu^pai

p^nbt
(6)

iri'r!'

kiio

iisn^n

!>y

n:n'NT NnDinsi
(7)

xmnai
i'lD'D

xnotj'

in^py :r\^m
iivi

Knanj

13 NJUN nJN

Nji'tx

'in casoi'
rri'tK

niiov

dhd
'B''3

S'yi

xrjn
bai

Kn^3303 iin3i 'Ttra

iin3

niyasi

Nirjin ncin
Nn3p''j

iti"!'i

pnaiD nsni p-no ni'D po'p

Transi<ation

NmriDm n3n2'3

NnE"3

Again

come,

Pabak bar

Kufithai, in
iron,

my own

might, on
fire.

my

person
I

polished armor of iron,

my

head of

my

figure of pure

clad with 'the garment of

Armasa (Hermes), Dabya and

earth.
I

the

am Word, and my
(2)
I

strength

is in

him who created heaven and

the
evil

have come and

have
I

smitten

(3)

Fiends

and

the

malignant

Adversaries.

have said to them that

Ibba bar Zawithai,

if at all

you

sin against Abiina bar Geribta

and against
Sea and

I will

lay a spell

upon you, the

spell (4) of the

the spell of the monster Leviathan.

(I say) that if at all

his sons, I will

you

sin against

Abvina

b. G.,

and against

his wife

and

bend the bow against

you (5) and

stretch the bow-string at you.

Again, whereinsoever you sin against the house of Pabak and against
his property

and

all

the people of his house, in

my own
will
fell

right I Abiina bar

Geribta

or

against Ibba bar Zawithai

(6)
I

bring

down upon you

In

the curse and the proscription and the ban which

upon Mount Hermon

and

and upon the monster Leviathan and upon Sodom and upon Gomorrha.
order to subdue Devils (7) do
I

come,
(121)

AbCina

b. G.,

all evil

Sacra-

122

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
have come and smitten

ments and the tongue of impious Charm-spirits;

the

Demons and

Devils and evil Tormentors, the

Gods

(Idol-spirits)
in

and

female Goddesses

standing

in serried

rows and encamped

camps.

Commentary

A
found

mutual charm of two sorcerers, each invoking his powers in turn

in
is

the other's behalf.

An

almost exact replica of the terms of the

charm
in

in the first part of

No.
is

27.

The two men named appear

No.

3,

where Pabak's household

1.

the subject of exorcism.

3in:

apparently

formal term of introduction;

cf.

26:

3.

Tt

generally connects the several

members

of an incantation series.

Cf. the 191

1,

"and" introducing the mortuary charm published by

273.
It

me

in

JAOS,

may

be correlative to

3iri

in
p.

1.

5.
;

P3NE5: the

Persian Papak, Justi,

241

cf.

Arabic Babek, Greek

7ra///3/(Of.

The name

occurs in late Babylonian, Hilprecht and Clay,

Syriac

BB,

ix, 68.

'xn'Sia:

KH'sn

is

water-flask

with a small mouth.

XofcCar,

For

the character of the name,

cf.

Hebrew
to

Pi3p3,

L,u.

8:

39

= NTn
1:4.

"wine-pitcher," etc.
It is

For the hypocoristic termination

rripapa.

in
17.
^'3,

'S

see to

parallel in

meaning and form

Neh.

11

KVXJ

KnvsJ, 27:3.

Comparing the Rabbinic

l-nj,

"a shining spark,"

this

and "white earth, gypsum," and

the sense of "polished armor."

"polish." I understand

word

in

Nnm

nip

niut

"nDip

n^3, 27: 4; the parallel

marks the gradual

In Babylonia

obscuration of magical formulas.

Fire

is

the potent element against witches

their arts.

and demons, as the ancient means for destroying

the fire-god Gibil
p.

was the

chief

god of exorcism

in such magic, Tallquist,

25

f f.

for other examples in Semitic magic, see

Iron, like the other metals,

Thompson, Semitic
is

Magic

in Index.

and excelling them,

in

a potent

means against
of Solomon

devils, Blau, p. 159;

is

Thompson,

Index;

in the

Testament
xi,

an anecdote of a devil afraid of iron (JQR,

18)

Josephus' exorcist used an iron ring.

For the western world,

see

Pauly-

Wissowa, Real-Bncyc,
2
.

i,

50.

K'an

supply from the parallel inscription.

repeated to

After

it

appear traces

of

bl,

which

letters are

make

the following word; a fault in

the bowl required the rewriting of the characters.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

183

XDOINT
his powers.

Nna!?

NJB'U^: the garment of a potent being carried with

it

Compare

the assertion by the magician

in

the

charm noted
There

to

1.

I,

in

which he professes to be clad with the magical paraphernalia of

etc.,

Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon,

and see above,

9.

is

also

to be recalled the magical garment of

Marduk
robe

in the fourth of the

Seven

Tablets of Creation, while the

invisible is

magical

which renders the wearer

common

property of folklore.
is

N^^DOI

N'm NDD1S. NDOTS

;

found

in the parallel

bowl No. 27 (along

ndd["in]; in ii
1.
:

with the rest of this phrase)

in the spelling

in 19: 7; in 25:
8,

tl""2t2"'D

D'oiS; and in 7:
is

D'DT'N

Myhrman,

4,

D''-|^^.

The
then

forms give the clue ; D'ons

e.

one of the Syriac spellings for the Greek

is

'Ep//w,

g.

Peshitto to Acts 14: 12; D''DTn also occurs in Syriac. KDDis

the

Hermes about whom gathered

the extensive mystical cults and literature

is

towards the beginning of the Christian era to which

Hermetic.

given the epithet

Summary

reference

may be made
1906.

here to Reitzenstein's illum-

inating study

Poimandres (Leipzig, 1904),

also to G. R. S.

Mead, Thrice
the

Holy Hermas, London and Benares,

agent of

The Greek Hermes,

messenger of the gods, was identified with the Egyptian Thot, the divine

human

illumination

in a

word

the Logos of the Egyptian religion.

is

This mystical function of Hermes-Thot

Justin

evidenced,
i^eoi),

e. g.,

by a passage
^(TT(o

in

Martyr

fi

yeyEvyc-dai EK Seov /Jyofiev A6yov

Kolvov rovro
;

vfilv Tol^ rbv

'Ep/i^v ?.6yov Tov Tzapa ^eov ayye^.TiKov

Myovaiv (^Apol.

i,

22

Migne, Patrol,

gr., vi,

57.).

This figure was also adopted in

farther East, as the expressions cited

the

syncretistic

mysticism

of
is

the the

from our bowls show.

He

word

xi^^DO

(=

N^'^D,

19: 7),' and the Metatron, that mysterious inter-

mediate agency between

13).

God and

his creation in

Jewish Gnosticism
to the Orient

(cf.

But

this

Hermetic theology was not mediated

through

Judaism, but through the Hermetic schools, which appear to have held
out, into the twelfth century, in that obstinate center of

paganism, Harran.

Chwolson has
Greek
'

collected the evidence for the survival in that region of the

religious philosophies,'

and Reitzenstein has now trenchantly pointed

Reitzenstein,

The

'Ep/iw

'-(^X'of

or

Uymv:

op.

cit.,

43; Aht, Apologie des Apuleius,

118.
'

In his Die Ssabier und der Ssabismus, 1856.

See

now Dozy and

de Goeje,

124

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

out (p. i66

ff.)

the essential Hermetic quality of this last remnant of the

old pagan philosophy.

The magic

of the Euphrates valley has caught up

it

probably from Harran the figure of Hermes and easily identified

the Jewish Metratron, the biblical Enoch, etc'

with

Hermes was

the equivalent

of the Babylonian Nebo, and a passage in the Mandaic Ginza throws light

upon the expression, "clad with the clothing of Armasa";

in

the Ginza
fire.'

we have

a tradition that the angels invested

Nebo with a

dress of

The N^boD
Stiibe's text,

of our text

is

then a proper epithet of

?

^5DD|^!.

What

is

meant

by the preceding epithet X'2T

1.

It

occurs in the parallel text, and also in

iniaD'D.
I

5,

thus:

n'2T

naN^D

suggest that
for the

nun

(s'an)
cf.

means "who-is-in-Yah," an ancient mystical expression

the

Logos;

Johannine ^pk

tov &e6v,

and the description of the

Son as "in the

bosom of

his Father," and, "I

am

in the

Father and the Father in me."

Compare
3.
Joel,
i,

also 7: 8,
(cf.

inu in% and

note.
'D

nno
100.

4: 4), reminiscent of the biblical

3t2p, for

which see

N3UN: a name of two Amoras.

NnanJ: "scabby";
cf.

Gareb,
;

2 Sa. 23: 38, and the Palmyrene N3nj,

also the Arabic Juraib, Jarba.
ii,

de Vogiie, Syrie centrale, no. 141

tO'N: the

same name

in

Seder ha-Doroth,
ii,

45.

The form

is

shortened

from Abba, see Lidzbarski, Bphemeris,

'xn'ir
:

8.

so the probable reading

of
cf
.

the

hypocoristic
Npan, "stall."

from

KlTU

"corner"

the biblical

name here and below. It is name Ribka := Aram.

daughters of Israel as

Is there here a pious allusion to the

polished corners (Wlt) of the temple, Ps. 144: 12?

KJS'C'X: the verb is
rarely,

found

in the

Aramaic only

in the Syriac,

and but

and

in the

bowls occurs only here.

Nouveaux documents pour

'

I'etude de la religion des Harraniens, in the

II,
i,

Actes

of the

6th International Congress of Orientalists,

281.

Bar-Hebraeus, Chron.,
;

ed. Kirsch, p. s,

"by Greek books"

bearing the
ii,

also a reference in Reitzenstein, p. 172, n. 3, to a

name

of Idris

Enoch.

where Hermes and Enoch are identified Hermetic MS. For this Enoch-theosophy see Joel, Aherglaube,

16,
'

19.

Ginsa, R,

p. 54, ed.

Petermann; see Brandt, Manddische Schriften,

89.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

125

'J1

Non

NaE;"X: the spell

it

on the sea and Leviathan was mightiest

first

in
the.

magical history, for

was the

great act of "white magic"

cf

Marduk
and no

legend.

survival of this mystical aspect of creation appears in

Job 38: 8-1 1, which concludes: "And

farther,
ff.,

He

said: thus far shalt thou

;

come
:

and here

shall thy
if.

proud waves be stayed"

subjection
g.

cf
is

Jer. 5

22,

Ps. 104: 6

Job 38: 8

The
e.

of the abyss

frequent

magical allusion in the papyri,

1.

the Great Magical Papyrus of Paris,

3062

flF.

(Dieterich, Abraxas, 140; Blau, p. 113; Deissmann, Light, 258).

The

sealing of

Tehom
:

is

referred to in Targ. Jon. B-v. 28: 30.

4.

intannn

the

scribe

began to write the perfect, passed into the

imperfect (which

we

should expect here) with the second letter and re-

turned to the perfect termination; he amended his mistake by rewriting

the word.

In general the scribes aimed at carefulness.

is

word

so

corrected

sometimes deleted with a

line.
s. v.

rrnn'K: for the various forms, see Glossary,

n'J33: a

unnyn.
'ni33,

Mandaic and

also

Targumic idiom for

Noldeke, Mand.

Gram., 144.
'Jl

sncp

'a:

a form of -3 found in

Targums and Talmud

(also

in

the Palestinian

charm

cited

to

1.

i).

The terms

are reminiscent of
:

Marduk's slaying of Tiamat in the Babylonian creation legend

"Marduk
side"

made ready bows

cf. the praise of

....

The bow and

the quiver he

hung

at his

Marduk's bow

in the fifth tablet (King,

cited,
p.

Creation,
parallels:
Isr.-jiid.

ii,

63, 83,

and fragment
;

207)

Seven Tablets of also numerous, biblical

Hab.

3: 9, cf. v. 11

Ps. 7: 12-14; Dt. 32: 41 (where Gressmann,

.

Bschatologie, 78, would read nsB'S for DBCn)

As

in

1.

with the

clothing of Deity, so here with his magical arms the magician declares

himself invested.

But the phraseology may be based on magical

practice,

a symbolical shooting at simulacra, in the same

way
is

as these are burnt,

peeled
the

oflf,

mutilated, etc.
texts

very similar passage

in

to be

found
in

in

one of

Manichaean

discovered

Chinese Turkestan,
at the

which the
falls

conjurer shoots with his

bow and arrow

demon, who

dead;

Sitzungsberichte of the Berlin Academy, 1908, 401.

KJ3'J: participial

form from

33J; the Peal

is

unique.
begins.

5. 3in
is

the other part of the mutual charm

now

The

contrast

further expressed by

nn'S

"oji

my

part."

186

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
proper place and

t<3''S3 IN: this

name was omitted

tile

in its

is

now

inserted.

6.

NHDinx: for

prosthetic

see Noldelce,

Mand. Gram.,

24.

tlDT'n ^y: a

reminiscence

of the

myth of
;

the

confederation
:

of the

Enoch 6: 5 f. "they named the mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by curses upon it" also 14 7 ff Philo of Byblus also connects the Titans with
fallen angels
(n. b.

upon Hermon

Din)

see

the
size

Lebanons and other mountains of Syria

"These begat sons of greatest

and superiority, whose names were given to the mountains which they

occupied, so that
libanos

some of them are

called

Kassion and Libanos and Anti-

and Brathu.'"

knowledge of the
tation of

And Hilary of Poitiers adds something to our myth "Hermon is a mountain in Phoenicia, the interpre:

whose name
it

is

anathema.

Moreover

it

is

the tradition
lusting

from
the

whose book

comes

know

not,

that

the

angels

after

daughters of men,

when they descended from heaven, assembled on this very high mountain.'" Cf. the anointing of Nebo by the evil gods in the Mandaic mythology, Brandt, Mand. Rel., 126 f.
7.

pmo m-D:

construct of accumulation.
in

naiD nST: "camping

Aramaic, but
is

camps."

IBi

is

very rare in

Hebrew and
it

is

frequent in Assyrian, where

among

several meanings

found

in this sense (cf. the biblical

place-name

D'TBl).

isio

occurs in

MS. cited by Rabbinowicz to Megilla lob: 'JHS hv n'Dio TVI, where 'D Hebrew nrae'.' The variant in 27: 11, nano nsio, parallel to 'D 'itd, is probably the correct form. The allusion to the serried battalions of the
is

demons
'

epical,

perhaps of mythological origin.

Eusebius, Praep. Ev.

i,

10: 7; text in C. Miiller,

Fragm,

hist,

grace,

iii,

566.

'

Hilary to Ps. 132

3,

see Corpus script, eccles,

latin., xxii, 689.

'

So on Jastrow's
do not

authority, Dictionary of the

Targumim,

the

Talmud,

etc.,

1476,

but

find the reference.

No. 3

(CBS
roto

2963)

xnonn^ xnnB' onm xni nid'n pin

SB"3
r]'?V2

^Gnm

t<3i

N'dx xrixiDx
(2)

no

\ds>2

sjt3Di

ssm Kin

H^ra pmriM nrn mtioniri' in 'n-ix

(3)
i'^opn

inm nwai
npri'DT

nib'D snn^si n^nn'K ni;5'D N123

'i'''i'm

Kiaa

max
pnmx

povav
I'o

'VncKi niiKno loiN 1D1S

n'nri'x
n^i

scon

pn^o^K poi
!'it3p'n

pan
^lop^n

pm
nSt

nnx m!"Q mt^oiin in

iJitap^n
k!"!

pn^jn rr
N^i

(5) ni'va

'ms inn n' 'mx nib-'n

i^q
pni)

n^t i^v :v2e>a (i)

ri'

n^ia na nns

Koon
IDC VP

s'l^b t6

n'?^v'?^

\n kqv

11m p3i pn^ n^sT pn

non^

pnnn
n'oc^a
\^p

DVE iDn ntntnt opj ion

IDS'

(6)

ion ion vqdvsdvs

ion non yrvTVtT

nsi^ inDN

PD P'PD pD PD pDpD KriTP' KntJ"N

pO HTIsr

lOH

5"m

iTTT yoB' iJi (7) n^ro

^[']m xnio ns^on

sm
loi

kob' kih pnn

[P'lIT^
iw^i

^i"""'

inronin na

'ms pim
nsv inos

n'oxnp
I'D

moip po

y^nn'oi

pnr
I'O

pmi

pn!'

D'KT
r\<i'->ti

iinn:a ^3 (8) poi pn^ja

101

'inns

na n^nrrs nnx
nie-a

P'PD

Nm'p'
pnna

po

HTiEi'

pp

pdpd idpd
sa-i
sots'

p** b'E'dib

i"m
KOB'

HTi' yoB' (9) nDi

noin !"m snio ik^ot

?ik

[sin pin]
yi'ari'oi
p'>'\y

nu

nB'n

snu inm.
pmi
po

n'onp poi

'monp po

n^nrr-K

nnx anp poi

pnn]

nn[r''OTin -a

'ms mp

po]

[n'r]o i^nm k3i

nnof? mB'31 icK e'b'did pn^

Na[-i KDE' Nin

pn^ n^Kn paii pja

mp

poi (10) 'i3na na

n^nsi''

j'dpd idpd sriTp^

xnB"N po

nsv nav

p3 Mionp po

yi>3n'oi ^']V<

i"m

(11) n^n' yoB? nai n'J^o

^^m xnio in^dt

nTirrs
idk''i

nnK

(12)
B'B'Dia

pn nb"2 Kin, pidm

pnyi

S'iht

wm

sob- inn niB'a khb'h ik

'iDKJB'

pnb

pmi

pn!'

jtkt pa'i pja bn Dip poi 'lana na

nt

tdn] oi'B'n'a Timan la mni "lyr toon la nin' nyr loon ^k mni
[IDK lOK B'K'O

i'VID

niK

Translation
In thy name,

Lord of

salvations, the great Saviour of love.

Designated

is

this spell

and mystery and strong

seal for the sealing

of the household of this (2) Ardoi bar Hormizduch, that from him
depart and remove the evil

may

Demon and

the evil Satan,

who

is

called

SP'SK,

(127)

128

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

the Mighty Destroyer,

who
their

kills

(3)

man from

the side of his wife

and a woman from the

their

side of her husband,

and sons and daughters from

father and

from

mother,

by
kill

day and by night onto, omo,

kill

walking.

(4) I adjure thee that thou do not

off this

Ardoi

b.

H. from

Ahath

his wife,

and that thou do not

off

Ahath bath Parkoi from

Ardoi her husband, (5) and that thou do not kill off their sons and their daughters, whether those they have or those they shall have, from this

day and forever, neither by night nor by day.

In the name of Z'Z'Z', HSR, HSR, HSR, P'SP'SP', TMR, TMR, (6) TMR, NKT, ZHZHZH, HSR, P'S, TMR, KIC, 'STW, YWPT, YWPTYH, from the burning fire, SKSYN, SYN, SYN, SKYWN SJ^, his name KS his name. This is the
;

great

name before which

it,

the angel of death

is

is

afraid,

(7)
it

and when he and (just so)

hears

frightened he flees and

b.

swallowed up before
flee

before this Ardoi

wife, bath P.,

H.

shall
all

he fear and
their sons

[and from] Ahath his

all their

and from

and from (8)

shall have.

daughters,

whether those they have or those they

PWTSS, Amen.
burning

In
fire,

the name of K^, 'STW, YWPT, YWPTYH, from the SKSN, SKSYN, SKYWN, [This is] the great name the angel of death
is

before which

afraid and
it

when
afraid

(9) he hears

it,

frightened he flees

and

is

swallowed up before

and before

this household.

Moreover now

in this great
flee

name
b.

of which

is

[the angel of death, etc.

b. P.,

he

shall

from Ardoi

H.] and from Ahath his wife

(10) and from sons

have.

and daughters, those they have and those they

shall
is

PWTSS,
it

Amen.

In the

name of 'STW,
is

YWPT,
is
;

etc.

[This

the great name]

before which the angel of death

frightened he flees and of this great

afraid,

and when he hears

(11)

swallowed up

so moreover

now on
evil

the authority

name

shall fear

and

flee

and go forth the

it

(from Ardoi,
said to

etc.).

PWTSS.

According as
Satan;

is

said:

Satan:

Yhwh

rebuke thee,

Yhwh

Demon "And Yhwh rebuke thee, who

Amen.

chooses Jerusalem. [Is not this a

brand plucked from the burning?

Amen.]"

Commentary

A
charm

charm

for a

man and

his family against a

murderous

spirit.

The
the

consists in magical syllables constituting "this great

is

name" and

formula

repeated four times; see

p. 65.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
NIC.
'Jl

INCANTATION TEXTS.

139

I.

no:

construct

Syr.

NnxiDN nO: a frequent epithet in

e.

these bowls of the deity invoked, along with 'orrn N3"i K'DX,

g.

7:

i.

Cf. the frequent invocation in Pognon's bowls

Nnx'65'''3, etc.

K'DSDT

^"D^5

nxJN, N''DK riNJX

The theme riDS is equivalent to ff^C" in the New Testament and Latin saltis, German Heil, for which modern English offers no synonym, the good old word "health" having been specialized. The word
implies a

remedy against

evil

spirits

and black magic.

Wohls. 2426:
i.

It

is

also used

concretely, of the phylactery, "this

'X",

The

epithets here used are interesting as being probably one of the

in these inscriptions of the ancient

few survivals

Babylonian theological

terminology; there

we

have, in the penitential and magical literature indeities; thus

numerable appeals to the love and curative powers of the

Marduk
K31 K'DS

is

god of love and

life,'

Ea

is a-si-e.'

And
;

the exact equivalent of

is

found as an epithet of Gula, the consort of Ninib: asugallatu

beltu rabitu, "Great Healer,

identified with Gula,
e.

Mighty Mistress"

and of Bau, who became

g.

as'itu gallatu.'

Ninib was domiciled at Nippur

particularly Nippurian,
locality.
I

and these epithets of and so have survived

been
able
to
is

his consort
in the

may have been

bowls coming from that

parallel

have not This

discover

the

masculine epithet for Ninib.'

invocation

doubtless pagan, being distinct

from the numerous

It is

biblical

epithets expressive of the love

and power of God.

2"t//p
is

never associated

with the Jewish Divine Name.

common
is

epithet of the

Greek

gods, Zeus, Apollo, Asklepios, Hermes, and

the N. T.,
e. g. I

an epithet of the Deity in

bj?3,

Tim. 1:1.
ixan

Cf. also the Phoenician NEno

nin'

CIS,

i,

no.

379, and Ex. 15: 26,

'J.

Also

n. b.

the

common

epithets for

'
'

La magie

ass.,

Fossey, 323, 365, 369; n.

I

b.

his title remenu.

This reference

have not been able to verify.

III R, 41, col. 2: 29; Delitzsch,

Hwb., 197a; Schrader, KB,

iv, 78.

R. C.

Thompson, PSBA,

1908, 63.

Radau (BB xvii, pt. l, p. ix) endeavors to find the same title for Ninib in his explanation of the Aramaic rendering of nin-ib, neniw (see Clay, JAOS xxviii, 1907, He interprets it as en-usati, "lord of 13s, and Montgomery, ibid., xxix, 204). help," our very title (cf. Delitzsch, Beitr'dge s. Ass. i, 219, for equivalence of

AZU

with asu), and with the same root. The interpretation would be very agreeable to me in view of the above remarks, but Radau omits to explain the Aramaic rendering of s (or z) by V when the Aramaic has the root kdk, while Clay's explanation appears
to

me

the

more

satisfactory.

: ;

130

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
Palmyrene
f.,

the love of
texts.'

God (V Dm)
has

in the

O. T. and Koran, also

Griech. u. sudital.

in the

Pradel

collected

in his

Gebete, 42

number of the
he
is

epithets denoting the healing

and merciful character of God

there
'Jl

larpdc iimxuv, iXerniuv, etc.

}DtO:
lOT,

a standing introductory

formula

in

these

bowls

(with XD3,

etc.).
it

Pael, appears to be used in the sense in

which the Peshitto has

e. g.

as the rendering of the

:

Hebrew cnpn,

"sanctify,"

Josh. 7: 13, Jer.

ni?"

12

3.

Of. the religious connotation of the parallel root

as a pa"al formation see Noldeke,
cited

For Knonn
the

Mand. Gram.,
i,

121.

Cf.
i

Mandaic forms and formula

by Lidzbarski, Bph.

96,

n.

KmSDXJi xntNlsn snONriKn.

refer to the Great
seal, see

The "charm, mystery,

seal," are identical,

and

Name

of the incantation.

For the

identity of

name and

Heitmuller,

"Im Natnen

Jesii," 143, 150, etc.

2.

'ITIK: hypocoristicon in -oi,

abundant, with variants in

-ai

and

i,

in

these texts (see Noldeke, Persische Studien, in Sitzungsberichte, phil.-hist.

Class, of the

Vienna Academy, 1888,

p. 387.).

The name
it

is

formed from

one of the numerous Persian names in ard- or art-;

text, see his note, p. 349.
"in;''D"iin:

occurs in Myhrman's

a frequent Persian

name
or

see Justi, p. 10.

nt',

or

nr

yr,
cf.

from
the

jnt

J?l?t;

but as

nr, from

nnt (found in
Jinr,

Heb., Ex. 28: 28,

12: ID,

Aramaic mr),
3.

see the forms

Iimr,io:6,

sntsns, Pognon, B. nr, 31:

all

"Demon, Satan, Destroyer,"

pp. 58, 68.

epithets of the one

demon;

cf.

above

pDfSV

with reversal of the alphabetic order of the

first

four letters

to indicate the bouleversement of the

demon?
;

xnaj

max
is

abbdda gabbdrd, abbad not otherwise found

Gram., 115.
6

for the forma-

tion cf. Noldeke, Syr.

Notice that the

avoX/.vuv,

Hebrew and Greek

was a

Abaddon

represented in Rev. by
abstract.

as though the original

noun of agent, not an

The

epithet

n'ntron ^si)0^, 2 Sa. 24: 16,

n^ntron, Ex. 12: 23, the Samaritan

3.
]iT^.

xbanD,
of
the

etc.

for

the

vocalization

conjunction

cf.

X^Ti,

14:

6;

Baethgen, Beitrdge, 82

f.,

Lidzbarski, Handbuch, 153.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
is
'^T\'"\;

INCANTATION TEXTS.

131

n3'nSc6'l, 14: 7, etc.

The conjunction

also similarly pointed in

see Berliner's note,
ii,

Targum

Onkelos, Dt. 14: 37 (ed. Berliner),

pn'D'X: the half-vowel after

140.

is

indicated, as in Mandaic.

l^sriD

101X

101K

thus the uncanny stealthy movements of the

demon

are expressed.
4. nriN: probably the first element in such a

name

as

nnxnnns,

"sister
in the

of her father,"

of.

'mriN

"brother of his father," a frequent

name

Talmud.

Cf.

biblical

3Sns<,

and

the

Babylonian

Ahatbu,

Ahatsuna,

Ahat-immisu,

etc. (Tallquist,

Neubabylonisches Namenbuch, 3), and similar

names

in the Glossary.

'lans: hypocoristic

of Persian Farruchan, Justi,

p.

94

ff.

pm =

hawen, cf

tnc,

|T

4,

pi.

ppl.

with future sense, as

common
seldom
6.

in Syriac.

pT: appears only in this phrase,

in

so

16:

13,

19: 20,

is

archaic and

Talmud
the

for the ptonouns see end of Glossary C.

"From
in

burning

fire,"

i.

e.

of

hell.
1.

For the threatening of

11
ff.
;

demons with pangs of

of

hellfire, see cf.

Pradel, 21,

for the threatening

1.

demons

general

the

Paris

Magical

Papyrus,

1227

ff.

(ed.

Wessely), and see in general Tambornino,

angel of death appears in Schw. F.

De

ant.

daemonismo,
is

78.

The
is

The charm of which he

afraid

a potiori more fearful to the demon.

7.
P'l'V':

for the second

'

representing the scwa, cf. the Sabbioneta

text of
in

Targum Onkelos,
,

ed. Berliner, to

Ex. 21

13,

Num.

35: 26.

For u

^inT

see Noldeke,

Hand. Gram.,

219.

N. B. the

two

prepositional

forms 'niDKlp

and rrmp along

side of each other, the latter attributed

d. jud.-pal.

to the "Palestinian" dialect

by Dalman, Gram.

Aramdisch, 181.
all

The Great Name,

tremble and
xlii,'

or True Name, at which devils and

is

things created

flee

away,

common
Israel

thesis in the

Greek magic: Wessely,

and
(the

65,

ad infra: the God of

whom
fire

the heavens bless

.^^Z^rajtraj,

oceans?) fear and every devil trembles; Dieterich,

140,1. 55 ff:the

name

at

which trembles the Gehenna of

4,
1.

and every mountain trembles;

5,

Wiinsch, Antike Pluchtafeln, no.

44 (with editor's notes), and no.

Vienna Academy,

"Neue
Class,

griech. Zauberpapyri" in Denkschriften of the

xlii,

phil.-

hist.

his earlier publication in vol.

xxxvi

is

cited as "xxxvi."

133

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

1.

21.

It is
is

not necessarily a Jewish phrase, Wessely, xxxvi, 50,

( trpurevov')

1.

244

ff:

"This

the primitive

name

of

Typhon

at

which trembles

earth,

deep, hell, heaven," etc.

Cf. Heitmiiller, pp. 148, 231, for citations

p.

from

the Fathers, and Pradel,

this trembling before the

40

f.,

for

Greek magic.

Dieterich regards

Name
is

as of Orphic origin, p. 141.

The bowl CBS 16093

bears the same design.
It is

almost identical in text with this one, and

Its clients are the
is

about two-thirds as long.

couple

named

in

Nos. 32 and 35.

Also another bowl (unnumbered)

practically the

same

as the present text, but shorter, with the

same

design,

also

made out

for the clients of Nos. 32 and 35.

No. 4 (CBS 2923)

KHB'nK Kn'jnn 'Jin tnnn
itj"!)!

xn^'n 'nni

b^-t

pti"-!?

i^ax^a i'^^oh

'Sd'd

Konna n'nu nnt

(2)

ymx

lo

snnn im^a^nm nnn^Dx

ptdk pnn'DN

pn't}'''33

KjnoK 3in Kims' [sonnai] sb"3 nid'S3

113!)

kjidnt ^id'd Nao^a

(3)

xiji

Kcu

N-nD'K3

]):>)>

s:iDs
P3313
Kjp-isi

(4)

nin
n^a

't;''3

iins

iijnK

nn

'tidnt

NniD'W

p^^

pB"i^D
'n

nw
5'33

pini

ny3B'
'n3-i

nonxn
iii\

NniD['X3

p3^]

n:ids 3in

kii-idi

^b p3'i;''s-n

nv^

Jm

(5)

sm

kdv

nj?

I'trxMiJO
k!'
. . .

'B'J'K

pn3

n^3DJ

i6

'^D3N1
Ki>i

n3nj IS NJ13K3 pHS PDnTl

N^l"i'3

iTnn n[nnD 'joinmbiD'o Kao'3

linx (7) nnoj n'b'KSj'ni'
iritspj

nb 'Kn^2i3 13 (6) P3N2n n^nu

Ktynji k3-) xme'i

rrwn

n:iN n^!'
"13

nmns

nr

nnn
nnns

'KHisn

P3KDT nnn3i n3nj n3 njuxt

Translation
Covers to hold
in sacred

Angels and

all

evil

Spirits

and the tongue

of impious Amulet-spirits.

Now

you are conquered, you are charmed;

charmed, you are charmed and sealed in each one of the four (2) corners
of his house.

You

shall not sin against

Pabak bar

Kiifithai,

nor shall any

do

folly against him, against all the people of his house, either

by night

nor (3) by day; because I have bound you with an evil charm and a sure [seal]. Again, I have charmed you with the charm with which Enoch was

charmed by
galling seal.

his

wicked brothers.
(4)
I

Again

charm you with an

seal

evil

and

Again,

charm you with the

with which were

charmed the Seven Stars and the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac unto the
great day (5) of judgment, and to the great hour of the redemption of

your heads

you

shall not

nor sin against them, against Abiina bar

Geribta, and none shall at

all

do
b.

folly against them,

namely the people

of the household of Pabak (6)

well
sealed
is

K., neither

by night nor by day, because

his

house and well armed, and with a great wall of

(133)

134

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
grasp, and

bronze have
take.
b.

surrounded

it.

I,

what

desire
b.

what

ask

(7)

You

are in the place of

Abuna

G. and in the place of Pabak

K.

Commentary

A
3.

general charm against

all evil spirits,

made

out for the Pabak of No.

The introductory
(8).

lines are of interest as they definitely settle the

use of

these bowls
see p. 55.
I
.

The

design represents the sorcerer waving his bough,

ba'obl

'^D'O

'D

is

to be identified with the plural of the Syriac

'

m'tall^tha, m^talle, or mattHe;^ the

mctf^Ie.

probably represents the pronunciation

the infinitive of
bia,

The second word

meaning
is
e. g.

^3'0

is

"contain,"

whose

original
in

retained in the
Jer.

Hebrew, even
later

in the sense of holding

with force,
]''Z''''\p

6:11, over against the

p.

meaning of "measure."

fasbo: See
1.

79; also

cf.

xnNK'nxp

N'loin, Ginza, ed. Peter-

mann,

p. 231,

10,

and the Mandaic NcmpT Knn.

'nni: the first letter

KTT'JT't 'JTr
:

was written by inadvertence.

case of dittography.
X, cf.

KriSTiX: for the prosthetic

Noldeke, Aland. Gram-, 32.

3.

'i^

nu n^DST: we

find here the

idiom of the active use of the

d.

passive participle, as in Neo-Syriac; see Noldeke, Gram.

neusyrischen
verbs mean-

Sprache, 103, 143.

ing "to carry,"
etc.,

An
But

approximate use of
is

this participle in

and also with IDX

found

in classical Syriac

(Noldeke,

Syr. Gram., 280).

in

in these instances the participle is

middle voice

meaning; thus

XT73 TDX means, "he bound himself with a crown."

In the present case the participle has assumed a completely active sense,

with an object other than the subject.

nuns

this

spelling

is

found

in

passage
266,
.?.

from the lexicon of

DitDDna'DJS.
spelling, differ-

Karmsedinoi, quoted by Payne-Smith,

'IPIK
:

col.

v.

"his brother"

and "his brothers" have the same

-iii,

ing as -uhi and ohi; the forms in

6i are

Mandaic, and also Palestinian.

There

is

reminiscence here of a cycle of personal legends concerning

in the Arabic, see Weil, Biblische

Enoch which have been preserved only

'

See Noldeke. Syr. Gram., 8

59.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

135

Legenden der Musselmdnner,

p. 62,

a compilation from manuscript sources.'

flood, suffered

According to these legends Enoch (Idris), who foretold the

at the

hands of the wicked Cainites, even as Abraham was made a martyr

Our passage must refer to some spell laid upon Enoch by his adversaries. The early Samaritan theologian Marka (fourth century) cites a book of the Wars of Enoch, which may have contained these tradifor his faith.
tions.'

A
p.

spell laid

by the wicked on a saint was a fortiori potent; see

above,
19:

64, for other apocryphal examples.

For Enoch

in incantations, cf.

17.
pt^'S'lTO:

the

word
it

is

written twice; in the

line,

first

case the scribe emitted

the

X,

then inserted
correctly.
;

above the
the

and on second thought rewrote the

XDXi^ND.

word
is

It

is

Syriac and Mandaic

The

first

'

unique

it is

to be classed with the

e. g.

phenomena noticed by Noldeke, Mand.

Gram., 223, where,

-yun for -mm.

:

Tim Knvc, X3T KDV

1:13, the

cf

"the great day," Hexaplaric Syriac to

Is.

New

Testament "that day and that hour," the Syrian Ephrem's

expression, "the hour of judgment" (ed.

Lamy,

iii,

583), and the Arabic

"the hour."

For the feminine form

5,

TilT, see Noldeke,

Mand. Gram.,

145.

In lines 4,

we

are introduced to an extensive and ancient cycle of

relation of the

myths concerning the

and moon)

Seven Stars (the planets with sun

and the twelve zodiacal signs, with the creator of the kosmos.
distinct

There were two

developments in

this

mythology;

in the polytheistic in

development the planets became highest

call

deities.

But

what we may
like

the

monotheistic

trend

of

thought, in

which one of the gods,

faith

Marduk became monarch,

stress
is

or, as in Israel's

Yahwe

is

the sole God,

laid

upon the

antithesis

between the

Creator-God and those

celestial

divinities.

The

present regulated orbits of the planets and the

fixed positions of the zodiacal constellations signify that these beings, once

autonomous,
process of

have been brought into subjection to a higher god.

time they came
slain,

In

to

be regarded as "spirits in prison."

Thus

Tiamat became, when

according to Zimmern,

the fixed firmament (or the zodiac?), while,

,

KAT

502, the eleven Helpers of

Tiamat are the

twelve signs of the zodiac,

'

minus that of the

Bull, the sign of

Marduk

For the

later

Jewish Enoch literature see Jew. Bnc.

i,

676.

See Montgomery, The Samaritans, 224.

136

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYEONIAN SECTION.
toward the

himself.
ancient.

This

unfavorable

attitude

celestial bodies is thus

The
it

monotheistic trend was native to the

Hebrew

theology,

and

in line with

we have

the passage in Is. 24: 21 &., according to which "the

host of the height on high," as well as the kings of the earth are punished,

being bound in prison.

witness;
e.

For the
ff .
:

later theology the

Book of Enoch
stars

is

a good

g.

18:
I

13

"I

saw there seven

it,

as

great
is

burning
the place

mountains.

When

inquired about

the angel said: This

where heaven and earth are

host of heaven.

at end; this is a prison for the stars

fires

and the

The

stars

which revolve over the

are they which at

the beginning of their origin transgressed the

did not

command
their sin
flf.

of

God

for they

come
6).

forth at their time.

years,
till

Then he became angry when

is

at them,

and

bound them for 10,000

(cf. 21
:

the time

accomplished"
with the

The

"spirits in prison" of i Pet. 3: 18

is in line

same

notion, depending directly

upon

Is.

24: 21

ff.,

and we may compare

the invidious use of "planets" in Jude 13, in the expression aartpe^ nlavfrai.^

But our text also bears witness

to another development of the myth.

The "binding" of
term.
years.

the Seven Stars and the zodiacal signs

to the

was was

for a fixed for 10,000

shall

According

passage quoted from Enoch,

is

it

In the Isaianic passage, a term

fixed: "after
is

many days

they be visited."'
Christ preaching
shall

In Peter the ancient myth

to the spirits in prison.

revived in the notion 01

It is left

somewhat obscure what

take place

when "they

shall

be visited," or

when

"their sin

is

ac-

complished" (with Enoch).

the verb
is

Exegetes differ over npB'

in Isaiah,

whether

to be understand favorably (of a visitation for release) or un-

favorably (of chastisement).

prison
is

Also the Petrine preaching to the

spirits in

understood by commentators in equally opposite ways.

is

In our

text the term of "the great day" and "the great hour"

evidently to be

one of release to the stars bound

in prison.

There appears to be applied

here the idea of a universal Apokatastasis.

Now

for this notion of the

a basis in Babylonian

redemption of the imprisoned

celestial deities

we have

In the Mandaic See Bousset, Hauptprobleme der Gnosis, c. i, "Die Sieben." system the seven planets and twelve signs have become utterly evil. In this line of thought, taken up by magic, there is, I think, an open anthesis to astrological
*

fatalism.

There

is

literal

possibility of confusion

reference to this passage in No. 34 between KipllB and 31plD,

6,

3npiB2

There

is

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
vii,

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

137

mythology.

In Tablet

1.

27
the

f.

of the Epic of Creation (King, Seven

titles

Tablets of Creation),

among

given to

Marduk

are:

"Who

had

mercy upon the captive gods; who removed the yoke from upon the gods
his enemies."

dach," in

And Pinches has now PSBA, 1908, 53 ff.) which

to the prison,

published a text ("Legend of Merois

a late supplement to that epic, and

:

apparently continues the theme of the release of the captive gods

"He

(Marduk) goes down

then, all of

he

rises to

approach the prison.

He

opened the gate of the prison, he comforts them.

He

looked upon them

them; he

rejoices.

Then

the captive gods looked

upon him.

Kindly the whole of them regarded him."

The "day of redemption" of

our text

is

therefore in line with this Babylonian myth, and probably the

i

passages from Isaiah and

Peter are also to be explained in consonance

literature.

with

it.

This mythical trace probably descends from the Enoch

Abuna

is

intruded awkwardly.
the

"h^u^ for
is

'piaDN.

6.

ntD 'mt:

root

nt (DTO,

nt)

found

elsewhere

in

these
It

bowls, and also in those of

is

Pognon and Lidzbarski

arm."

(see Glossary C).

used in parallelism with

"ids, etc., in

preventive magic.

The verb means

But Pognon (B, 74) assumes for the noun sntsixr the meaning "admonition," and Lidzbarski (Eph. i, 96, n.)
in the

Aramaic

dialects "to

the sense of "binding up" a

letter, etc.
it

But there

is

no necessity

in depart-

ing from the

common meaning;

refers to the magical

;

armament of persons
:

and things with power

to resist the forces of evil

(ed.

so a passage in the Ginsa

"Arm
That

yourselves with arms not of iron"

Petermann,

p.

25,

1.

20).

is, it is

the magical equipment of a person or

charm against
language

evil.

Paul

may have

been making use

of

well-known magical

exhorted the Ephesians to "put on the panoply of God," Bph. 6:

following phrase, "a great wall of bronze,"
is

when he The 13.

and see

equally parabolic;, bronze

cf.

possessed atropaic use in magic, like the other metals;

15:

7,

Pauly-Wissowa,

i,

50

a Talmudic instance, Sabb., 66b.

01 n^yaT nJS: our magician displayed the

same assurance
on the
client,

in

No.

2.

At

least this confidence

had

its

psychological

efifect

nnna

jinx: "hoist with their

own

petard"!

No. 5

(CBS

2952)

ponn'm jnrn
na inj3N
Nnnji
n'l

nw2

I'tyni! pB>inl'i

jno'p 'tdpi
in

pcnn icnm
n'
ij^
. .

in^Ds n'[DN]
I'o

'ans na
'T'E^>

ihjvji
i)3i

'atns

inan
Kni"i'"'i'

nTi'a

ppn-i'm

nanai noKi 'rn

N'nB"a

(j/c)

(2)

pnj'o

nrj'ni

una
piD^s*
.pnjiis

nysB-a
Nbi'Pi

pn'TDS
Ktn ne

ijd
piB

dvij'd ^31

p''pn

piaivi

pt5"3

pt^nm xrinpi Knm^i

13s nuiil'sn n'B"3

IT'

ponn
nitj'n

nyne'a (3)

pniD'nm
.
.

(elided
lai

nn inE)

niDt5"nt5'
idi

iinjn

non
to

^ybv

n''j;[2B'K]
it'I

N2ipn k:dd
(5)

snB"3 sj^y

'ana

(4)

na injrj

'as'is

12

ins

nin'

's ^y

n^D iok P2K n2 hk nin^ aitya

ntj^

nmn

niom i"3B'U
lyo' nini

d^'vc^di
'2
'?v

^K nin^
(jjc)

iDKn
nt

nis

bn

T3 mn' '2 ^y noB' mn' moB'o nx o'^'a-iTn Tnmn 12 (6) nin' nyr [tson

un'

la

m,T

nyr

pen
bsiio

niiD

los I2K trxo

Two

lines

on either side of figure

nl'D niiD

in center.

loK JDK nSn^ nynK

nts'o

(7)

IDK toK

it^x

noK

Translation
Wholly charmed and sealed and bound and enchanted
Farruch
Pusbi,
[are ye], that

ye go away and be sealed and depart from the house [and property?] of
bar

Pusbi

and

Newandiich bath

Pusbi

and

Abanduch bath

and Devils and Spells and

and that there depart from them (2) all evil Liliths and all Demons Idol-spirits, and the Vow and the Curse and the

Invocation, and evil Arts and mighty

Works and
(3)

everything hostile.

Ye
in

are bound with the seven spells and sealed the

with the seven seals

I

name of Eldedabya Abi Ponan,

you
in the
b.

lord of spoil

and curse

conjure
b.

against

name of

the great Prince, that thou keep Farruch

P.

and Newandiich
and from
. . .

P. (4) from the Evil

Eye and from

Selah.

the mighty Satan,

and from the many Satyrs

'H,

in the road of

Hamad,
(5)

in the

name

of

Yhwh,

B'H.

Amen, Amen,
(138)

"According

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

139

to the

mouth of

Yhwh

they would encamp, and

according to the mouth

of

Yhwh

they would march; the observance of

ing to the

mouth of

Yhwh
Is

rebuke thee, Satan,

Yhwh by Yhwh

Moses."

Yhwh they kept accord"And Yhwh said to Satan:

who
chose Jerusalem.
Selah.

rebuke (6) thee

not this a brand plucked from the fire?"

Amen, Amen,

Commentary

A
The
1

general incantation against evil spirits for a

man and

his

two

sisters.

latter half Hebraizes.

The

duplication of the ppls.

is

for intensity, "twice charmed."

ficp

error for jn'Dp.

pE"n^, the only instance of this verb in the bowl-texts.

col.
?

nns: cited by Payne Smith,

in farruch, Justi, p.

3246;

of.

Farruchan and composites

95

f.

'3ens

inJVJ,
n'l:

innx:

Justi, pp. 228,

I.

by heedlessness of construction;
nrJ

cf.

1.

3.

ntJn:

(also

Talmudic)

nnr, see to
list

3:2.

2.

nox:

the place of the term in the

entities.
cf.

shows that the charms were

regarded as personal

Cf. above, p. 86.

"Seven

spells," etc.

the fever-remedy in Sabb. 66b, "7 twigs

etc., etc.

from

7 trees. 7 nails from 7 bridges,"

For

this

magical number in the

Talmud, see Blau, pp.

fTsn.
3
.

73,

86,

who

quotes the Jewish

maxim pv^cn

ba

'i^

rranibx

obscure, probably

name

of a genius

'3X

may
cf.

indicate
2.

his paternal relation to another well-known genius.

For nuT

2:

"The

great Prince": the technical

is

title

for Michael (see p. 97).

It is

to be observed that this bowl

peculiarly Jewish in theological form, while

the following adjurations are in Hebrew.

duces a mixed construction

here.
t^opKi^u.

The double use of The verb generally is used

But
at the

n'v^t'N intro-

of exorcism,

with by

of the object,

same time he adjures the

All these terms
evil

great Prince,

whom
is

he addresses in the second person.

denoting magical binding could be used indifferently of the good and

genii.

The

angel

adjured

in

Hebrew, which according

to belief

was the

only tongue the angels knew.

140

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

4.

"The hobgoblins

in the

way

of

Hamad,

the
is

many";

cf.

the Rodwellto

Hale\-y bowl in which a geographical location

given,

"upon the road

Husi," and Wohls. 2417, a

is

demon who
some

dwells in Samki.

The

reference

to the

demons which

beset

particular road.

For the

satyrs see p. 80.

D'ann
5.
bility

in the text is

awkward. from Num. 9: 23

(cf.

Literal quotations

26:

f.).

of this quotation
in
1.

lies in its triple

use of the efficacious

The word

applica^0E' (as

above

3).

Hence the magical use of such Psalms

Later Kabbalism, found
cnc:', see
i

as the 121st, I22d,

the Aaronic Blessing, etc.

viation of

in the et

theme the abbre-

ninn

D'P'TD

Schwab, Notices

Extraits of the Paris

National Library, xxxvi,

7.

(1899), 288.
in these

There

is

no evident sense

words around the

figure. nyriK

and

nt^K are reminiscent of the interpretation of the

Name, Bx.

3: 14; nbni)

"avaunt"?, nK-o

Moses.

No. 6 (CBS 2916)

KrcJTt noiniji
xnts'^a 'nni'i (2) nsn'sS'i 'JDoi'i
"i3
<v-ib\

n't?!'

im^ I'rnsi
'b'pi
imJ't

xtj^a
'D'^^i

na nnKii 'insn

pint

iina^'V
ijy

i^ih snnp'Ji (3)

''\ti

t^n^b^b^
iin:'y

imu
K0V1
KJTV1

tins'

iBTDi iinn2i3D'N
i'331

panni iin^nDm (4) tna'ii

"insn

1JB'
'JE?

'm's

i!:v3
(6)

nnS"

JB"33
'ni'

(5)

inn

k'3'31 pl'DPi

ini

)nj2i

im
pnn

pn^i3'

Kin

sriE'i

iin^ia^n

pin xnTi 'ar pn^n^o pin

KJOTim
vnty
pS>n

k:is<vi njt kjt iin^nn

Ditrn

naisD'sn pn^ wnnni sjnKi ut-j; pnbis'-D

ijsi

pn^ sja-oa inn B'aoi imnrx

(7)

pn-nn's

pTX

pn'^j;

paB"3

KDj'j'n (8) GIB'S ^'2-121

pcB"3 Knn

cisra

pna

pts'os nynsi n^ob"! pb''o

'nn

^3 pB'33n'n
sbi

pna
'^2'pi

v B'^as (9) iinan pB-ao Nn'j/'2E' die's

'D'ji

^Jams
8nB"3
]^^b

prnrrn
k!'1

sni'i'Di

xnnp^ji
^i

nan

n'!"!'i

snijnn

noim xson

nii^lsn

Kol^na Kb
si'i

(10) 'insn

nn

r\nb\ 'inxn

13 pns^

pH'jn
5)ri

piJtapin
Di'iy^i

pniJcB^n nt2'Di'i
lo pni"

pnjinn
pn^i

NnD'oij

pmpTi

xiJi

xnrB-a

loi

in xisr

'imi

(11) n^sn pnj'j'p 1)33 pt2i"B"n

i"3pt3 b

sh
pnn

nt'D3 nr^Ji

wn

^2 ntJX'ji

kiik

nps'':

vn

pijm ns'j kb'3''3

n'^p

pi Kor

lei

non

b\^

ii22>2

nnn

^nui

(12) k'db' '^rJ3

^T3 ns'nj

n^D IDS ION obvSi

Translation

press which

is

pressed

down upon Demons and

Devils and Satans

Liliths

and impious Amulet-spirits and Familiars and Counter-charms and

male (3) and female, that attach themselves to Adak bar Hathoi and Ahath
bath Hathoi

that attach

themselves to them, and dwell (4) in their arch-

ways, and lurk by

their thresholds,

and appear

to

them

in

one form and

(5)
I

another, and that strike and cast

down and

kill.

And

this press
all

press

down upon them

all

in

days and in months and in

years,
this

and

this

day out of
out of
all

days,

and
this

this

month out of
all

all

months, and

year (6)

years,

and

season out of

seasons.

And

come and put

and bind

a spell for them in the thresholds of this their house, and

I seal

them.

Fastened up are

their doors (7)

and

all

their roof.

(141)

142

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYI<ONlAN SECTION.

down upon them by means of these by which heaven and earth are charmed in the name of the
this press I press
:

And

seven words,
first,

Gismin

and Marbtl; of the second, Gismin and Marbil; of the

fourth,

third,

Marbtl; of the

Masbar; of the
(presses),
all

fifth,

Morah; of
is

the sixth, Ardibal; of the seventh

Kibsin

with

which

repressed

(9)
spirits

with

them are
male and

repressed

evil Spirits

and impious Amulet

and

Liliths

female and Familiars and Counter-charms and Words, that they appear
not to

Adak

b.

H. and

to

Ahath

b.

H.

10) and to

neither in

dream by night nor

in sleep

by day, and that they approach neither their

kill

right side nor their left,

and that they

not their children, and that

they have no power over their property, what they have (11) and what they
shall have,

from

this

day and forever.

And whoever
these
rites,

will transgress against this press

and does not accept

and the

shall split
shall

asunder violently and burst

in the midst,

sound of him

resound with the resonance of brass

in the spheres of

heaven, (12) and his abode shall be in the seventh (?) hell of the sea,

from

this

day and forever.

Amen, Amen,

Selah.

Commentary

A
and

charm

in behalf of a couple (each

with a mother of the same name)

their household; the incantation consists in seven magical words,

and
its

concludes with a threat against any

ban.
1

who

destroy the bowl and ignore

Nts-a's

cf.

'^tD'O

,4:1, and see

8.
p.

Cf. the verb,

1.

5.

N. B. similar

use of B'aa

in

Pcsikta R. 16 (Jastrow,

611)

the sacrifices are "presses

because they press

2.
'D'J
,

down
12:

the sins."
9,

also

in
I

both

places

before

'^3"?.

Out of

several

possibilities
(cf.

of interpretation

suggest that of
is

in the sense of "side"

s.

34: 4), and then one

who
i,

familiar (Jastrow,
e.

v.),

hence := the

Kapefipog
irapefipot

or familiar spirit of the Greek magic;

in Justin

g.
iv,

the

ovetpovo/nvnl

and

Martyr, Ap.

18,

Eusebius, H. B.,
n.

7: 9, occurring also

in the

magical papyri, Dieterich, Abraxas, 161,

They may be

the genii

invoked by manipulation or rubbing of the amulet as in the Arabian

Nights.

In Arabic superstition

we

learn of the "follower," tabi'u, that

accompanies the bewitched man, Noldeke,

ZDMG,

xli,

717.

And

cf.

the

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
vii,

INCANTATION TEXTS.

143

Satan

who

is

a "comrade" to an evil man, Karin, in the

Koran

(e. g.

41

24), see van Vloten,

WZKM,
is

182

ff.,

ND'J could be the Syriac

word

for marauding troop, an appropriate description for a demoniac species,

but the meaning given above

3.

more appropriate
in

in the context.

plN:

cf.

the Persian

name Adaces,

Ammianus,

see Justi, p. 2,

and

cf.

Noldeke, Persische Studien, 417.

'inxn: cf. the Syriac

col. 1408,

name Hathi, "my

sister," cited

by Payne Smith,

here with the Persian diminutive ending.

:

Jin'rau
lintel,

the

Syriac

K3U, "transverse beam,"

col.

hence

probably

door

so

Payne-Smith,

670; radically the word refers to the arch of

see p. 76.

the doorway.
101
216, 2.
]vr\,

For the abodes of the demons,

same phrase
in

lona: the

the

Mandaic, Noldeke, Mand.

Gram.,

tno: cf.

Mk.

9: 14

ff.,

Lu. 6:

4.

5.

For the
:'?:

selection of a special
blN
KtN.
is

day for the exorcism, see

p.

55.

6.

unique form;

treated in

some forms as though

UK,

and here metaplastically as

NJian
:

the only occurrence in the bowls of this ancient magical term.

"iix

The root
pnTia
7. 8.
10.

is

used here not in

1.

its

Aramaic

sense.

jinnu, cf.
cf.

4.

Jimrs:

Pesah. nib,

nrx

"an,

of the demons.

These magical words are wholly obscure; see 11.

"Sleep by day":
cf.

the special term in 7: 16.

The midday

siesta

was
this

perilous, especially for those in the fields; in the

Greek superstition

was the chosen time for

in

attacks by the satyrs and fauns,

'"ino 3t3p

whose place

was taken
stroke, etc.

Jewish legend by the

a
f.,

demon

representing sun-

See Griinbaum,

ZDMG,

xxxi, 251
left

and Roscher, Bphialtes.

Magical protection at right and

Babylonian sorcery;
e.

hand
iii,

is

frequently referred to in
i,

g.

the Utukki-stncs

93 (Thompson,

11); or

four deities surround the sorcerer, in front and back, at right and
iii,

left, ibid.,

142; the Maklu-stri^s,

pt2b't^"n
:

vi,

1.

123

f.

Cf. 13:

7.

for the

new vowel

see Noldeke,

Mand. Gram.,

25.

144

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
bombastic enough!

11.

The

penalty for infraction of the charm

see above,

is

For the threatening of demons,

"13'J,

on 3:
layj,

6.

xps'j

Manclaizing spelHng for

vps:
3

also

Nnx

xni?.

A
DrJ

dialectic

formula
DDT,

may
and

be used
'?J'J
is

here.

N. B.

of

the

preformative,

from Syr.

Syriac over against the Rabbinic and

Mandaic forms.
12.

"In

the

seventh

hell"

(with

awkward use
hells,

of the numeral)
see

in
ii,

contrast to the seventh heaven.

302, 328
f.

For the seven

Eisenmenger,

No.
This bowl
is

(CBS
The

16007)

a replica to that published by Dr.

p.

Myhrman

of Upssala

(No. 16081), see above

in

20.

latter is

more

perfect than

my

text,

fact almost the only perfect

one in the collection; for

this reason
I

and

also

for the value of

comparing the numerous variants

give the

two
first-

texts in parallel,

making such emendations

and he and heth.

as appear necessary in the

published text, which amount chiefly to the proper grammatical distinction

of

yod and

ivarv

It

may

be observed that the designs in

the two bowls differ: in 16007 merely a

circle enclosing a cross, in 16081,

a linear figure, the stem surmounted by a head capped, at the other end a
pitchfork-like termination (the forked
tail

of the demon?), while four rays

represent the limbs.

the Greek
2,

On

either side of the figure are three characters like

or looked at from the side like C, with which

we may compare

the

E^'s

shuffled into Pognon's texts, see p. 60.

For convenience of refertext as to

ence

give the same line-numbering to

I

Myhrman's

my

own.

In the commentary

make such few

notes as are necessary on Dr.

Myhrman's ably

edited text.

16007

16081

(Myhrman)
xnnnn no
-\'av^i

KJiNV

<'avm

K2n 'Dx

(2)

Kjnux

^t2n-n

nan n^os (2)

i? KJD^nnai (3)

KJO'nm

i?

P3^

(3)

sjanni

p35i

injnT'K 13

(4)

ISTT'

nnns

m3E'di tjsdx 12 (4) "j

n^in

im^nui pn^ tim n:3i

nsT Konnni
in3i nisnvT 'vvai
(5) bv^ kik't

nm

kh^int niotru
(5)

niKDVT

>li''V31

HK'n

trnpT
. .

iO"i
'TtJ'

.V

n't?

i>3

ppci

nvtyir^i

pvnn
!'3i

^3

PP2M

PJ/TITM

pytH
(6)

ptj^pn pJtoD

(6)

noim KnNB"3 ^nm nn^

nm

pm
(145)

^31 inB*

5131

Kn^nn

146

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

KB'J'K '33

i>3

IDl Sn''3

PIH

nij^ [O

nn pitn
i? jD'nni sjoTini
nij

k:-ikv

am

(7)

P3!' xjoTin'ri na!) kjikv 3in (7)

nnjnr'K [in

(8)

nxin^Jn

^niNi nnnx

'otj'oi

tJSDK 13 (8)

'^j

n33B''D n'3i HE'D pnn n'3i

m3

nwn)

isKiDii

S'X'D'Di

i'xnn;

nitt'a

i'K'BT DIB'31 isRO'DI 5'Sn3J mB'3

K21

Nnn
(9)

D'Dinni ^K'DVI

N3n innNi
KriKnts
^a^ij

(9) [in^n in^

cits'n

n3n

"inaKi

inu

in^

aiB-a

'nm

kjidjo K3T d313ni

n3t3 ''nm sjitijo n3n d3-i3ni

P3i> Jit3JDi

jntDJo nnKB'^3
(10)

'nm

sji'[nnn]i
h^b'ej

KnB"3

'nm

sjij^nsi

n^jo'pi

[n^mn n^nu]

P3i'

Njo'nnDi p3^ K:injei

pnn

8n''3i

pi"K

'mxi

'isb'oi

'u (10)

^m''D

Nim nm[m
ijai

njn^n hb'ej

]mb pon' K^T

'piB i^JiD
(11) pB-Cn pcnln
^3
!'31 !'31

'b3D

iiSI

MH
i'3i

^Sl (11) n'B'

iiai sriDiS' i'3i

5131

snnp
...

!'3i

snpjy
nyx',

NHDil'i

n3na

Kn!'33Di Kn^S"^
1531

"B-p 'jmi3

!'3i

.^31

I'B'p 'Jt2D

Nnp^yi

nDi[n
"Ej'pn

^31

n3]ns

^3i ^B'^a
i'31

^jod

(12)

vno

[n^]jin
ion
pnS"

pB"3 (12) ppno

!'31

inn

10 pn!' jp'':d 'i^n

n' ninn

Nip'S^no 'b'l n' pan

nioip iDi pjJia

n'D[B''3] piiD
pj/'t

"13

pjjis aiB'3
lei

'monp pon pjjns nn p3:nB nica

p'Vt pnita 'nnn3Di no' syt

'nnn3

d'

yt

nn

nm
Knnnn
ivm
i^xne'D nnn (13) n'Dt5"3i
ijy

n'ninn
i3y
Hi'?

SiKntro

13t (13) n''nB"[3i]

bv b'j^n 131

n^mDQ
'sm

xina

n3y Kb n^mtDo
n'B' p3n''

b'J's n3i

nimj

P3n['] ^bazb tnn

"1D131

xn

xn

sSjonij

pnn

sn

"'B'Nino iai

''tj'in

snpjyi xnoii'i Kn5'330i Nn'!"!'i

[Knnp]i snpjyi m'Ji n[n]'Pi

noini
snN!i'''3

Knn3n2i n[3n2i] xnnpi

inm

(14) snoii'i

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

147

'B'n

'P'TO

^31

'B'"'3

':DD1

'J/JBI

ppno
xnin

i'31

'JDD1 lyjEi (14)

pKi3

ppnO

iiSLl]

IDTiOl

tSTCT

[s]nin monni Koani

snniNi
n-\2i

vp'>b'

ninT-a

monm

Konni

kvp'B' nicn^a
(15) K2i[yi]

nionai (15) 2iyi

nnriKi n-uj

mmui

IplSI "6^02 PJVJ ^331 ion ^331

n''!'i3

ipiBi ib''D3 t'Ji3 !'3m

IDT

Sjaai

poi

n'mn

t^ni

n^nu pn
r]'<-\:s

to

TijnT'N 13

nxTT'

pim

'Nj3 n3 n'nrr'N
i'3

in^c

p*2i

pel nnnJ3 poi

iin'J3 I'ci
'K'j''s

Iin'n'3

tina

pDn^n

xSji

Kcu

!'N3n

i'3

iin3 ii^3n^n si'i (16)

iinri''

KB'n K^3n pn3

(jic)

iiijan^n k^i (16)

pnn' pTis'n k^i

pj^'Ti

xi'i

pnnnnn pm'n
\\nb

n^i

Iin3

pDn'n
prnrrn

Ki)!
xiji
n''!'i!'T

Kh

iri'^h KD5"n3

Ni)

pn!)

pnoi'''n3
ID

v.b

innnTi

xi'i

pi Kor

la
ni'D

Ktian xmnB'3
tDN loK
D^yii'i

pi aT

Ncon
r]'?o

iinnj'tJ'3 k!'i
D^iyiii

lax icN

Njy3tJ'D1 NJ'-OIO Tiyi

_ _ _
lijj;

py3B' pD''p:i p"i3; py32'3i 111311^ nvai nana D^'oaa k31 kid iinn'

(17)
pijJD

pcnoa

I'j-in

p^33a b^ rn3

n^x'^'i'i

pB'''3

in'tj*

!'3

Iin3 btipob

nKsnn

niii'i'n

niiD

tax ids pn^Diy bv 'aii

pijii

Translation
In thy name,
I

Lord of

salvations, (2) the great Saviour of love.

life,

bind to thee and seal (3) and counterseal to thee, the

(4) bar Izdanduch; in the

house and

property of this Yezidad

name

of the great

God, and with the

seal of

Shadda

El, (5)

and by the splendor of Sebaoth,

:

and by the great glory of the Holy One

that

all

...

Demons and
this

all

mighty Satans remove and betake themselves and go out (6) from the
house and from the dwelling and from the whole body of
b. I.

Yezidad

(7) Again I bind to thee

to thee

(Myhrman,

to

you) and

seal

and counterseal

(M.

to
b.

you) the
I.,

life

and house and property and bedchamber of

of Gabriel and Michael and Raphael, and

Yezidad (8)
in the

in the

name

name of

the angel 'Asiel

and Ermes (Hermes) the great Lord.

[In

148

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

the

name

of Yahu-in-Yahu]

(9)

and the great Abbahu and the great

spirits

Abrakas (Abraxas), the guardian of good

spirits,

and destroyer of

evil

guard to thee (M. to you) the

b.
I.

life,

house, dwelling (10) and

to thee

property of this Yezidad

life,

And

seal

(M.

to

you) the

house and dwelling of

this

Merduch bath

Banai, that there sin not

against you

(M. them)
all

all evil

Arts (11) and

all

all

(magic) Circles and

all

all all
all

Necklace-spirits and
. . .

Invocations and
all

Curses and
all

Losses and

and

all

sore Maladies and

all

evil

Satans and

Idol-spirits

and

impious Amulet-spirits and

mighty Tormentors, (12) which under

my

own hand
before
in

banish from this house in the

name of Pharnagin bar Pharnagin,

whom
is

trembles the sea and behind

in the

whom

tremble the mountains,

Bar-mesteel, whose

the

name of HH, HH, and

name

of (13)

proscription

proscribed and none trespasses upon his ward.

is

Lo, this mystery

for frustrating you, Mysteries, Arts,

and enchanted

Waters and

Hair-spirits,

Bowls and Knots and Vows and Necklace-spirits

evil

and Invocations and Curses (14) and

spirits.

Spirits

and impious AmuletLilis

And now. Demons and Demonesses and

evil

and

Liliths

and
all

Plagues and
evil Injurers

Satans and

all

evil

Tormentors, which appear

reptile

and

in the likeness of

vermin and

and

in the likeness of

beast and bird (15) and in the likeness of

likeness

man and woman, and

b.

in every

and

in all fashions: Desist

and go forth from the house and from

I.

the dwelling and from the whole body of this Yezidad

and from
and
all

Merduch

his

wife

b.

B.,

and from
(16)

their sons

and

their daughters

the people of their house,

injury, nor bewilder nor

that ye injure

them not with any

evil

amaze them, nor

in

sin against them,

nor appear to
this

them

either in

dream by night or
Selah.

slumber by day, from

day and

forever.

Amen, Amen,
again
I

And
thee,

swear and adjure (17) thee:

May
kill

the great Prince expel

he

who

breaks thy body and removes thy

sickles,

tribe.
all

And by
evil

the seventy
to

Men who
destroy
all

hold seventy

wherewith to

Demons and

impious Tormentors,
their beds.

are

they cast prostrate in troops and

thrown on

Amen, Amen,

Selah, Halleluia.

j. a.

montgomery

aramaic
his

incantation texts.

149

Commentary

charm made out for a man,

wife and household, against

all

manner of demons.

comparison of these bowls, each written by a

facile scribe

with a

well formed ductus, throws light on the history of the transmission and

development of our magical inscriptions.

Myhrman's

text

is

shorter,

in

the other an appendix has also been added addressed against

some

particular

but

unnamed demon.
used for

The

spelling in

M.

is

more

archaic, avoiding matres

is

lectionis, the

masc. pronom. suffix being represented by n alone, n

final a, the

gener-

ally

antique form SJiTSino

n.

is

found
is

(1.

6), as also the

in the

true reproduction of

Hermes by

Also

my

text

more confused

arrangement of the exorcised powers, M. follows the historical order.

Formally then M. appears to be the elder
text, in

comparison with which

mine

is

more

inflated.

The most
is

interesting point of difference

in

is

this:

in
(1.

M.
2,

the sealing
etc.).

done "to you" throughout, but

has
justly

my

text "to thee"

This

plural

troubled
I

Myhrman, and he
the

suggests
is

three
his

possible

explanations.

But

believe

only

explanation

that
;

text

is

polytheistic or rather a product of the

common magic
as
in

religion

in expressing

three

names of "the great God" Elaha, Shaddai and Sebaoth, the magician
deities, just

regarded them as a trinity of

the magical
as so

papyri these
deities

Jewish

all

(and other)

divine

names are invoked

many

(see

ii).'

M's text

is

then of eclectic religious character.

that
it

My

text abjures

such

polytheism, but
in
11.

is

secondary to the

other

is

shown by

comparing them

9 and

lo.

M.

retains

its
it

polytheistic plural;

my

text has clung to the form, but misunderstanding

laS

has read
to

'a^b

(i. e. }137

'3^

'3'S

") ,

and

suppose made

it

refer

the

following femit

inine CSJ, or to

some feminine demon.

in
1.

For the same reason

Jin^.

reads,

awkwardly,
its

1132

lo for the correct

Thus an

eclectic text, or

original, in which the deities invoked are the

names of the Jewish

God, has fallen into more orthodox hands and produced our monotheistic

'

Cf.,

among

the seven planetary spirits of the Ophites (Origen, C. Cels.,

the "angels"
Arfuvaj,
Baatjti/z,

vi,

31)

lot),

2a/3aui>, KSuvato^, "R'Auamq:

1.

lau^

Dieterich, Abraxas,

182,

12; also in Pradel's Christian texts, Sabaoth

(p. 47).

and Adonai are found among

angel-names

150

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
Such are the com-

text, leaving but

a trace or two of

its

original source.

plications of this
I
.

magic!
singular invocation does not agree with the following

The opening

plural in

M.
:

l^T'f

name

of a Nestorian writer, Payne Smith,

col.

1586; Justi,
it.

p.

149, thinks the Syriac form an error, but our text confirms

Our word

could be Semitic

=
M,

"n "iT.

Also note Izeddad

in Justi, p. 147.

4. nnJir-N: Justi, p.

146.

With
the

T3SDK,

cf. in

addition to his reference to Aspenaz, Dan. i:

3,

name Aspazanda,
5.
'V'V:

Clay,

BB,

x, 41.

plural, "the rays of light."

This

and the following term

represent
l)]!^:

Hebrew

1133.

with expression
1.

of

the

half -vowel,

as
s.

in

cases

cited

earlier;

cf. Stiibe,

62.

For the following Hithpalpel,

Jastrow,

p. 407.

pniT,
6.

M:

so the spelling surely, see above, p. 81.

cf.

"from the body":

xlii,

the

(t>v?.aKTT/piov

au/iaroiphla^,

London Papyrus,

1.

589,

Wessely,
8.

39.
(cf. the

For the

angels, see 13; for four angels

in

four gods sur-

rounding the magician

en, Michael,

Babylonian magic; see above, on 6: 10) see Luekis

34

f.

Nuriel-Uriel

generally the fourth.

s.

In Stiibe,

1.

58, ?H^3V

takes this place.

bx'Dy occurs in Scfer Raziel,

1.

Schwab, Vocabiilaire, 214,

aaa

and probably

in a text of Pradel's (p. 22,

16),

where

and

a^o doubtless

=: Asael and Raphael.

N. B. the care with which the scribe rewrites the

name

of Asiel

all

four names are

D'Din
(the
see
to

made

to terminate in

-iel.

D'oi'S
spellings)

= =

M.

latter

the

closest

to

the

Greek of our which

I

Hermes,

2:

2.

Myhrman's
that

suggestion,

originally

(and
is

independently)

favored,

the

word

is

Hormiz

=:

Ahura-mazda,

ruled out by the fact that that element in our proper PDTin
1.
.

names

is

given by
in'
:

in'3

cf. Stiibe,
;

15
in',

n<3n'

.tK"3
7.

Pognon B,

no.

5,

N'3

n^

K'3n,

above

2:2

{q. v.)

nu
from

13:

in'

ancient form of the divine

Name,

appearing

(apart

biblical

proper names and probable

Babylonian

forms)

in the

Assouan
ff,

papyri, in the
ff.)

Greek magical papyri (Deissmann,

lau,

Bibelstudien, 4

Blau, p. 128

as

surviving

among

the

modern

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

and used
I

151

Samaritans (Montgomery, JBL, 1906, 50,

texts

n.

5),

in the

magical

current at
is

Mossoul (PSBA,

xxviii, 97).

think the doubled

term
its

here

theosophic: Yah-in-Yah;
It is

cf.

the Christian Logos-doctrine and

rran''

terms, and Kabbalism. =^

possible that Stiibe's

Yahbeh

(ia/3?/)

Yahweh.

At

all

events this spelling-out of the full Tetragrammaton

4.

occurs in a proper
9.

name below, 26:

fJJia

inaN, and

below,

1.

12,
;

probably
see

correctly
p.

diagnosed by

Myhrman as exalted sorcerers' names Amoraim Abbahu, see Jew. Enc, s. v.

possible for

above

47.

For the two

is

suggestion in another line

Abbahu.

King

in his

Gnostics and their Remains' London,

1887. 246, says that the Pantheus or representation of the pantheistic Deity

of the Gnostics, appearing on the Gnostic gems, "is invariably inscribed

with his proper

name iah and

his epithets

ABPAHA2 and 2ABAi2e and often

accompanied with invocations such as .... abaanaoanaaba, 'thou art our

Father.' "

Our Abbahu may

represent this epithet and the passage would

accordingly preserve three of the Gnostic designations of Deity: Yahu,

Father, Abraxas.

For Abraxas

see above, p. 57,

and for treatments of

the subject and bibliographies the articles "Abrasax" in Hauck's Realencyk.,

Jezvish

Encyc, and

especially

the

splendid
etc.

monograph by

Leclercq,

in

Dictionnaire de I'archeologie chrcticnne,

Variants in the bowls are

original

D'Oaias and D'313N.

These forms represent Abraxas as against the

I

form Abrasax, hence

use the former

:

word

in the present

volume.

Myhrof

man remarks
Enc.
this
i,

(p.

345)

"As over against the view of Blau-Kohler {Jew.

'a single reliable instance'

130b) this would prove to be at least occurring in

name
text
is.

Hebrew"
found

or

at

least

in

a Jewish document, as

my

Abraxas
NJiDJD
:

is

in

Sefer Raziel,

5a.

Kji^ano,

instances of the Syriac nominal formation

from

de-

rived stems.

xnxati

'nn

recalling the

Jewish "good demons,"

see

above,

p.

76.

The expression
magic.

is

also reminiscent of the

Greek

aya&b( Saifiuv^ frequent in

KntiJO
the second
is

(2d)

ppl.

w.

suffix.

It is

represented by three ppls. in M.,

SJinjD, which
I

M.

translates, with a query, "pierce."

This

impossible;

would suggest

to read n

for

n,

and understand the Afel,

152

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

(Rabb.) Heb.

T3Tn, of naming a person to a deity and so placing him

under

his protection.

10.

ini'O: Mer-dCicht,

Mithra-ducht, Justi,

p.

208,

Bemerk.

'KJK3
ii,

K3N3

27: 8; a masc.

name among

the Jews, Sefer ha-Doroth

84.

But these names appear

'33 is

to be indifferently masc.
in

and

f em.

cf

4.

The same name

the

found

Nabataean and

Palmyrene

inscriptions,
cf.

Lidzbarski, Handbuch, 238, and

the frequent Babylonian Bani-ia,

i,

name
11.

lists in

Clay,
,

BB,

viii, pt.

pp. ix, x.

'p'BK

PJID

occurring frequently in the unpublished No. 2918.

S3"iD, as

I interpret this

from the Syriac

p. 88.

of the magic circle, cf. N'JS3T iKTn,

particularly for

39:

7,

and see

The

circle

was used

necromancy and

devil-raising.

Cf. Eliphas Levi,

Dogme

et rituel

de

la
is

haute magie, Paris,

the entire obscurity

1856,

ii,

1.

14.

The

objection to this interpretation

of

'P'SK,

nyv: for nj?VN,

is'ar, cf. ])>Iaclean,

Did. of Vernacular Syriac, 193b; for

the meaning, see p. 94, above.

For the

epithet
cited

"t?"?,

cf.

the epithets

x"^^^, violentus,

etc.,

of the

demons; cases
12.

by Tambomino,

De
is

ant.

daemonismo

15, 23.

"under

my own

hand": there

much

imitation of legal forms in

magical

formulas.

J'Jns: evidently a

Persian

name; Myhrman
etc.,

as

from farna, "good

I

fortune,"

and gin

( ?)

comparing Pharnakes,
Justi, p.

Justi, p. 92-96.

may

compare the Persian name Frenanh,

ITt,
T,

105b.

parallel to

M's

p^VT,

syt, in the latter as

from root

Kyt.

13. Ssnc'D 13

M.

^"'KnE'O 13, translated there

"son of the inquirer

of the oracle."

We

must go to the Assyrian for the explanation.

an epithet of

There

the corresponding asked,

i.

form mustalu means one who gives an oracle upon being

is

e.

an oracle-giver, and
reff. in

deity.
v.

See Jastrow, JBL,

xix, 99,

and the

Delitzsch, Ass.

Hwb.,

s.

^NtJ'.

The expression
the following

has the connotation of deciding the fates, with which

cf.

phrase in our text STtJ nTiinn

n3

without modifying

its

regimen.

may here be used like Or may the phrase =

the Arabic ibn,

baru mustalu,

"oracle-giving seer"?

Some

ancient phrase has been conventionalized and

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

153

personified.

For the following expression concerning the

cf.

inviolability of

the "decree,"

38

8.

'E'Xino 'O: ppl. pass.

The

root

Bnn came to be used particularly of

poisoning.

The

'B^t

are probably "hairs," Syriac zeppa.

etc.,

Any

portion of

a person's body, especially hairs, nails,

as detachable, could be used in

j.

magic directed against him.

"hair,"

See

Thompson, Sem. Magic, Index,

v.

and with abundant

;

citation of

comparative magic, Abt, Apideins,

179

ff.

also Blau, p. 161.

14.

For the appearance of

devils in animal forms, cf. the reply of the

:

demon

to St. Michael in a text of Pradel's (p. 23)

"I enter their houses

metamorphosed as snake, dragon, vermin, quadruped."

15. 16.
}'Ji'3

g'wantn,
JIJEJ";!
:

cf.

1.

16, vs.

M. pJU gawwantn
demoniac

or gaunin (?).
I

pbarrn,

Paels,

with
of
the

'

for preformative half-vowel.

understand p^B"" and

victim (see Jastrow,
j.

JlTiSTl,

bewilderment

of

the

vv.), or actual insanity.

M. has

for these verbs

"pnTD kS
from Kin

in their It

house"; Myhrman's translation, "shall not dwell," would

if

require fnnn.

looks as

piTTl

is

for

JlTiEJ'n,

or an error for tlTTD,

11s.

NmriB': so also

8:11, but generally

in parallel occurrences,

e.

g.
'K"i

MyhrHT\i<i>

man's

text,

snJ't;'.

The same noun

ii,

is

found

in

the Mandaic,

(Ginza, Norberg's text,

It

18,

1.

12), and the verb. 33KTinB'

(it.,

1.

19).

means

to "snore, sleep profoundly" (cf. Heb. noinn)

Arabic sahara.

Cf. 6:
17.

10.

N3T

sno:

cf. 5:

31 and see p. 97. D'DBD: cf. Ass. pasasu.

:

"70 men holding 70 sharp sickles"

representing the 70 nations,
angels, Schiirer,

i.

e.

the 70 angels or shepherds,

(originally regarded as
14,

Enoch 89: 59

good

GJV,
as

iii,

198, n. 32,

Lueken, Michael,
sickles"

but later legend

regarded
14: 14

them

fallen).

The "sharp
ff.)

are

an echo of Rev.
This coin-

ff.,

where the Peshitto uses the same words as here.

Mt. 13: 37
"'VC,

cidence (cf. also

argues for a

common

source of ideas.

n'ye': inf. of

Targumic but not Talmudic.

ppl.,

psnoD

Pael pass,

of the Syriac and Mandaic root "prostrate."

Or

possibly cf. the Rabbinic

meaning "put on a cover," with reference

i,

to

the inverting of the bowls, see to 4:

6:

i.

The "beds"

are metaphorical

of weakness and subjection,

cf. Is.,

50:

11.

No. 8
'QKs
KD^I^i'i
"13

(CBS

9013)

'jvj

pi'iT

n'ni3i nann^ dd
bi<

inn loto snsiDx no-

n'cca
(2) nrn"i

t<-i3n

'i"^

n'l''>^

nin'

irsi

n'cB'^3

Kn2"2

xri'^'!'

nro

rn^n^^B'

[il"D^y I'^'ncJ'cni
po'i'j;

ps'nvaix
v'sb' pD'23

pa^jriri (3) NirsDni Nn'ji>2'i snap^j

n'OB' Dnija painsi (4)

mnx

'oni
^nivi

pDnvD
'yof

itidi pn^tj'ni'
noB-

n^i

13
Ki'i

'KJVJ

inm
!>

nTiin poi ninu po

iini)

'Piei

nn^a
pci

ps'O'si

ninna

prnn^n ^ aim n-iso na

i^a^'^v

(5)

nTin^K

'iJ-i

'noko

p3''0'Si n'BB'

Dnbs ]<T2^
lan

vobh

biD'o
i^d''!'v

[pn]'33B''o
V'db't
oniJE

r\-<22 n!?!

iin'mns

sima 13
i<:b

yts'in''

snoB' ps'^y ni'^n

die'3i

i'",D'o

noB'

imbs

(6)

ninj

sti'j

pd'-qis Tin^a
n''eB"'2

(7)

p3'2N

[xip^a p3'!'V]

nv:it?

Kim

SD'l'S

SD^'ET
'!''!'

p^nn'ni'i
tuk['si]

i'j'Vio'B'i'

nu
'in

n'ns n2n'j"'Si
la-ntj'-ai

s^'ctj'
'^b

po
dtid

i<n''b>'?\

Nnan

sri'^'b

pjmoai
.
. .

(8)

i'D'o^'j

'rD'j

no P3ni K^me 12 ynn"'

snoB'a
sd'j

Kn^sDm xno^n

sna-p'j

nu
po
aim
5>tn

2T\2 nDnc"i kq'

.
.

ns^'V

po
.
.

'3^
.

xns

(9)

K^ma in ymn^ 'm

iT'sb'

icb

pni) ^265'

s'lnn'N

jn

noc
sjin

iinlja
. . .

pD'io'si

a-'?s
p^**^!

p3us[i]
W'pi r
pei

'[pi]2i Tiivi 'ycE'

sua

xnj

tj'u po'tr (10)

JTiNO

nn

n^nn-'K

iu6r[n pai 'sesa] nn 'kjvj

iiiD'o

pnm n^mn
nI'

nwa
si'

n^npt'W 'n^oTim
I]!'''!'

Nonn

Nmn55'n

k!'i

No!"nD

(11)

]^r\'?

prnn'n

N[i3n
pns''

Kn'l'['i'

tiJjn 'nionpi -yzBOi K'nis 13

J/B'in''

nm
me'

kdpt'Wi na'
(12)
Nn'!"!'i

11X3

nm3K T3K3
KJ''!:io
.
. .

p3^ jy3B'o
n'oi

sn^atsni

n'jS2'i

snsp'J

ps'^y (13)
. . .

snenn-.x nan

n.3

"iBts

n.3 3pj;'

^^3
ii3Dt,

.b

pmsDi

laD^j ''OKo 13 n^y3 ''sjvj poi

mso

n3 n

'ub'-i
. . .

xin
3

i''o

I^J^J3 Kii:

n[i]3S ... }n3

'bri

ps-np

i"'3s^?2

t'3 ni'B'o

pi3''B'

mrxi
'313T

IK'S

nnx
3

d'031 ikd''3 b'S3

ninnE'''2
lotr

nrnn Dnaiy
otj'
. .

(14)

D'ja

iJK
lotj'

^K

....

ptrnp pasi'cT Knoio3i

ir:r lotf

nns

s3K^a ^xnpyai K3i kdn^o

i'S''P3p3P3i

N3"i (15) k3k!'i:

bxntysi 3i

Lk3n]So

mrsi
n^D IGS les

[']b'u
n^iyi'i

''>3''P

snsm
sn'!"!'

siri"!'

"tuk

!ik

KnNK"'3 xnpjy

nnpy N3n
[pi]3'r

pn sev

I'D pn'^y

imnTi

3im

(16)
. .

iim'2 xnni [sng'ju

x 3in

bKn35

ni^y 'cnn

(154)

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
in fa

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

155

n-iKo

na

[^ub'-i]

ppmnTi

p^Dp'n is
iTii'Si n'?o

ri-33lo

bv (17)

loK ION [p'Jni' iiovriM

Translation
In the

name of
is

the

Lord of

salvations.
this

Designated

this

bowl for the sealing of the house of

Geyonai bar
of

Mamai,

that there flee (2)

from him the

evil Lilith, in the

name

'Yhwh

El has scattered'; the Lilith, the male Lilis and the female Liliths, the

Hag

(ghost?) and the Ghul, (3) the three of you, the four of you and

the five of

you

[naked] are you sent forth, nor are you clad, with your

hair dishevelled

and
is

let fly

behind your backs.

It is

made known
this

to you,
:

(4)

whose father

named Palhas and whose mother Pelahdad

his

Hear

and obey and come forth from the house and the dwelling of
b.

Geyonai

M. and from Rasnoi

wife (5) bath Marath.

not appear to them in his (sic) house nor in
it

And

again,

you

shall

their dwelling

nor in their bedchamber, because

is

is

announced
Pelahdad,

to you,

whose father
it is

named Palhas and whose mother

(6)

because
come

announced to you that Rabbi Joshua bar Perahia has sent against you
I

the ban.

adjure you [by the glory

(^

name)] of Palhas your father

(7) and by the name of Pelahdad your mother.

divorce-writ has
in
it

down

to us

from heaven and there

terrification,

is

found written

for your advise-

ment and your

Divorced'),
divorces
Lilith,

in

the

name
Thou,

of

Palsa-Pelisa

('Divorcer-

who

renders to thee thy divorce and thy separation, your

Lilith,

(8)

and your separations.

male

Lili

and female

Hag and

Ghul, be in the ban ....

[of Rabbi] Joshua b. P.

b.

And
in
it

thus has spoken to us Rabbi Joshua

P.

(9)

A
is

divorce writ

has come for you (thee?) from across the sea, and there
[against

found written

you], whose

father

is

Pelahdad

they hear from the firmament (10)

and go from the house and from the

named Palhas and whose mother Hear and they .... dwelling of this Geyonai b. M. and

from Rasnoi

his

wife

b.

M.
appear to them (11) either
in

And

again,

you

shall not

dream by

night nor in slumber by day, because you are sealed with the signet of

El Shaddai and with the signet of the house of Joshua

the Seven
(

b.

Perahia and by
Lili

?)

which are before him.

Thou

Lilith,

male

and female

156

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

Lilith,

Hag and

Ghul,

adjure you by the Strong

One

of Abraham, by
his

the

Rock of
his

Isaac,

by the Shaddai of Jacob, by Yah (?)

I

name

.... by

Yah
b.

memorial ....

adjure (13) you to turn away from this Rasnoi

b.

M. and from Geyonai her husband

letter

M.

Your

divorce and writ

?)

and
fire

of separation .... sent through holy Angels .... the Hosts of

the Chariots of

in the spheres,

El-Panim before him standing, (14)

and
in the

the Beasts worshipping in the fire of his throne

water, the

Legions of I-am-that-I-am, this his name ....

of holy Angels, by ...
.el

And

by the adjuration

the great angel, and by 'Azriel the great angel,

(15) and by Kabkabkiel the great angel, and by'Akariel the great angel,
I

uproot the

evil Necklace-spirits.

Moreover you
(16).

evil Liliths, evil

Counter-

charms,
to

and the
this

letter of divorce

And

again, do not return

them from

day and forever.

Amen, Amen,

Selah.

Sealed upon

him

.... Gabriel (?).

Again
kill

(I adjure you), evil Lilith

and

evil

Spirit

....

(17)

....

or

.... depart

from

this

Rasnoi

b.

M.

And

be they preserved for

life

Amen, Amen,

Selah, Halleluia.

Commentary

A
in the

charm

for a

man and

his wife, particularly against the Liliths

(a

picture of one of which obscene creatures decorates the bowl),

made out

form of a divorce-writ.

The

inscription

is

very indistinct and towards

the end becomes almost

illegible.

No. 17

is

in large part

an abbreviated

and mutilated
1.

replica.

'SJn:

Gewanai

(cf.

7:

15),
in

or

Ge(y)6nai

(from

]\i,

or pj,
lexicon,

"color"?).

Cf. 'NiVJ
is

appearing

Bar Bahlul's Syriac-Arabic

to

where

it

equated with wald,

7<ivof,"

etc.,

which Payne-Smith adds, "vox

corrupta ex

Thes., col. 708.

15

'DNO, and below "'NOSO, in No.

NOSO: one of

the
vi,

most

frequent

feminine names in these texts; see Noldeke,

WZKM,
of

309, Lidzbarski,

Bph.

i,

75

f.,

97, n. 3

ii,

419.

Budge

in his edition

Thomas

of Marga's
that

is

Book of Governors (ii, 648) gives a note contributed by Jensen a name of belit Hani, the mother-goddess.
2. xnt5"3

Mami

ND'b'^: the generic

lilith is

differentiated into several different

species, the

male and the female, the ghost and the vampire, hence "the

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

In the following text

157

3,

the 4, and the 5 of you" below.

it

is

a question

whether the 2d

per. sing, or plur. should be read in

1.

many

places.

The two
consists
I

numbers are

clearly distinguished in
''ih

7,

end.

But the obscurity

of

in the equivalence of

and

p3^, like the case of the loss

e. g.

in the
1.

verbal forms in
is

]T\

in later

Aramaic,

TT'O'nn,

1.

11; also
1

'nJS,

15,

plural, as

Nnse^a shows.

Also the confusion of

and

'

in

our script
the imper(inclusive

renders the distinction between masc. and fem. uncertain.

atives in
1.

Do
form

10 terminate in

or

ti,

the latter a masculine

of the feminine), the former possibly to be compared with the Syriac?

My

English "you" covers the uncertainty between sing, and

hn "
nrsT
n'DE;"2
cf.
:

pi.

a prophylactic "word," like the magical quotations

from Scriptures;

a similar case at end of No. 42.

At end of
NJTJPB'

1.

are

named

the five different "modes" of the

lilith.

and XITSon are unique demoniac names, found only here and

in

No.

17.

The probable
'EJ'

identity of
si'lat;

'n

with the Arabic Ghul suggests con-

necting

with the Arabic

c.
i,

Lane, Lexicon, 1365, and at length his

Arabian Nights,

n. 21,

and also van Vloten,

WZKM,
is

vii,

179,

who

quotes an Arabic author to the effect that the Si'lat

the witch of the

feminine Jinns.

(The Arabic

root sa'ala, "cough,"

Syriac

^vtr.).

We

have then
to

to

account for the

loss of the V.
is

The form would be comparable

sulii,

Kn^JlKS'.

Another

possibility

=
is

Assyrian

"ghost," Muss-Arnolt,

Diet. 1036

(from n^y?), the formation being

originally selamtu (cf. elanu

from n^v).

The witch

or Ghiil

preferable in the context, however in

relative, so that the

No. 39 the Lilith appears as the ghost of a dead

does not determine the etymology.
Nri'stjn,

context

or

Kn''B''t:n

No.

17,

"ravager,"

represents

the
in

Heb. Donn
Jer.

("ostrich"?
to Lev.

such

is

the tradition in Onkelos and

LXX)

Targum

11: 16, Dt. the

14: 15 (where these two spellings also are found),

among

unclean birds.

Horrible bird-like forms were given to the

i,

demons by

the Babylonian imagination, Jastrow, Rel. Bab. u. Ass.,

f.

281

also cf. Utukki-series, B, 35

The

ostrich itself even in the rationalizing

Old Testament
ably the 'n
is

is

half demoniac; cf. the notes on the

is

piT,

p. 81.

Prob-

exactly the Arabic Ghul, which

thus described by Doughty

"A

Cyclops' eye set in the midst of her human-like head, long beak of
;

jaws, in the ends one or two great sharp tushes, long neck

her arms like

158

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

chickens' fledgling wings, the fingers of her hands not divided; the body

big as a camel but in shape like as the ostrich; the sex

is

only feminine.
etc.

She has a foot

Deserta,
3.
t'lattai,
i,

as the ass' hoof

and a foot as an ostrich,"

(Arabia

53, quoted by Thompson, Sent. Magic, 60).

:

pa'n^^n
see

for

the

sharpening

of

the

vowel,

tHittai

from

my

notes on

tO'iB, p. 73.
5,

I^'tanv:
is

supplied from 17:

as also other bracketed passages.

[''^''lyD

sing.,

as

TDD
of

shows.
lilith,

Nakedness and dishevelled hair are standing

witch,
etc.

descriptions

the

See references above,

Arabic legend,

p.

yy; add

Kohut,
Skiasen,
lilith

Jiidische
3,

Angelologie,

88,

and for

Wellhausen.

p.

32.

The

picture presents the abandoned character of the

is

e.

g.

the Labartu

called a

whore

and

also her shameful, out-

lawed position.
p3'?5?

yoE'

^1?

as constantly in these texts and as in Mandaic.

The naming
name-magic
;

of the demon's forbears has a compelling power, as part of

see p. 58. Cf. the

naming of

the parents of the

demon

TiaivxtMMx

in the invocation

of his appearance in a charm of Wessely's

cxxiii).

(xlii, 60,

from

Brit.

Mus. Pap.

The same names

distorted
11.

and applied vice versa

appear in No. 17; similar names also in No.

'plB:

often along with synonymous verbs,

istn btti
si.

pmn'S,

j?lt,

etc.

Cf. the

Babylonian

(Utukki-series,

iii,

158), the long series of impera-

tives in Maklu-scries, v,

166

ff.,

etc.;
e.

Mk.

9: 25, Acts 16: 18; in Gollancz's

Syriac

charms;

in
is

the

Greek,

g.

Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 295, 298

(where the demon

4.
'13E5n
:

also bidden not to disobey).

probably hypocoristic from Rasnu,

Cf. the

name of a Zoroastrian
inrJB'Xl, in Glossary.

genius, see Justi, p. 259.

5.

names

inJ'E'n,

mSD = Nmo
"Rabbi
J. b.

(15: 2), "Martha."

1.

6.

P.": see commentary No. 32, and below,

:

7.

"by the glory of your father"

of honor,
ip'

hardly an appeal to the demon's sense

to

must be equivalent

"name,"

cf.

the

parallelism

and

the equivalence of the

Name and
human
:

the Glory in the

Old Testament, where

1U3

is

also used of the

personality.
lilith

7.

X3P

D'n:

sts^J

the

separation of the

from her victim

is

expressed in terms of a divorce-writ.

This was a happy thought of the

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

159

magicians,

who

thus applied the powers of binding and loosing claimed

by the rabbis to the disgusting unions of demons and mortals.

of the procedure

The

logic

was very simple

if

only the

liliths
is

were as submissive

to divorce as their
incantations,,

human

sisters.

The
Ellis's

decree

frequent in these bowl

i.

and

first

appeared in

bowl, no.

But

do not know

of any case of the occurrence of this magical Get outside of the bowls.

The magical
the divorce court.'
(1.

writ affects the same forms and formalism as that of

In the parallel bowl, No.

17,

a form of date

is

given
of

NDV pn), which was a

named.
nnoDi

requisite in the legal Get.

The names
liliths

both parties are exactly given, hence the parents of the

specifically

are here
17:

The very terms of

np^2Z'

divorce are repeated in

2:

'DW
piece

n'aini
in

cf.

the facsimile of a Get given as a frontis-

Amram's work
thy

('3'n'

rranni n^p2^ nnLJS).

It

was necessary
in 26: 6,

that the writ should be properly served

'3D'J

on the divorcee, hence

'^IpC: "take

writ,"

sentence

consummating the process, and

from her victim's property,
(1.

then the divorced

as

demon must betake

herself

commanded by
is

the peremptory; "Hear, obey and go forth"

10).

But

there
sary.

a diflference; against spiritual powers divine authority

so
it is

was neces(1.

And
is,

affected that the writ has

come down from heaven

SO'

7),

that

it

belongs to the category of writs from foreign countries for

i3'j;

which there were special forms; hence the

po

^?nx
1.

stJ'J,
f.

1.

9.

The commissioners and witnesses are the holy

is

angels, etc.,

rabbi

also at

hand

to seal as notary the divine decree,

b.
1.

none other than the

this

famous master-magician Joshua

"divorce-writ" see to 11:
7.

Perahia.
7,

For a further phase of

pi.

In

both the sing, and

lilith

are carefully

used, so as to include both the definite

7. p'yiD'r,

and also the whole brood.

first syllable

pniTn
:

Pael infinitives with

in

i.

HD^ba

nobs
(

the root

"split asunder."

3'nD
II.

?)

may

be

ppl.

from

3in
i.

in sense of

Latin reddere.

"the house of Joshua":

e.

of the school of sorcery; in 34: 2

the sorcerer calls himself "J.'s cousin."

'

See D.

W. Amram,
s.

Jewish

Law

of Divorce (Philadelphia, 1896), esp.

c.

xiii;

Jewish Ettcyc,

vv. Divorce, Get.

160

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

nyaK'a: "by the

Seven"?

i.

e.

the seven angels, genii, etc.?

The seven

planets are so called simply in Syriac.

12.
cf. Is.

01

Dn-i2X -i'3sa: cf.

Is.

30: 29,

Rock of

Israel.

2pv 'H; for the Rock of The "Shaddai of Jacob" is unique.

49: 24,
Scriptures.

Isaac,

The

scribe

was not mighty

in

the

But

cf.

Bcclus. 51: 2: "give

thanks to the Shield of Abraham, .... to the Rock of Isaac, .... to the

Mighty One of Jacob."

13. pn'B'

mrx:

another term for the divorce-writ.

is

From
istic

1.

13 to end the text

largely mutilated or illegible; this

is

the

more unfortunate
passages.
;

as there are traces of interesting apocryphal or kabbal-

Viz. "the hosts of fire in the spheres"; "the chariots of

fire

El-Panim"

"the beasts worshipping in the

cf.

of his throne and in the

water," with which

'!>jn

the glassy sea of Revelation.

The following term

in

("banners,"

then

"cohorts")

is

common word

the
15,

Targumic

literature for the angelic hosts, according to

Shemoth Rabba

=
is

niK3V.

(But the phrase may mean, "who

is

revealed as.")

The language

Hebrew

and the allusions are taken doubtless from

14.

apocalyptic literature.

^Knry
s.

is

known

as

an
is

angel

of

the divine chariot, Schwab,

Vocabulaire,
15.

v.,

and bsnpy

found
snpJJf

ibid.; n. b.

play with nnpj?.

is

The

reference to the

indicates that witchcraft

behind

these

devilish

manifestations;

the

lilith

and

the

witch

are

practically

identical,

see p. 78.

17.
texts,

"may
is

they be established for life";

victorious."

cf.

the finale of the

in 12: 3,

Mandaic

"Life

The same expression

At
least the

and the negative

wish against devils in Wohlstein 2426: 9; but in his no. 2417: 22 the verb
is

used of the resurrection.

vague idea of immortality may

be contained in the phrases.

No. 9 (CBS 9010)

na (3)
K'''J33i

yt^ini '2-n

n^^: sin sini kjtsi;

(2) siaiyi nj['pb']i sj''ci

b:ib
'lj'j

kiib

(4)
(5)

pnnn

iini)

innn^an
KcSj^na

iir^^b^b

pn^

sjariD

x'nnp
na

Konn
Dityi

snj'B'31

n^l^H

nTinj^s

ptb* na
niti'3

nommi
npji

[xnjerp

(6)

nvnis iina nvniKi nix iino nix

rpi^^ll

[pniD]'!n sd'-jt
nio'tj'n

npyn's
pDa
l[o

smD

nnsi

x^ct^'

i3;i'3rT'x

Koi'j; 10

n3K pnn

sn'^'b '3D^i

pnan [oupjn] nino Mnv 'trin n^tj' nx (7)

iin'DBipD'K
in'tr
. . .

lino

^ddd's pna Knaii

rrp^bo
pn'ria
-\2

Ii]3ri'

KP2!'i pnn'' xij^n^ K^ans: (8) pa'i'y titi^ni Nana'!' iin^bj?

.

BnjaxaT
Noi)'n3
.
.
.

pno3B"c irn inx

t6
[lin>

.na ba

ici

tm

pn^mn
(9)

t^i

innn'n]
.

Ni)

aim n'nnj'K

nn ncniDni

Nnovp
i'i

[p]pi3't5'

mjKi

(10) I'Dn' s:-iDE

[xaon

KnJj'Z'a

n'l'''i>T

nj3
Exterior

ma

Kin by lainn

!'K2-n

bjo-iai

iiKnaa

mxav

n^'ni'K

nin^

tiib'j;

latr^i'

'JK

(11)

ID IDK nnaipD'N nn

bv^

snonn

Translation

The bowl
it

is in

[the

and sink down, and the work (2) I operate, and fashion of] Rabbi Joshua (3) bar Perahia. I write for them
I deposit
all

divorces, for

the Liliths

who

appear to them,

in this

(house of
wife, in

?)

(4)

Babanos bar ^ayomta and of Saradust bath Sirin

his

dream by

night and in slumber (5) by day; namely a writ of separation and divorce;
in virtue of letter

(abstracted)

from

letter,

and

letters

from

letters,

(6)

and of word from words, and of pronunciation from pronunciations;

whereby are swallowed up heaven and

and by them the heights melt away.
(7)

earth, the

mountains are uprooted,

Oh, Demons, Arts and Devils and Latbe, perish by them from
!

the world

Therefore

(?)

have mounted up over them (you ?) to

(8) a destroyer to

the celestial height, and I have brought against you

(161)

168

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

destroy them (you) and to bring you forth from their house and their

dwelHng and
Babanos
b. If.

their

threshold and

all

....
b.
..

place
his

of the bedchamber of

(9) and of Saradust

wife.

And

again,
I

do not
dismiss

appear to them, neither in dream of night nor in sleep of day ....

you (10)

....

letters of separation

(11, exterior)

In thy

Gabriel and Michael and Raphael.

name have I wrought, Yhwh, God, Sebaoth, Thy seal is upon this besealment and

upon

this threshold.

Amen, Amen.

Commentary

charm

for a

man and
8.

his wife.

The

inscription

is illiterate,

and

is

largely parallel to

(doubtless dependent upon) the Syriac text No. 32

=
i,

No. 33; also

1.

cf.

No.

KJ'pBl

K^DI

Nlia

the

same phrase appears

in 32: 3

and 33:
It
is

whence the
obscure and "bowl," and

third
I
is

word

in the present text

can be restored.
'S
is

very

propose the following explanation.

the Syriac and

synonym
came

for XD13
to

Mandaic

Ninia (puhra) which

mean

"symposium," but goes back to the root ins, giving the words for the potter

and

his art,
in

i.

e.

originally

it

was a
cf.

potter's vessel.
NllB'

For the
for
NiniE',

loss of the
etc.

guttural
I

our present word,

Mandaic

syoi

take in the

common

Syriac sense of laying a foundation; the bowl was

of the house.
to be derived

we have seen, at one of the four corners we must assume a parallel significance, and it is
placed, as
active in Rabbinic).

For

NJ'pK',
jjpE',

from

treated as S'6, in the similar sense "to sink" (the ist

Form
to

is

used as an

As

the phrase appears in our Syriac bowls, which are the

largely

colored

by

Mandaic idioms,

reference

this

dialect

is

justifiable.
snnij;: see p.

51; in the parallels nnvT

Ninv.
sin sin
is

2. In the lacuna Nni3in''D might be read,

a Syriac idiom,

taken from the Syriac parallel.

3
.

r"''"'^

awkward

probably for
En:3S3 in
1.

n'H'n

jnna

cf

32

5.

4.

^1333- probably

8.

The

first

element

is

bdba or papa

(Persian p often

Semitic b), Justi, pp. 54, 241, the second the Persian

genius-name Anos.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

bowls in

163

[sn]oi''p:

n was

legible to the original copyist of these

1.

8.

The name
noniD
the

signifies patrona.

The masc. awp appears

in

Pognon B.

apparently a form of Zarathustra; see Justi,

spelling

frequent

Zaradust

is

cited
to a

in

names.

p. 379 f., where But strange is the

application of this masculine

I'TC: cf. the

name

woman.
i,

name

Sirin, Tabari's Chronicles, ed. de Goeje,

4, p. 100,

1-3-

ppiaen

piD'sn
all

SD'n:

the
8.

repeated 1

defies

construction;

cf.

1.

6.

The terms
5
.

appear in No.
lino
nix

':)

nix

Dltra

a parallel phrase appears in 32

here
is

the words are

Hebrew.

The

general sense of these obscure phrases

clear; they refer to the magical use of letters

lation

and words and the manipuas

of

their
nin''

pronunciations,

such

for

instance

we

find

in

the

treatment of
P- 3S>
1-

and

in the

Greek magic of the seven vowels.

Cf. Pradel,

9> "in
'i^

the
:

name

of these angels and letters."

6.

2pi^

this root

appears in the Bible where

it

passes from the

is,

physical "prick, prick out," to the sense "distinguish," that

in speech,
Dt^ 3p3

"pronounce
is

clearly."

It is

the question in Sank. 56a whether

nirr
it

so

used or in the sense "blaspheme."

is

In the present case

t5""ia

means
DtJ'

"pronounce," and
eniBOn.'

synonymous

to the

Piel

as that appears in

Mystic or traditional renderings of the Tetragrammaton are

to,

doubtless referred

but

all this is

only mysteriously suggested here; the

art.

magician does not offer us samples of his rare

There

is

a garbled

form of these phrases

ivbn' pnyi:
X'llD
:

in 32

6.

cf.

7: 12.
e.

a Mandaic spelling for the plural in

7. '313?

a category appearing only in the bowls, see above

p. 81,

and

Glossary.
['33:

probably the Targumic "therefore."

line are difficult

This and the following

use of the pronouns
;

by reason of an inconsequent
rote.

the scribe

was writing by

Light

is

thrown

'

For

this discussion see

Dalman, Der Gottesname Adonay, 44

ff.

164

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
where

on the passage from 32: 8

b.

f.

(q. 7;.),

is

given the tradition of Joshua

all

Perahia's ascent to heaven, by which he obtained mastery over

evil

powers.
first

Our

scribe boldly turns the

3d person of the legend into the

person

of

himself,

an

instance of the attempted identification of

the magician with deity or master-magician.

NDnD'P: so the parallel demands.

Ti'JTK: appears to be Afel; Ttis

hebraizing.

8.
1 1
.

xbnD

rrncon, Ex. 12: 23; in the parallel the abstract ab'zn.

that of

For the asyndeton connection of the angelic names with

above, pp.

Deity,

see

58

f,

99,

and note the Greek

cf.

parallels.

Sebaoth

appears to replace one of the four archangels;

S. in

the personification of

.Myhrman's

text.

No. 10 (CBS 16014)

nnim

ma nn

npnc nn

ni'va

^j221

'jsa

nn injv:
ns. in'

xnm
n'
H^<n

nniox!'

nyep

kj";

nnsipD^Ni jnn

nnu

nnnr:i D^nn (2)

DitJ'3

n^n

nnEipD\si

[i']N'^'Ki

JJKnaJi

i'siuB'i

imti'i'T

H'sk'u

n'l

sun iinrN
(3)

ma
pisn

riB'i'

nmp ms nnnm

x-inn
toi

Nin

na injvji

"'nr

[p]^n ponnoi

pcnnoi po^nn nin pjdd

pi'aan lai

pin

|qi

(4)

[pi^jB' la tdjitxi

nnu'ni' nj
iinCTiT]!

ncnm Nnnn

Kin na

mn

^nn

'Jed (5)

na nnnrx injvji npiB' in

iimrM
(6)

iDi iinn'3 idi pnj'-c

ppmnn
IDK IBK

iipQ'ii

iii'tjaM

N:sim ni
rra
lai

la

D^iyi'i

pn av

la imuasj-a

(7)

Translation
This amulet
is

for the salvation of this Newandiich bath Kaphni,

son,

and

Kaphni her husband bar Sarkoi, and Zadoi her

her whole threshold, in the
countersealed
are
this

and her house and

(2) Sealed, and
in

name

of Yah, Yahu,

Ah
(3)

house and this threshold ....

the

name

of

LLZRyon and
these,

Sabiel and Gabriel and Eliel

And

sealed are

Zadoi and Newandiich, with that seal with which the First

Adam

sealed Seth his son

and Tormentors and Satans.

and he was preserved from Demons (4) and Devils Again sealed and countersealed are these,

the son of Sarkoi and Newandiich his wife b. (5) K. and Zadoi her son,

with that seal with which

Deluge.
(6)

Noah
fly

sealed the ark

from the waters of the

And may
their

they

and cease and go forth and remove from

them and from

this

house and their abode and their bed-chamber, from

day and forever.

Commentary

charm for a woman and her

family.

It is

decorated with a figure

having a beaked, bird-like face.

nyap: see Introduction,

p.

44.
:

nnJVJ: for the name see to 5

the

same person appears

in

No.

11.

(165)

166

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

'Jsa

probably for Kafndi, "the hungry one."

and father had the same name.

This

is

a case of the father's

given, against the rule; for other examples, see

The woman's husband name being 12: i, Pognon B, p. 98,

and the name KQKB,

'IplK': cf.

in

Lidzbarski

5.

the Persian

name Serkoh
1.

Justi, p. 296.

(')nT: the full spelling appears in

5; for the name,

ibid., p.

382.

Zaroi appears in 37:

2.
'IJI

3.

ninrs:

can

make nothing
see

out of these words.

For Sabiel and

Eliel,

Schwab,

Vocabulaire, 251, 57.

The

first

name

is

probably mystical.
na: emphatic use of Kin;
cf.

3. Sin

Dan. 7:

15.

For these apocryphal references

p. 64,
is in

to the seal of
Jezv.

Adam

and Noah,

cf.

and for the Jewish legends see

Bnc,

s.

v.,

"Seth," "Noah."
in.

It

the Babylonian story not the Biblical that the hero shuts himself
5.

XJB1D:

found in Targ. Onk. to Gen. 6:

17,

ti^^uv,

frequent in

the Greek magical vocabulary.

No. 11

(CBS

16022)
in

charm for a woman and her household,

terms of a divorce from

the evil spirits.

The
fact

text
it

would be
is

legible

only

for a half, but

for the interesting

that

one of four almost duplicate inscriptions.

is

The

longest

and

clearest of these
is,

the

Mandaic bowl,
first

no.

5,

published by Lidzbarski.

Another

remarkably enough, the

i,

inscription of this category ever

ff .
;

published, Ellis no.

in

Layard, Nineveh and Babylon, 512

see

2.'

The

latter

is

given in poor facsimile, and none has taken the trouble to

collate afresh the

bowl

in the British
difficulties.

Museum,

a simple task which doubtless

would have allayed the

Of

this text the

bowl from Nippur

is

practically a duplicate, and, with

the help of Lidzbarski's inscription, I

text not only of our

am
No.

able to restore almost the entire

in the British
18.
It
I

bowl but also of that

Museum.

There

is

also a fourth duplicate.

can be read only by com-

parison with the three presented here, and so

place in

have

left

it

in its original
it

my

arrangement of these inscriptions, especially as

contributes

nothing further to the understanding of their contents.

I

have thought

it

worth while
facilitates

to present the three texts in parallel

columns.

This process

the verification of emendations, while

the variations which present themselves throw interesting light

upon the

natural

history

of

magical

inscriptions.

We

mark how magical terms

at the

which once had a meaning become blurred and obscured

hands of
or

generations of sorcerers and copyists, until sense becomes nonsense,

simple

word or phrase

receives a kabbalistic interpretation.

The Mandaic
its

appears to have the latest type of text, having evidently transferred

material from another script and dialect.
Cf. the parallel texts in No.
7.

In the following texts I have slightly abbreviated the

names

in the

2d and 3d columns, and omitted a few unimportant phrases

(always so noted).
'

in the

3d

It is

not necessary to give a translation of Ellis's

As suggested

in that section, n. 4, this

was

the bowl obtained by L,ayard

from

Nippur.

(167)

168

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION,

bowl, as the text

is

now

almost entirely

intelligible.

The enumeration of

lines in Ellis's text is

according to the spiral

lines.

No.
Hinb
'Drrrn
JO

II

Ellis

Lidzbarski 5

n'DC
ijsa

10

sniDX
-iinjrj

nn

nicB'

'oma
nr'n

(2)
Kn5"i'

JDK tcK Nni'intDi

(3)

i'DDri'm
to

mn
"inijS'i

injVJ

nro pmn'm

njdd!'1
. . .

N[in]^i
^"1

1103K^1
(4)

(2)

Nmpyi

Nmytj'i

Nn''i"!'i

iji

iio

TinsT fso Dica snbani

injin3
13

(3)
lei

io

ti^t23n

mn3

nnjvj n3

itrs n'HK DiK'3i

sn''5"i'i

xnaa

(5) -iid^'n

Kjn33 IID'N bn (4)

ini'oi'

tin[''0''b]Bn pn^'r^jo

Iin's^o
KD'i'tS'

Mmi

pTB'T
K3T

N31

xD'i^tfi

K'rm
p-^i3T

niyaB'N

xn'l'''!'[i
f?n'5>'i'

NJJ73E'a
(5)

Kn''i'''5'T

n'3tJ'K

xn'i"!'

D^D3n 'a^y
NTT'!''!'

n!'3Kni sn'!"!'

Kii'S"!'

'Jin

nmn

na

(6)

Nn^i"^ijin

nm3

n3

nmnai
'JE23

nn''33 [sarrlT

Nnsi3Dy3i nn''N3

X3nsn

[n3]

-in:iijT

13 |"o-iin n nn'N3T

ns Nnsnsm Nns!?no

XSp[65n]

KPJNm
KnpTi[ni] vTiT
[O'bv NJV]3E}'0
<2->'?il

NriKpnxii 'pinNT
NJ3;3B'D

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

169

Dsmcja

pnon'm

(7)

paini"^'

msiDa pncnm

yz'b DisnxDa 'xnonTn

D^snDSPT
''^'b]!
. . .

nn^jTicai

D'bc

Sim

iniJ"];

a^b^ xin xnnj

(6)

bv

Dsi'NB'eT

KDN^a
X'-iHD

Xn'B'l
xriN'!"^!

NMm

snoim

^''nni

N2n33 n^ans xn

6 Dsnbn T^'asna

prxn

pn-iKDEK prxni
['Ji

nn:vj

It:

reiim mjEi
'j

nrrxa

ic

n2

'1

na

'X nir

pi

'

^a
[si

ma
pnnsT
(8) [n'tr

121 (7)

nnK:ai nja
KD''j Nnitj"

Koa]

pt3'3 pT'B'

p3n3T NCJ

'anK3T na

Dim
pn'i'y

KntJ-iaa

p^'KB-Ji?!'

t[m]n
O'D'3

xiJi

pn'i'V

imn
.
.

xi)

(?)

xmasxi'i sm.xnx!'

''^IPK'

P3''L3'J i'lPB'

p3
ipn''j;i

1^'2P1

'31

Dsn^n TnxaiD
pinj?i
'31

l?UNpi

(8) 1P121
[;d]

psHKinvi
'31

piai

NTpi

'JED

na

(jjc.)

inj^j to
NiJi

'3

na 'nan snsiaD's

T'Diim

nn'sa

!>

nCi"

pjrnn'n

tiKa!'''naKl'

pi^Ktn'n k^i

KOXDn
k!'1

p3Nir'naxt'i tfb'bi

n['v] I'aae'n t6^

'31

nri'Na DTi^ni
^'^3

tdvt
nhn^n

nn:3i nja n' pbop'ri (9)

;irn Di&'a

TV

T nnpnya

SQvnsns
11V iiy
IDS''

Tsiti'a

ts'

13''

TT

V rrnn

Dt2C3 'iTHI

nxi3Kmx2x rsn
nx' nx'
x'' x''

UN''

nij?

x^nxD'n'ni

x^nxTDj;
Nnx'b'!)

xnxapi3i xna't
X-I3J Di?''m
.

nnprw
n^j;
Pi'i^ji

PD'^[B'n] n'npt'vai

xabo

po'l'B'T Nnp''T5/a

TIXI 13

Tsi

^r^^bv1 (9)
fl''i'3

XniiX

fl'^3

TV

NTipn X31 nciB'

170

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

n!'D

toN ie lo

Etc.

'>

]nv

's

na'aiv

Translation
Salvation from

Heaven

for this Newandtich bath Kaphni, that she be

saved (2) by the love of Heaven from the Lilith and the Tormentor.

Amen.

Amen.
in

Again,

the Lilith the

in

and refrain (3) and remove from Newanduch b. K., and the Tormentor and Fever and Barrenness (4) and Abortion
fly

and

name of him who controls the Demons and the name of "I-am-that-l-am."
their king

Devils and Liliths,

For the binding of (5) Bagdana,

and
I

ruler,

the king of

Demons and
of

[Devils], the

[great]

ruler of Liliths.

adjure thee, Lilith

Halbas, granddaughter of Lilith Zarni, [dwelling] in the house and dwelling

Newandiich

b.

K. and

[plaguing]

boys and

girls,

(7)

that thou be

smitten in the courses (?) of thy heart and with the lance of
is

who

powerful .... over you.

Behold

have written for thee

(i.

e.

a divorce), and behold the

have

separated thee

[from N.

b.

K.

etc.],

[like

Demons] (8) who write

Take thy divorce from

divorces for their wives, and do not return to them.

Newanduch
and do not
In the

b.
lie

K. and do not appear to her, neither by night nor by day,

[with her].

And
is

do not (9)

kill

her sons and daughters.

name of Memintas

(?) keeper of Habgezig (?).

Y6, Yad, Yat,

Yat, Yat.

By

the seal on which

carved and engraved the Ineffable Name,

since the days of the world, the six days of creation.

Commentary
1

Newanduch
bowl.
pT'CC

b.

Kaphni

the

same

as

in

No.

10

here

without

mention of a husband.
Ellis's

It is also

the

name

of the mother of the client in

2.

'Dm

cf.

"the great Lord of love."

"Heaven"

is

used here

and
the

in parallel passages as surrogate for Deity, after ancient

Jewish use;

same use

in 18:

and Wohlstein 2422:

3.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
new word.
I

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

would connect
with the Arabic root
etc.

171

3.

KmvtJ'
"I5?D,

it

s'r

(Heb.

iJfB'),

with the meaning "be hot, rage,"

See the various

sa'r,

derivative nouns in Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon,

1363:

"burning,

shooting," su'r, "demoniacal possession, madness,

mange";

sa'rat (our very

form!) "cough,"
infection.

etc.

Possibly fever, or poison.

The Arabic

su'r connotes

4.

Kn^sn: "bereavement," then used of abortion, the reference being to

a mischievous killing by magic of the unborn child.

It is

unfortunate that in the

first line

of Ellis's inscription, the

name
For

following
yi'i

TTJ
cf.

i.

e.

"Nirig"

is

indecipherable from the facsimile.

=
5.

rT3,

b^2.
is

on the Nerab inscriptions,

Nin-gal.

In

KilD ni03K,

the second

word

a careless repetition of the

first.

At the end of

this line begins the parallelism

first
is

with the two other

inscriptions.

Our very
e.

word, which appears as one in a series of

explained from the parallel which shows that

divine names,
niD'N ha

g. El-sur,
;

was meant

the unusual

form b (= hv) was taken

to be

"god,"

and the passage became hopeless.

found below on the Mandaic
side.

The same

process of corruption will be

Hii:2: so in Ellis, but in the

Mandaic bowl
where

NJSnjnK

(=

S3S3JnK

in

Pognon B).
is

See Lidzbarski's attempts at explanation.

6,

But our

NJnJa

the elder form; see on 19:

pn'3'bo: the first
'

13,

'3

is

both generic and personal.

;

is

an error as the subsequent spelling shows

the

second represents the half-vowel.

fused and repeated his words here.

The

scribe in our text has been con-

For the "king of demons,"

;

see p. 74.

Dabn

D^iDan

DXnSn,

in the three texts

cf.

the

names

in the parallel

texts Nos. 8 and 17: onbs

sibility

and Tin^S, mniiD and

[nba.

Proof of the imposlilith

;

of etymologizing on these forms!

The accompanying
appears to be better
liliths

in

the
is
it

Mandaic,

nbasn,

must be connected with our xn^an above

of the
lilith

abortion

personified.
is

The granddam

known

as

identical in all three inscriptions.

The two

in the

Mandaic are

interpreted by Ellis's text; they are the male and female respectively; cf.

below,
7.

1.

8,

no'v faacn b.

DD11D

DiBltS

=
it

DinSND:

these various forms throw

no

light

on

the word.

It looks as if

were a corrupted Greek anatomical term.

172

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

'D33'b

= =

pa'a^'^

(Ellis)

our text explains the reading of the elder

bowl ^bb
18:7.
?

22b, the former a metaplasis of the latter; the same form in

DpTi

D'isntiNp
I

the

latter

has,

as

Lidzbarski

recognizes,

peculiar

Mandaic form.
forms are more

am

inclined

again to hold that the parallel

in

shorter

original.

The reading
cf.
'3

our bowl
2.

is

different

from the other two.

For NlDJ opT)

K13S, 3:

JTana Nn: explained by the second column, where plus sanaa

divorce-writ.

i.

e.

the

Curiously enough the Mandaic has taken the interjection Nn

it

as a pronoun' and rendered

by

j'TXH.

nnOB:
'D'a

cf.

Ass. pataru, "break a charm."

n-'^y

pansT

sD3:

cf.

8:

7.

The

additional thought appears here

that

inasmuch as demons divorce

their spouses, divorce-writs

must be as
It

effective

on them as among human kind.

first

Cf. also No.

18.

may

be

noticed here that the

singular,

and third texts address a

;

special lilith

in the

the second goes over into the plural

the

same uncertainty

in

No.

8.

9.

(133:

(:= plural)

Mandaism;
^Dyn^?os

so also below
,

'niPy

<^bv.

B'nJ''Oa

Dlt;'3

=
with

Mand.

the second text obscure.

Again no

light!
'31

There

is

considerable similarity in the following magical syllables.

the

n''npf''3;3:

help

of

the

parallels

we

can

make out

the

reading.

It

and

Ellis's inscription are

almost identical.

The Mandaic

gives
its

here a striking instance of perversion.

The

prepositional phrase nby (or

equivalent) was understood as "God" and turned into xnbs; this took with
it

the ppls.

TV

and

Iva, which were raised to divine dignity to accom-

modate the

epithet xnbN.
is

The

invention appears to have been prized, as

the deity Sir-Geliph

also introduced above in the

!

same

inscription.

The

KHiso DC

is

thus reduced to a travesty

The well-known Jewish phrase

appears also in Schwab, E.'

'

Cf. Noldeke,

Mand. Gram.

81.

For the true explanation of

this term, see

Arnold, Journ. of Biblical Lit, 190S,

107

ff.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
of

INCANTATION TEXTS.

173

Solomon's magic ring

the

(first

mentioned by Josephus)

inscribed

with
Later

Tetragrammaton

is

the

subject

Haggada

in Gitt. 68a, b. this

legend, especially Arabic, developed the

wonders of

magic

ring.'

Ac-

cording to the end of our inscriptions this seal engraved with the divine

Name was

in existence since the

week of

creation

(=

rrcxia).
:

This
8,

is

an addition to the ten things which according to Pirke Aboth, 5

created on the eve of the
script
first

were

Sabbath

among which were the

alphabetic

and the

tables of the

Law.
ff.,
;

See Jewish Encycl.,

1.

xi,

438
f.

448; for the Greek magic, Dieterich, Abraxas,

139,

28,

and

at length, p. 141

for bibliography, Schiirer,

GJV,

iii,

303.

No. 12
pn'jn^i
\D
(4)

(CBS

9009)
in

n'nn's
intijn'i

mtii
iiB'pnM
]c\

na

(2)

'ipiB'i'i

inoDs
iinn
irsi

nziib
(3)

N'ot-

khids
jmnjabi

pn'T

pn
lai

pni"

iinj'rpi'i
p:i

nn^rrai'i
i-Di

prnn'OT xni'^ao
nDKiJO (6)
si^^T

kjtI'''^

xncii'

odd

'taair

iin

toi

"'T'ts'

nn

n'b

pp ni3

^"33

na K'OJr id n^njn nssi'D i?v sj'did

'tJ-a^: Sjvi

pnis (5)

nTinaB'ini ISC' (7) K'otj"2 nnriB^ei ixb' 'jdo 'nnn

kS"

'nnm

Kniyi
isd

tsvt
ny-isa
prniT'o

(8)

pnnrji

xobv ^ar
pets':

p-inoDi

[p]2'PT
n^i'is

n'S'V
xi:^j;i'

pK^criM
n'!'

'3

Vp-\2

spn

13

pmriKn po'pi p^nn

^pjsi
''i'3''pi

pnnpna
lu'x (9)
xni'i'Di

KHBip'tJ'i

Knnpi

Kncii'i

"'D'j

^3

pnoc'i
(10)
"11

iiijoa^

xpna

DVn>o

'?2^

Kn^32ei nsnai

xn"'i"i'i
'ipntj'

lanm nni
1^:1

n''n

xno^trxi

pijin IDI n'nrr'K

IiHTi'in toi
'ip-iB'

msn
'33
n'?)]!'?)

nn

(11)
iDi

injaoK
101

nmi

to PPS'i

pntn tru
pcD'^

'S'ls'

'UD

IDT

nm3

inno
isisn

loi 'rr-sn lai

pi

niN3X niiT

QiB'3

[31

Kov

n3 ptfT

ni'13

1B'S3

n moB" yn
Exterior

iin'mn pi nn3i3''p hsudk" mn' ni'D

(12)

pi

px pK

STi'SD'KT

3miNT

(13)

TrANSIvATIGN
Salvation from
(2) bath (3) and

Heaven

for

Dadbeh bar Asmandtich and

their sons

for Sarkoi
their

Dada

his wife,

and for

and daughters and

house

may have offspring and may live and be established and be preserved (4) from Demons and Devils and Plagues and Satans and Curses and Liliths and Tormentors, which may appear
their property, that they

(5) to them.

adjure thee, the angel which descends from heaven

there
is

being kneaded

(something)

in the shape of a horn,

on which honey

poured

(6)

the angel

who

does the will of his Lord and

se'u,

who walks upon who endure

are not
in their

the (throne-) steps of his

sc'ii,

Lord

and who

is

praised in the heavens (7)

and

his praise

is

in earth

semu;

they are
eternity,

filled

with glory,
feet

and keep pure since the days of

and

their
sit

(8)

seen in their dances by the whole world, and they

and stand

(174)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
the blast,
all

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

175

place,

blowing

like

lightening like the

lightning.

(9)

These

will frustrate

and ban

Familiars and Countercharms and Necklace-spirits

and Curses and Invocations and Knockings and Rites and Words and

Demons

(10)

and Devils and Plagues and

evil,

Liliths

and

Idol-spirits

and

Tormentors and everything whatsoever

that they shall flee

b.

and depart and from

from Dadbeh

b.

A. and

from Sarkoi

(11)

Dada

his wife

Honik and Yasmin and

and
Sili

Kiifithai

and Mehdvich and Abraham and Pannoi

the children of Sarkoi and

from

their house

and from (12)

their

property and from their dwelling, wherein they dwell, from this day and
forever, in the

name
all

of

Yhwh

Sebaoth.

Amen, Amen,

Selah.

"Yhwh

keep thee from

evil,

keep thy soul."

Exterior
(13).

Of

the inner room, of the hall.

Commentary

charm for

man and

his wife

and their seven named children,

in

the form of an adjuration of a certain potent angel.

There

is

rubrical

reference to a magical operation for compelling this angelic assistance.

The
Prof.
182.

same family appears

also in

No. 16 and the Syriac Nos.

31, 33.
ii,

Gottheil has presented a tentative translation in Peters, Nippur,

1.

nmi: probably abbreviated from Dadbuyeh;

see ibid., p. 281, the

see Justi, p. 75.

inJDDX:
'ipiB':

Armenian name Samandvicht.

see

10:

I.

2.

msn-

Justi, p.

75,

Dada.

The name

is

Semitic,

e.

g.

Palmyrene

and Syriac KIXT, from root nn.

use of the father's
4.
'D21B':

The name

looks like a masculine (for the

name

see to lo: i), but

cf.

may

equal

N'nNi, 39:
19,

2.

for the
f.,

form

Noldeke, Mand. Gram.,

and for the

species, p.
5.

80

above.

01 b'aj 13 (read

niOT

for

nm)
into

rubic

directing an
its

operation

compelling the presence of the angel through a simulacrum and

lation.

manipuappears

The

insertion of the rubric

the

text

of

incantation
p. xxviii. It

in the

Babylonian magic, see King, Babylonian Magic,

is

may be

queried whether our sorcerer

not reciting a form unintelligible to him;

176

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

cf.

the intrusion of rubrics into the Psalms.

evil
;

The

ancient

charm was for

In

binding the good spirits as well as the

the incantation as well as the

exorcism was a

KardSea/ioi

(see Heitmiiller, "Ini

Namen

Jesu," 2d part).

the early Babylonian

magic images of the favorable gods were made and

is

used in the
54 (p. 169

rites; a

good example

found

in

Zimmern's Surpu

series,

no
its

Thompson, Sem. Magic,

p. Iviii).

Probably idolatry has

basis in this magical idea.

Reverence gradually obscured the idea that the

survived only in the word-magic.

gods were thus bound,

it

But

in

the

present case a "horn" (symbol of power?), probably a cone of

like is

kneaded, and honey poured upon

it,

with which

wax or the we may compare

rubric
see
is,

the antique anointing of the sacred stone or bethel^ wherein the suppliant
literally

"smooths" the face of of deity (Heb. n^n).'

in
J.

The

I think,

unique
Index,
6.

Jewish magic.
V.

For the magical use of honey,

Thompson

in

niiD

for the plural, cf. instance in Jastrow, Diet., 834b; or the

as parallel to

form may be regarded

MUK.

We

have here a

bit

of poetic lore about the angels, describing their

It

worship and service of the Almighty.

appears to be a quotation from

is,

some Midrash.

Who
iKtJ',

the angel invoked

does not appear,

Michael?
the hearer;

The terms
cf.

IDD,

are probably mysterious utterances to

NE'J "lift
,

awe

omo, omo, 3: 3 (from yoc, "hear,"

up

in
:

worship"?).
4.

For

the description "blowing like the blast,"

7.

etc.

cf.

Ps. 104

n'W:

cf.

niK3Vn

"W.

7:

5.

The

description passes to a plural

subject here.

pnnrJ: a Rabbinical form;

Noldeke, Mand. Gram., 54.
8.

-ijj

lib

bn, "foot."

For

cf.

The

choric dances of the angels are a pretty fancy,

cf.

Job 38:

7.

'

Small conical stones are found

in the oriental explorations, doubtless

domestic

baitylia; see Vincent,

Canaan d'apres
vii,

I'exploration recente, 177, and Scheil,

f.

Memoires

de

la
'

Delegation Perse,

103,

112

(Fig. 34-37, 340

ff,

374, 381).

For an extensive

collation of like instances in

Graeco-Roman magic

see Abt,

Die Apologie des Apuleius, 222 ff., 227. May the term in Apuleius, /JaffMraf, the magicgod whose image is formed for purposes of sorcery, (a term much disputed by the
commentators')

-jSn

ikSb. the

word used here?

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
and

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.
and

l??

9.

For the

'D'J

xnsip'B', see 6: 2

p. 86.

'pJN is a masculinized

form of snp:v
11.
p'3in:
I

(see p. 88).

cannot identify.

The Glossary shows two

other

men

of

the

same name.
}'OD'
:

a Persian name,

=
in

"jasmine," cf Justi,
.

p.

145.

'JTBID: the

same name

No. 2 (in

"-).

inno:
"IJB:

cf.

Syr. 'nanTO. Justi, p. 186.

the Arabic

Fannuyeh;
s^'tr,

see Noldeke, Persiche Studien, 405.

'TC
Doroth,

hypocoristic of
ii,

name

of several
ni?NB'

Amoraim;

see

Seder ha-

347.

Cf. biblical rhv,

ii,

from

N^tr, "hv, also

occurs in the

Nabataean, CIS,
74) vocalizes the

nos. 185,208,221.
Sullai,

Noldeke

(in Euting,

Nab. Inschriften,

name

and Berger (see to No. 208) compares the

ii,

Nabataean name

Sullaios.

But Lidzbarski (Eph.,

from
D^B'.

16) rejects this derithat

vation and derives the hypocoristic

Note
121,

among

these

nine souls only one strictly Jewish

12.

name
is
:

appears.

The

scriptural quotation

from Psalm
5.

psalm admirably

adapted for a charm.

13.
hall

Cf. note to 5

The two words: "of The

and
first

the

room
in

(recess,

bedchamber,

etc.), of the

(also,

cavern)" evidently refers to the place where the bowl was to

be placed.

word may be
the

construct state, or the two terms

thing.

may

be

parallel,

as
is

words might mean the same

in

piTX

Ass. idrdnu,

current

the

Aramaic
in the

dialects.

Jastrow defines

ktIjbdk

as especially a "sitting
its

room

shape of an open hall"; for

col. 315.

some discussion of

etymology, see Payne-Smith,

No. 13 (CBS 8694)

'KOD na nnjonan nep
id
n'':^-''?)

(2)

.Tooan rrooy j^n^i'm nn''ois

nDsi'B

noo

/ponT
i^i[Ni]
ino->n

psx^D
DiK

.iirx
1J2

(4)

nbs^a

i'N^j^j[n]i

bs'ani
ni

nas^D

^ix^Dn-ii (3)

^3

isjxa DD

na

(5)

TnJDna

pp^n^

[lon']i

jnan'i

'p^vn n:iD3' ,iinniD3'm

n'3
. .

njitynl"

jjinnni^n (6) .nn'oipij b'iv: nin n'

,i''3n'

nm

^K^'K

mn' Q^&2 TEt^nD pn^n'o ,n'o hm^d

,no'i;

(7)

iHnhtn
(8)

.bpbp IV) hbivb

nnci

wp

nom sn

tnn

,ids<

b3

nna^oni si^m

Exterior
b'i

^3non

snS'inn .srin^KT x!'p sn'jn

ijiji

......
msK
wijanan

3t

s!)? !5p

mn

k5'P

!>?

(9)

na
JOS

nnjanm ncu
'i'^i'3''!'
. .
.

n'ri^a

,fnji'

nmnia' la
b)

^n^ji

unj
id

(10) nnj 'on

snb'

Nnmn

hdk

^3

i'?-'

'iri'as.

n'nn^K (11)
nntj-i
.

ndd

yiDNn

mDisK kdd nn
nvi [iv'?])

injonni' k^cb' id j<niDx D'pi

n'DB' [to kJoS'B'i

(12) idi
.

Qbwb

xmoK

n^iD

jon iox

>r]>p>v

Translation
Closed are the mouths of
all

races, legions

(2) and tongues from

Bahmandiich bath Samai.

(3)

And

the angel

Rahmiel and the angel

Habbiel and the angel Hanniniel, (4) these angels, pity and love and compassionate and embrace Bahmandiich (5) b. S. Before all the sons of

Adam whom

he begat by Eve,

we

will enter in before

them; from
will

their

clothing they will clothe her and

from

their

garments they
will

garb her,
this side

the garment of the grace of God. (7)

With her they

as
is

sit,

on
of

and on

that, driving

away (demons?),

right.

In the
is

name

Yhwh-

in-Yah, El-El the great, (8) the awful, whose

is

word
ever.

panacea, this mystery

confirmed,

made

fast

and sure forever and

Exterior

(9)

of a

Hark a woman,

voice in the mysteries

Hark

the voice of

the voice

a virgin travailing and not bearing.

Quickly be enamored,

(178)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

179

(id) be enamored and come Ephra bar Saborduch to the

marrow of

his

house and to the marrow of Bahmanduch

b.

S.

(ii) his wife; as (she

so

was)

a virgin

?)

travailing

and bearing

not,

(may she be)

fast

fresh
is

myrtle for crowns.

Amen, Amen. (12)

b.
?>.

And made
(13)

and sure

salvation from Heaven for Bahmanduch

leaven, press
it

preparation (?) ....

(?)

....

Amen, Amen,

Selah.

Salvation and peace from

Heaven, forever and ever and ever.

Commentary

A
is

charm
same

for a certain

woman
No.
i,

against the reproach of barrenness, that

her husband
the
;

may

love her and she

may have
is

children by him.

The

couple

that figures in

which

particularly a

charm against the

liliths

these are supposed to have prevented the natural fruit of the

human
virility.

union, affecting not only the

woman

but also the man's love and

At

the end probably

is

given an aphrodisiac recipe.

This text and No. 28 are unique among early Semitic incantations,
for they are love-charms.
erotic incantations,

In this they bear the closest relation to the Greek

I will

on which

speak more particularly under No. 28.

But

in the present text it is the

barren forsaken wife

passionate lover, as in No. 28 and the Greek charms.

a Jewish cast in
its
its

who The

speaks, not the

incantation has

address to certain angels, whose names are expressive

of love and in

use of biblical divine names.

It is
illiterate
is

Apparently the text

in

is

shortened from a longer model.

contains

style

and

script,

and

numerous Hebraisms.

feature

the use of a wedge-shaped

sign (indicated in the transliteration

by a comma), occurring as a separator

between words, but without consistency.

I.

n3D

for 'TDD.

n'3C"Pi

n'DDJn
in

n'Doy:
K'

either

antique emphatic plurals,

or else
is

=:

Mandaic

plural

(see

to 9: 6).

The second word The passage

an

artificial

enlargement of the Syriac tegma

'V

(rdy/ia^

for the sake of assonance with

is

(spelt in the usual archaic Syriac fashion).

4.

reminiscent

of Dan. 3:

Do

the words refer to classes of mankind, and the taking

away of demons?
their

the

woman's reproach among men?

Or

not rather to ranks of

to

whom we

expect some reference;

cf. p. 80.

The
is

closing of

mouths means

forstalling their curses, cf. p. 85.

NOJD

particularly

180

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
and
in the Peshitto trans-

used of the cohorts of

evil

(Payne Smith,
Mt. 26
:

s.

v.)

lates the "legions of angels" in

53.

3.

The

three angels appear

(upon some reasonable emendation)

in the

to

have names corresponding to the verbs

next

lines.

Angels were
;

chosen, or invented, for the pregnant meaning of their

names

so Raphael

became the patron of

and
in

healing.

Rahmiel

is

the genius of love in No. 28,

one of Thompson's Hebrew charms from Mossoul (PSBA, 1906-

1907), which contain many incantations for love, love between man and wife, and also for breaking marital love; once we find a philtre in which the
angels invoked are Ahabiel, Salbabiel, Opiel, names signifying love and
its

passion (1907, p. 328, no. 80).

W^2n and bxJin

1.

are found in Schwab's

Vocabulaire, and the latter also in Stiibe,

5
.

56.
in

The

line is

obscure

it

appears to present a dramatic scene

which

the sorcerer and his client, in the presence of the adversaries, shall obtain
judicial vindication of love

from the favoring

angels.

The

reference to

Adam
6.

and Eve's offspring has a sympathetic value.

'Jl

CU^'O assimilation of

JO,

as in

Hebrew;
cf.
Is.

for the idea cf. 2:

2.

NlDTi

^TO

the Samaritan,

a common Semitic idiom; NmiCK B^abs, ca^^ isa

197,

61:

10,

Eph. 6: 11;

in

nJ3

(Heidenheim, Bibliotheca

sam.

ii,

pp.

xlii.

24)

actual investing with "grace" occurs in the

:

newly-found Odes of Solomon, 4

7.

"inu'D

B-nbi

TJ

130.

'fO

nT: again Hebraic.

nit.

The following word may be a

on
right

ditto-

graph, or a Pael of

For

this protection

and

left, cf.

6: 10.

For

n'la

nin'

see to 7: 8. bx^x, in the

Mandaic

religion, epithet of the

sun-deity (Norberg, Onom., 9, Brandt,

Mand.

Schr., 31), also found in

the Greek magic, Wessely,

xlii,

67.

It

may

be a magical reduplication;

but

cf.

the reduplication of

in the

South-Arabic plural, and the Hebrew

Ellil

probably once a divine name be connected with see Clay, "EUil, the God of Nippur," AJSL, 1907, 269.

Wn,

to

of Nippur?

8.

1DN ^3:
:

cf.

15:

2.

nom
z.

this spelling occurs also in

a neo-Syriac manuscript published

by Lidzbarski {Die neu-aramdischen Handschriften der konigl. Bibliothek

Berlin,

Weimar,
its

1896, 447)

otherwise

nom =

nvnv.

For a discussion

of the word and

origin see Noldeke, Neusyrische Gram., 386.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
same formula

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

181

int'i

D'p: the

in Lidz. 5.
is

At

the end of this line which

on the edge of the bowl, the scribe

;

has attempted to continue and has written a few characters

afresh on the exterior.
9.

he then started

vhp bp
is

bp

is

used

like

the

Hebrew

b)p.

The

piteous plaint of

the sufferer

thus expressed, to

move

the sympathy of the celestial ones.

In the same

way

the Babylonian magical texts preface their rites with a

description of the plight of the patient; also the biblical

Psalms often

commence

in like

manner.

similar phrase appears in a

is

bowl of Pognon's,

20, but there the reference

to the curses of unfortunate souls

which

alight

on the

living.

There may be the reference here to such a ban

In this case 'Dn

of a
on,
11 inis

virgin gone to her death without children.

(=

biblical

Syriac on), would refer to the stilling of her "tongue."

(Cf. the magical

1.

use of
clines

aiyTi

in a text

of Wessely's

xlii,

60

f.).

But the

repetition in

me

to the view that the virgin

who

"travails

and does not bear"

the wife, subject perhaps to miscarriage or feminine maladies.

Then

''On

would be from
the

Din

Kin

"hasten," and so

"quickly," cf. Ass.

f/Sr/

SOn;

word would then correspond

to the frequent to

i/S^

raxv raxv

as at the
to 14: 4.

end of the
'n'Jl

Hadrumetum
'anJ: the

love

charm (see

No. 28), and see note

is

uni
ante.

verb used for "love"

N3n, where
28.

we expect

2nn;

cf.

Heb.

For

this triple adjuration, see

:

No.

10. 01
difficult

n^n''2

flub

have

tried

in

my

translation
to

to

express

the

word ^M, which primarily "body," comes

mean

the essence,

essential thing.

The
j.

reference

is

sexual,

and the word has such connotations

(see Jastrow,
11.

v.).
''D:

'n'bax

this
-te,

appears to be an error for

Kn^ina, as in

1.

9; or

possibly ppl. fern, in

"mourner"?

'3

...

'3

are used correlatively, and

we must suppose
lessness,

a lacuna: as she (was) in the joyless condition of child-

so

(her

future

state

shall

be symbolized by) fresh myrtle for

to

crowns.

Some

literary

form has been so rubbed down as

of
:

be almost

unintelligible.

For

this correlation
e. g.

'3

... '3, see

some, as yet unnoticed

cases in the

Hebrew,

Gen. 18
ii,

20.'

Myrtle as sacred to the goddess of

simile.

love (Baudissin, Studien,

'

198

f.)

makes an appropriate

See

my

notes in

JBL,

1912, p. 144.

188

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
obscure.
'B

12.
philtre
is

'31

Qiansx

this

line
I

is

provokingly

Since

magical

here prescribed,

venture to suggest that

= Latin praeparatum
Or
to
it

(the verb being used by Pliny for preparing drugs, foods, etc.).

may
the

be the Rabbinic mans, "hash, salad" (which however does not explain
12

).

^'osn

is

leaven,
is

which as a ferment would be appropriate

fern,

an

aphrodisiac.

\T'p'VX

imperative, "press

it."

Aphrodisiac herbs,

used magically or medicinally, are

common

in all erotic praxis.

No. 14 (CBS 16917)

info'nn!' snonn^
DiB'3
D"!

nn^'j

kd3 inn

N2"i

xnl^K mn-'

nnj? "js

ie'''3

[nds pin]

ro'ciB-n SK'np D''3-i3K DicD Kt}"[3] (2)

pno iby n'nE'K inna nn

ri'

niBt52

im

(3)

fiiDT

xa'

^jj;

n^nn^no
i-itfjo

p'nm
\'iy'?v

pin'

pin'

sid

ns

n'D-n3i

Ti3i K-iu ^a^ni nTij'aB'

^''K3'a niB'ai n'tfinx

lo3

n^yatys 3in hid

. .

... ion issnaji

bK-':^
''js

nn' dni

nnl'S'n n^i^^n

kci ssbo s
!>

(4)

I'xmj

i'^'Donoi i'sniv iiKiaiDn niDB'2 i'sntj-n n^'aB'n (5)

nivs

pnioa'

nniT-s

xi'T'i

inn Koan pn'oe' isn^Nn pE'U ivtsi

(6)

\>P''i

1)31

bxnnj

Kntr^K

n3''ni'B'i''i

smv

niu

iji)

parr' p^ini inn pan

cin"' ' (7) S'

pnn cd2

nbo ISK pDN ox

TrANSIvATION
[This bowl] in thy

name do

make,

Yhwh,
the

the great God.

I

May
in

this

bowl be for the sealing of Hormizdiich bath Mehdvich.

(2)
evil, in

adjure thee

the

name of holy Agrabis,

in

name

of

MS

MS,

the

name of SP SP
the

YHW?: YHWK, who

(3) David, the
his

removed

his chariot to

(above?)
I

Red Sea

Psalm of the Red Sea.

in the

Again
hail,

adjure
his

you by him who lodged

(4)
. . .

Shekina

temple of light and

Halleluia.

and

the exalted king.

Hall'eluia,

Oh

avaunt, oh
(5) in the

avaunt, avaunt!

And

in the

name

of Michael and Gabriel

name of

Sariel, in the

name

of Seraphiel, Suriel and Sarsamiel, Gadriel,

evil Injurers,

Peniel, Nahriel.

And

all

Blast-demons (6) and

whose names

are recorded in this bowl and whose names are not recorded in this bowl,
oh,

(7) oh, avaunt,

sit

down
and

there!

And

ye shall be cast down,

sitting

within the glowing light

fiery flame (8).

Amen, Amen,

Selah.

Commentary

A
against

charm for a some

certain

definite

name of Yhwh and (now obscure) demon in particular, and

woman,
in the

the angels,

against the

devils in general.

(183)

184

'

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

2. yo

J'D

the syllable
is

is

Athbash for

iT; cf.

y&SK)

nin\ Stube,

1.

66

and

p. 63.

D'anJN
cf.

probably also a mathematical anagram for the divine

name

or power;

Abraxas,

D'aias, etc. (see p. 57, and to 7: 9), of

which the present form may be a corruption.

have suggested the sea of
3
.

The

syllable f\0

seems to

^1D. pin'

is

for

n\n''.

T'n

the lacuna

makes the reference obscure

a reference to one

of the Psalms of David, or, by error to the Song of Moses ?

n^nrac
xnnai

ntJ'Nl: the

Targumic phrase,
hail

e. g.

Dt. 12:

5.

siu ^a'na

and

fire

are frequently found together in the

e. g.

Old Testament
Esek. 38
of
:

as manifestations of the divine presence;

Ps. 18: 13

f.

22.
is

But
in

cf especially Rev. 11: 19

.

"Then was opened

the temple

God

that

heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of the

covenant; and there followed lightnings and voices and thunders and earth-

quake and great

hail."
1.

4. n'K^nN, Enn\ Enn': cf. tnn k',

7;

Ya

=
the
5,

interjection

"Oh."

Reitzenstein has called attention to the equivalence of these expressions

(commenting on
of
the

Stiibe,

1.

14,

Poimandres, 292,

n.), to the

n v
of

^ax^' '^<^x^

Greek magic, as applied to demons

in

sense

"at once

avaunt."

For examples,

see the endings of nos. 3,

6 in Wiinsch, Antiks

Fluchtafeln, and the editor's note p. 13.

p.

Cf. a Christian

charm

in Pradel's,

72: vemat sanatio celeriter, abeat abeat abeat malum.

5.

All these angel

names are found

in

Schwab's Vocabulaire, our

there.

!)K'DD"iD

being probably the same as the

bN''0"iD

For magical

refer-

ences to Suriel, see Lueken, Michael, 71.

6.

The

sorcerer spares himself the trouble of

all
;

naming the

evil spirits

by applying a "blanket" charm to them

sbl'l
:

cf

14.

see to

3.

n^iaTN:

evidently

confusion

between

the

passive and the ist person active.

pnn

the

only
\''\r\

instance

in these

bowls of

this rare

demonstrative;

elsewhere here

7. pDiri: probably Etpeel.

For the curse

at the

end

cf.

7: 17.

No. 15
ninul'
n)>

(CBS

16087)

Mnn n'ob-h snios

(2)

'on-n n^s<
(3)

nmoK

ija

no

-po'tt^

noc^a

13

'23'tJ'n3i'i

nn
'staxi

la

I'l'j-iai'i

Nmn
Db
(5)

na
(4)

nm
'cntiKi

nn-in[!'i]

nod la roiim
nrxnn'tj'n
i
i>

Di

'sntDKi

p^^D

io

nb-\2
B'i''K

nmn^i n'^n
pii'D

nn''a[!'i]

Dub Did
ptiaiB'i

trjiKi

ina''nia njo

dkt

sb dk^ b'J'n sjo

(6)

pp'tri

pnn

pa'^v

^nijci

'nra njo pB"a

e'J'k

dst

'antjxi

piiJD

(7)

[nn]B"a

nrci^i'i

inanei

i'S"'pn

piaiyi

pcim
mosi
pi

pa'B'i
pan''

pyaai pnivi

.
. .
.

Kim
Kmo]
la

Knpfy miva
na

Piarr

n'onni

sbnei
id

Ncnj niD'xa

nnoN
(8)

nn

ici

nod la t^omn
(9)

pnjo pan'

''ino

jDi

iTNnn''B'D

ha]
. .
.

'aa^'Cia

nn

la

^^J-ia

[joi

i>sniDi

IJS'on.i

iJK'Dnm ij^n

^xnaai i'Knioi

bs'sn

Dica

nn

ie[*< toK]

Vfzbv n>p nisav mn'' nninai i-KiTiDi

Translation
In thy
(2)

name and in thy word, Lord of all healing, God of love. Salvation of Heaven for the house of Hormiz bar Mama and for the
all

dwelling of D6d(a)i bath (3) Martha and for Bar-gelal bar Dodai and for
Bar-sibebi bar Cirazad, even for

her house and dwelling (4).

Las

tnin selik

watrefe das min

mena
(5)

Enas

las la selik:

watrefe das

ems

mena

Bhybdyn
Wenas
I

las las
?)

la selik

watrefe das ends mena.

scan and rhyme

against you, Spirits and Goblins (6) and Plagues and

Circlet-spirits

Howlers and Strokes and

and
Idol-spirits

and

evil

Arts and mighty

I

Works
(8)

and the

evil Lilith

(7)

And
b.

bind you with bonds

fire,

of brass and iron and seal you with the figure of a seal of

And
gelal b.

banish you from

b.

Hormiz
C. (9)

M. and Dodai

b.

[M. and] Barin the

D. and Bar-sibebi

and Mehoi bar Dodai,

(185)

186

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
and Rahmiel and

name

of Rophiel and Suriel and Gabriel [and

.

.]

.hatiel
is
it

and Suriel .... and Serariel

established forever.

And by

the seal of

Yhwh

Sebaoth

Amen, Amen, Amen.

Commentary

A
The

charm

for several persons,

whose

relations to each other are not

definite.

virtue of the

They may be members of one household charm lies in the use of a doggerel
bowl
is

kind of Pension.

couplet.

The

figure
p. 54. p.

in the center of the

1.

a serpent with

its tail

in its

mouth; see

T^Diin:

for this abbreviated

in Lidz.

form of Ahura-mazdah, see

Justi,

98, the

same name

KOKO

=
38:

'KOSD, 'OKD, as in No. 8.

4,

nn:
name
is

'snn; hypocoristicon from

IM, "friend, uncle,"

also Dada, 12: 2.

etc.;

cf.

the biblical

name

nn
may

and
it

its

variant

nn,

The

present

feminine;

mean

the dudai, "love-apple"?

Justi, p. 86, lists

a Diiday.
2.

xmo:

a Jewish

name found

in

the Gospels and in a Palestinian

ossuary inscription (Lidzbarski, Handbuch, 318)

^^313: a proper

mxo,
bbi

8:

5.

name
is

after Arabic

formation?

"round

lump,

excrement,"

etc.

Galal
is

a biblical name.
1.

ua'Kna

'^

a form of necklace charm, see to

6.

The mother has

named her

child after the amulet

whose

virtue she supposed gave to her

or protects the babe.

nrKnn'CD: the Persian Cihrazad; see Justi,

to represent the Persian hard ch.

p. 163.
is

The CC
same as

is

an attempt

The name

the

that of the

famous raconteuse of the Arabian Nights.

3
the
.

nnu

doubtless referring to Dodai,

who

appears to have procured

charm for the household.

4.
'i\

p'bo ID DS^:

this

and the

following

line

contain

a
first

magical
occur-

incantation expressed in a

rhyming doggerel
first

couplet.

(In the

rence of
the

'SiDNi, the

was

omitted, then written above, and finally

word was
all,

rewritten that there might be

is

no

infraction of the charm.)

First of

there

a couplet rhyming at the caesuras

and

at the

end;

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
is

ARAMAIC
1.

INCANTATION TEXTS.

187

then the
pn3'n'3.

last

Hne

repeated in

5,

introduced by the obscure combination

is

A
339).

similar

doggerel

formula

presented by

Myhrman

in

his

edition of the Babylonian magical Labartu series

Rel.,
i,

{ZA,

xvi, 188; cf. Jastrow,

It is

there

called

a
:

siptu,

"incantation,"

and runs thus

(following Jastrow's arrangement)

ki
I

risti

libiki
|

risti

la

libiki
|

la

libi
|

pis
|

pisti

sa

anzisti

sa anzis

su anzis

anzis.|

For Greek
up by
Tl'JDl

parallels see p. 61.

.

The repeated
and
p3

of the couplet

is

taken

TlJ'a

The

roots

NJO

may

refer to the scansion of

the couplet.
5.
['p'ty

the Arabic

demon

sikk

sometimes interpreted
WZKM,
vii 180.

as one-half

(sikk) man, one-half demon, but probably a

demon of weariness;

see Lane,

Arabian Nights,
6.

c.

i,

n. 21,

van Vloten,

piT:

see p. 81; here between categories of maladies, in

"spirits."
p.

Myhrman

between "devils" and

}'3'C:

the

Targumic p^ac (Jastrow,

chain, see Krauss,

15 10), a feminine ornament,

i,

some kind of pendant

Talm. Archdologie,
etc., see p. 87
f.

204 and

note; belonging to the category of nnin, Knpjy,

Cf. the

name

above '33'Bn3, where the uncontracted form survives.

7.

Brass, lead,
f.

fire, all

potent against demons.

Cf. the "chains of lead,"

39: 4

The bonds

of hell are called catenae igneae in a Latin charm,

Wiinsch, Ant. Fluchtafeln, no. 7; also the "adamantine chains" in Paris

Papyrus, Wessely, xxxvi,
9.
1.

1227

flF.

Mehoi:

hypocoristic, cf.

Mehducht,

etc.

No. 16 (CBS 2920)

poD''bi
P'Jini'i

n^nri'K

kini na
iip-itJ'

'ipnB'i'i

(2) ^^^J!:DN in nnm!' K'ok' lo

sniDK

tinj'Jvi'i
na-i

nn,'in'Di>i

(4)

'J3

'S"{^'!'1

amnsi'i

'usi'i

innoi'i 'n'i3i3!'i(3)

n''OB"ai

xai-ya niKi pno ^3

iinn (5)

yr

Kiii

ti2''pn'i

pnn pjn

pni'

imni

KDTDK
jn

mnn xnno
id'pj
li'NJ'i

KiinJ

iin^n ptrus snij

'in

inn sjn2
Kniisnoi

mnn nsiirn {5"3Dt (6) n'i' iB'-im xtynp NnS'K npn mnn TJn snpe' mnn (7) xnij^n sj'ju mnn K-in'D pruD iniDK n'2tj'(8) nn Kni'sn n'oma mnn nsit^n
nswrn
(9)

no

nni

laiani

snnoitn sn'jnn noini n&''2

snpjxi snoii"!
xSpnai
'^"3

Kno^B'xi

NnsipnK"xi (10) Knoioi

'jddi

r\'?'?o)

'^a^pi

oom
smyasi
'tJ'ini

n^^iisn

nnnsi
Itron

(11)

iini

nin
n^i'ii'i

Knu'DD'CT -idsi nnpi

sni'Dao

kvjs

p'OK

KDom

wb'I lEvn

nmvi

Nnii>i''i

poD'' ID1 pijin 121

niiJiD

n'nn'K snsn na
'S'ib'

'ipia' loi

ihjcdk nn nmi
mjq pi

ta (12)

jaae'ei

iin'nn

loi 'Ipib' ij3

}di

Dmns

loi (13)

inno

idi sn'tjia idi

nini

iDSM nbo ik

(14) los D^iyi'i ijt

kcv

id nijia

ivn'mn tm pnj'JV
ivj' toon

toi
!>

E'N'D !'XD niK nt wiin D^i'B'nia

"rnnn in

nin'

nyr pon in mn^

Translation
Salvation

from Heaven for Dadbeh bar Asmanduch (2) and for

his v^'ife

Sarkoi bath

Dada

and for Honik and Yasmin (3) and Kufithai

Silai the children

and Mehduch and Pannoi and Abraham and

(4)

of Sarkoi,

and for

their

house and their property, and that they

live

may have

children and
in the

may

long and be established, and that (5) no Injurer

world may touch them.

in his great

And
arts
( ?)

name, whereby the holy God

is

called

wherein

are

?)

(6) which suppresses darkness under

light,

plague under healing,

destruction under construction, injury (7) under ban, anger under repose:

suppressed are

all

the

sons

of

darkness

under the throne of God,

;

in

whose

name

(8) are bound, suppressed Devils

gripped likewise are

Princes
of
(9)

evil Spirits

and impious Amulet-spirits and Names and

(188)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

189

darkness and the Spirit (breath) of foulness and fatigue and the Tormentors
of night and day and Curses and Necklace-charms and
tions

Words and AdjuraDemons and

Devils

(lo) and Knockings and Rites, the Plague and the she- Plague and

the voice of Invocation, and the Spell of poverty and

and Satans (ii) and

Idol-spirits

and

Liliths

and Arts and mighty Works

and the seven Tormentors of night and day.

They
11.

are bound, suppressed

ff.),

and

laid,

(12) away from Dadbeh,

etc.

(as in

(13) and from

all

their

house and from their property and from

all their

abode, from this day

forever.

Amen, Amen, (14)

Selah.

"And

Yhwh

said to Satan," etc.

Commentary

A
5.

charm for the large family

list

that appeared in No. 12.

It contains

an extensive and repetitious

'Ji

of demoniac species.

n'0B"3: I have translated literally; the original

'p

form may have

which magicians

been

n'b Knn npi

anbai

'i

'2

"the

great

name

invoke."
6. traa: ppl. act.
7.

"Sons of darkness": contrast the "sons of

light," i: 9.
TovTov,

8.

SaiCm

'3^31

cf.

the Pauline Twf Koanonparopa^ tov aK&rovg

Eph.

6:

12.
'^KJl

no nn

lit.

"foul

and laboring
is

spirit"

(breath
called

in

Bekor. 44b
is

(an obscure passage) there

interpreted as "asthma"

a disease or
s.

demon
n^B'3

N^KJ, which

(Jastrow,
i,

v.).

Foulness of breath was cause

13 of 29:
7,

for divorce, Krauss Taint. Enc.

256.

Cf. the

which

is

found

in the

same passage from Bekoroth.

K^pns: see pp. 52, 84.
;

10.

n^-^pi

11.

patW: Af.

cf. cf.

English "lay a ghost."

the Rabbinic
86, n.
'Jitdt

xniraD'on

moK:

'k,

"genius of nourishment,"

and see pp.

79, n. 70,

and

112.

No. 17

(CBS

2922)
n^:!'};

nnDEi

(3) rrpiDty

snsl'ne na a"'Dia njs

xrr'ji'K'

(2)

mi

'':ej'

nct

i'ss

xer

pD'nwiK
VDB'
K"D3!'
(6)
kIj

ps^nlri njs Nn3''Dni

p3''33

(4)

Kim
xiji

n^!"^ xni"!' tijk '^ti' rrianm

^ro p3nvD i^no

rnB^nij

pnn^B'

l"to-iy

(5)

pa^ntf'on
pa'^v

(7) iiD'DD N^i 1P21 ivcB* nni"^

tci

nin^ psnsi nca'

la ba
ps^'l'V

ini'S

p3:'KT

nJ3 (8) nnKTi-isai sn!'3

IiD'^KT

nmn
,Tnn2
'^d'-j

121

nnu
ya'in''

pnx

pa

nnu2
nt:B'2

xnsi'na na
p^'i'V
""'"'^

xnpu
tnni'tj'

pD'-l'V

'n'oiN

nbzn

xn&K'a
K3l5

nxT

ipiioisi
12

pd'-iD''Ei
sai'

p3'D''3 pa!) 3'D1 i^30'kt xnpiai (9)

sriK
itoos

nt3'j
sn^"'!'

n'ms

ya'in'

t:n piam n'mspynn^ps'bv

(I0)n^tj'n

ipBi

nnljs p33si nsK' in^e (11) pa^o'ST aTia n3nB'''K kd' layo
siji

n^onm
K^ety
12

(12)

nnox nmna
pptst
sniiano

nn'23

k^j

xnel'nc nn b'":i3?

nij

jiD'on

n^i

KDiDsi

sniDK s'DK H'nna

iia

12

ytrinn snpt^w, hb'

P":inbi

Jist

sripfM
b)

xncB'a

pnij

liJDaoi ii"D2 (13) k^'did 'i2

nnrbi

sasb

niiD

IDN ION jinb

Translation
This day above any day, years and generations of (2) the world,
I

Komes
Lilith,

bath Mahlaphta have divorced (3) separated, dismissed thee, thou

LiHth of the Desert, (4)

Hag and

Ghul.

The
is

three of you, the four

of you, the five of you, (5) naked are ye sent forth, nor are ye clad, with

your hair dishevelled behind your backs.

(6) It

announced to you, whose

mother

is

Palhan and whose father (Pe)lahdad, ye Liliths: Hear and go

(7)

forth and do not trouble altogether

Komes

b.

M.

in

her house.

Go

ye forth

from her house and her dwelling and from Kalletha and Artasria
I

(8) her children.

have warded against you with the curse which Joshua

I

bar Perohia (sic) sent against you.

adjure you by the honor (name) of

your father (9) and by the honor of your mother, and take your divorces and separations, thy divorce and thy separation, in the ban which is sent
(10) against you by Joshua
b.

b.

Perahia, for so has spoken to thee Joshua

P.

divorce has
it),

come
whose

to thee

from across the

is

sea.

There

is

found
father

written

(in

ye

mother

(11)

Palhan and whose

(190)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TBXTS.

191

Pelahdad, ye Liliths
b.

And now

flee

and go forth and do not trouble Komes

M.
I

in her

house and her dwelling.

I seal

bind (12) and

b.

with the seal of El Shaddai and with the seal

of Joshua

Perahia the healer, healing and release from Heaven for

Aba
all

and Yazdid and Honik sons of Komes.

Injurers,

Thwarted and frustrated are

whom we

have removed by the ban upon them.

Amen, Amen,

Selah.

Commentary

A
in

charm

effected by a

woman

for herself and her children,

b.

who appear
an abbrevi-

two

different groups, in the

name of Joshua
8.

Perahia.

It is

ated and often incorrect replica of No.

1

For the corrupted formula,

cf

and see

p. 55.
all

The

full I

form

appears in no. 16020 (unpublished) "this day out of

etc.

days.

Honik,"

2. C"D13

1.

7 EJ"DD; the

name obscure;

cf.

Ko/ioaapi'ri
^

Justi, p. 165.
its

NnslsnD: for this name, frequent in these bowls, and

see Noldeke, Encyc. Bib.,
n'p'3E':
s.

equivalents,

v.

"Names,"

62.

Peal, the following verbs Pael.

3.
is

For the singular and plural number,

For the si3n
'h

see to 8:
p.

2.

The word With

;

spelt badly.

cf

29

7,

and see

78

the parallel has

The

correct grammatical forms are found in 8

the

lilith

names

following are also mangled.

6.
7. to

po'DH: Afel of DD3.

sn^3,
i.

e.

"bride";

cf.

the Babylonian

name

Ina-ekur-kallatu, cited

me by

Prof. Clay.
a

nncmK:
8.
tion

form of Artachsathra, and

1.

cf.

ApTaati/noc, Justi, p.

35.

n'm-iB: so

12,

but the correct spelHng in

1.

10; probably assimila-

to

Persian farruch.
see on

For "glory" == "name,"

S6^ai,

8:8, and

n. b.

the equivalent naTip<M

Wisdom, 14:

24.

192

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

9. 3'D:
is

f.

pi.

impr. of 3D3; but irDET in

1.

6.

The following

tnn^B'

nsT

a perversion.
10.

11.

= 'S'SitiDB = lOlD,
Ksb

cf.

pS,

1.

7, /i/mj

conjunction B; for another instance

see Glossary; probably a dialectic survival, s appears in the Senjirli inscriptions

and the Elephantine papyri.

12.

x'DK: the same

title in

34:

12.

KmoB:

formation from Pael,

Rabbinic niidb.
ii,

K3N: frequent Talmudic name, Seder ha-Doroth,

3-18.

THTV probably error for IIT. see 7:

13.
rpl'S: Pael, ist pers. plural.

3.

No. 18 (CBS 8695)

tio'pnn rr^ n^xn
dib' (2) ^31 'n's

12

msxi
(3)

Kn''ni'[i sb'dj^]
\)n^)

xnipx
|s

k''OB'

;on"a
n'!)]

[tnna] pnn
[Nti'^E'i

i'3

pna yr

Ki)!

iio'priM

nnn^s 'njsv^s

[fjn

nm

'Jt'B't pn^Di'D
'j-in

K3^o n:i33

-iid's ^n (4) r>^r] ntrs

n-nx

nitj'n xoiij;

[K2nn

sri'i']''^

nmn

na sn'S"^

oni'na

'3'5'j;

(5)

rrysK'N sn'!"i'T

xm
!>

...[Knpnn]i 'pin s^ski spjni nqioi s^noni

. .
.

...K'3^5^1 (6)
^S'i'V

kt naxa naipD'N

PDT xn'jnioiT

<:2>2b'b

Dsntia
iJi

fn^^m
(8)

(7) n^ynE'K sn''V 'o'a

d'>!5'

nvo

KD'3 pdI) rrnns kh xn^i"!'

i'lpB'

i'jn

nons
pn^'tj':!'

^i;i

'in ^vi n'tf ^y

ini. s[-i33]

pn^'i'V
Ki>i

imn

x^ (9)

mm
ts^i

ko'j 'tb'

p[2n3 N23 p3]n' nntasni

impi p^noia
i"3pi ps'D'j

ptnnin
D'KT
.
. .

[n^Js in k-isnt
pnlj

pm

snE-a 10 ipnl'yi
k^ji

['Ji

pjni'i

palnp'n

pyrn

nTin'-K injEVKi) nb s^ niy n-^ (10)

n!'i

'mn nn ranx'
'o'

jonno

0^2 necn
to

nob'na

(11) n'l^l'T nob'nn k^

fi^'^ji

p"^

tax rr'B'Knn

ntj^tr

(12) a^^bv lov

{niE[D

ntr nby

tvt nprv]3
niibbn

n^D

pK

Commentary
This inscription
is

yet another duplicate to the three collated under

No.

II.

It

is

badly written and mutilated, and would be in large part

It

unintelligible without the other texts.

presents

little

that

is

new and

.1

translation
1.

is

not necessary.
father
in
is

The name of Ephrah's

uncertain.

From what
ii,

appears
1.

here,

it

may

be 'H'X;
i.

cf.

'n'Ki3,

Seder ha-Doroth

47.

In

it

looks like
2.

"'S,

e.

Aye? But
is

the strokes

may

be for abbreviation.

prayer for offspring

see 26: 4.

here expressed.

'nJsVK

hypocoristicon

for

TomjBVK,
5
.

Dl^na

again this

name

differs

but the tradition of the granddam's

name

is

accurate.
i.

KT naso:

e.

msKi.

6. n'3KT: ppl. of 21.

(193)

194

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

'pin
history:

if

not an error, this

is

a further development of a word with a

dakdak

=
:

dardak =: darak.
the probable reading.

xn^X 'D'D nV'D

sn'V

is biblical.

The

dirty habits

of these foul demons appear in the Babylonian magic; they are compared
to pariah dogs
series, B,
8.

and are exorcised by the

1.

spirit

of foul streets, see Utukki

46;

cf. v. col. 5.
'a

21.

nntiBn: for
if

sn.
so,

9. imp:
iioa,

we read

'3"mp

mp

(see to

we may compare the magic formula in Pesah. i: 6). The verb = P"iy, by transposition, comLidzbarski in his parallel
;

mon

especially in

Mandaic.

(see to No.

11)

reads xnp and translates "spring up"

but read there Kip

mp.

No. 19 (CBS 16018)

n'noip (3)
N^i.3

Nonnoi

Non''ni

ston

'on-n (2)
(4)

Km
(5)

k'dn NnsiDx

no

lOB'^a

K^n
nl'in

p-iD's

swss'D NnaS'ns nn 'snm

joJiD
i)n''N

nprroT
tib^i

n^'.tyiB'D

pirn n'JDB"Dn'ai
n-jonai

N3T

Kno

^ott'n

pnarr'a

pnnn

pinr'D
7Dt5'3i

K:n
Ki'''i'e

Kno
Kno

^Jpp^c

nirai xriK-incxT Nnan sna!'^

jl^a

(6)

nii'n'K

pmc
Ditrai

Ditrm dtijjk dicsi

.
.

13 ^n^s DiK-ai (7)

niB'ni (8)
d'^^vi

iiotuhd
dik'31

'jnjaT

mcni KHKi

3v:p

ne ompj

seik

KotDiKi

x^noi

KriKsp'j xriKnnD'N 'Joni (9)

.
.
.

nan
n'!)

Mi's pn''a' citj'm xtcni

b'ib'p kb'ib'P

jn no ^n'bid

.r\'<oi

m Kno
Kri'i^'D
iiD'!'yi

ijn ma'ai nTiKUS po

n^n'^^'D
t.
. .

snnD

Knomx
'pt'Jxi

oicai
(10)

KvatJ'T

K13KT

:pn?3i

xtJ'nji

x^ns

^'vi'

pon

irj^E msj'm

SM-isim (11) bain na Kjnaa

Djn na
j.iai

Qits'ai
.
.

KJnam
b'jt'Joi

ron

noo
'omi

^KntJR

Ditrai

D'a-ias

nitrai

dts Diem
inx
01:^31

::

tpjnjoi

DiB'31

Dnn5>yT

ona Dn3 on
Disrai
u.w2^

(12)

n'b

n>K

t6

natjibo (13) i'i3''

xno

qib'31 ^^lD^p^

K3T
k,-i313

KD''i'B'!' i'lpB'

mc

i'xns^
'<3-i

niDN imN

nJT

13

pnK

'jij31 t3n

xnai

nh^'k dw31
ijs

wJi

n^enm Kinty pin kd3i

(14)

sid's 'b^s 'Jddi iin n'K'

ici

bv

nnn
i^n^by

'X'^m

pSim iin'DB'u TB' N^ nn'' ninn

n^tntJ'Q

P'bj

xi)

nniD^K po

tyj'KT

'd^p

pn[m] nnjB3 H'kt

I'TDK

(15) t<nr"'3 xni^'S'i B'^njm

ktc

ion nonij no'K

K-1DX3

Din K'scD pon'n3i nviK3 p-iD'K3 sncijno 13

iK3m npn'on

IDK Nnsiino la
n'tyitro

wm
3in
3in

npn'on

(16)

nisnco pnni nnae po 13 j'jn3

pcnm
npn^oi

tnm

nnaa ^y n'Ki Nisnai xmoini

n'S'i3''K3
-i:r

cnm

Kim

KTtf niDN 3in

i3

Kjpi
n''3

DJ'B'3

npT'y3
KD''!'B'3

TDK tdk
13

(17)

cnni

!'n''K3

Knaiino

um

i3

pnK3

po^nni naj

nbK3 tdk
n3-i

3in kii:3

D^nm
jun

K3n
tirs

pD'-nm Kint? Kni'K3 pi'dk 3in Knvn

'K3ni
o'tJ'ai

Ni"D03 I'O'nm

KnEljno
.

npn'oi
disi

h'B'ib'o

pini nnja po la

n''n3iD
n'B'Kii'a

nspi3
iin'

pooni
ni'yi

I'KntK ksp kdip kpjib'

(19) kj'^v

moipi (18) du^'Pik oimcB

l3in'D
n'tfitro
i3''n3
'3i>'^

ii"y

ii3tk3
Kn.3

MijK

K3.n

di'31

nsiiB

Koiyi

n^'^'Kii

po cnnn'j xna^no 13 'K3m npn'oi

did
i^bi

pim
n'^ri

K3m npn'Di
pD KDD'3
Kb'i

(20) .I'tt'itfoi Kni3 pini'i pn'j k^ ks!?

n'b'bs b
n'ls

ptnn^j k^i

n-'b

ii3ip''j

\)bv^:

is.b

Nnc^no 13

n^yiii tJi

KDT

(195)

; :

196

university museum.

babylonian section.

Translation
In thy name,

Lord of

salvations, the great Saviour (2) of love.

is

Charmed and

sealed and countersealed

the whole

(3)

person and

the bedchamber of this Mesarsia, surnamed (4) Goldsmith, bar Mahlaphta,

with the seven spells which

may

not be loosed, and with the eight seals (5)

which may not be broken.

In thy name, lord Ibbol, the great king of the

Bagdani

and

in

thy

name, our lady Ibboleth,

demons?), and
in

(6)

the

great

queen of the goddesses

(she-

the

name

of Talasbogi the great lord of the Bagdani;

and

name of Sahnudmuk; (7) and in the name of Ibbol son of Palag; and in the name of Angaros and in the name of the Lord, the Word and Leader and Armasa (Hermes) and in the name of Azpa and 'Alim; (8)
in the
;
;

and

in the

name

of Nakderos the lord of

and

in the

name

of Seraphiel,

lord of judgment and of (divine) beck; and in the

name name

of the 60 male

gods (9) and the 80 female goddesses; and

in the

of Ardisaba (or

Ardi) the most ancient of his colleagues; and in the name of Anad the
great lord
to

(10) cast above

(him)

iron

and bronze, and fastened

him

fetters

(?) of lead and the 70 exalted priests of Bagdana; and in

name of Bagdana son of Habal (destruction). (11) ...; and in the name of Palnini and Mandinsan and Menirnas and in the name of Iras son of Hanas and in the name of Abrakis (Abraxas) and in the name
the
. . .

of Agzariel,

who
?),

is

without compassion; (12) and in the

name of Arzan name

of

and

ros herds deltcros; and in the

(

name

... to Ariel

he sent a message
.
. .

"Lift up"

... to the great

Ruler before him; and

in the

and and
the

in the in the

name name

of lord Ibbol (13) the great angel of the Blast-demons, of the great

God and
:

the great

Lord of

the Bagdani; in

name

of Arion son of
all

Zand Ye are charmed and armed and equipped.

evil Satans, this

Against
is

Demons, Devils and

charm (14) and bowl

sure and

its

seals established against them,

from whose charm none ever

forth.

goes forth and from whose control none In the

sallies

name

of these charms are bound there

Demon and Danhis and

Mesarsia, surnamed

the evil Lilith

(15)

which are

in the

body of

this

Goldsmith,

b.

M., by charms in earth and by seals in heaven.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

197

Again, (ye are) charmed with a charm and sealed a second time

away

from the body of

this Mesarsia, (i6) etc.,

Amen.

Again, charmed are the

Demon and

Devil and Danhis and Amulet-spirit

this Mesarsia, etc.,

and

Idol-spirit,

which are upon the body of

by

Ibbol,

(17) and sealed by Ibboleth.

Again, charmed by Sinas and Mana, and sealed by

fire.

Again, charmed by the great gods and sealed by Arion son of Zand. Again, charmed by the seal of the family of Haniin, and sealed by the
great ... of Zeiiza (Zeus).

Again, charmed by the true God, and sealed by the great Ruler (i8)

who

is

before him, away from the body of this Mesarsia,

etc.

In the
Azaziel

name

of Patragenos, Okinos (Okeanos), Sunka, Kosa, Kapa,

his constellation
(

(19)

(?), that this Mesarsia,

etc.,

be sealed from the top

shall not be,

?) of his head to the toes of his feet

etc.,

they

nor this house of Mesarsia, (20)

shall they enter

nor

approach, nor appear therein, neither by night nor by day, from this day

and forever

Commentary

A
spirits;

charm made out for a

certain

man whose body

is

infested with evil

with great elaboration of incantations they are exorcised from him

house.
its

and

his

The

inscription

is

thoroughly pagan, and

its

is

interesting
list

because of
deities.

invocation, for over half

list

length, of

an extensive
4.

of

Cf. a similar long

in

Wiinsch, Ant. Pluchtafeln, no.

its

Unfor-

tunately by reason of the coarseness of the script and

general

illegibility,

most of these names are obscure.

Some

of them are definitely Greek,

Zeus, Protogonos, Okeanos, and perhaps the Aeons, male and female,

may

be made out; several others are of Greek formation.

Others again are of

Persian origin, and some are purely charm-words, "mystical" names.

forgotten cult

Some

may have

given certain of the names; notice the reference

to the 70 priests of 2.
3.

Bagdana.

SDD'n: error for KO^nn.

n^nnip: the

word

"stature," then, as here, "body," as

is

shown

by the phrase,

in a similar connection, in

bowls published by Schwab (E)

198

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
from the 248
HTieip

and

Stiibe

(11.

56,

64)

the
is

demon

depart,

etc.,

'Dnn

of such a one (the word

not recognized by either editor).

:

The same word

occurs in the interesting magical passage in Ese., 13

18.

iTEHCD
Doroth,
4.
ii,

also in

Schwab, G; a frequent Talmudic name (see Sefer ha-

p.

276).
this

'Kam:

surname appears as a proper name

:

in

Hagiga

2a.
.

"Seven
5
:

spells .... eight seals"

:

for this cumulative expression, cf

Mica

see 5

2.

5.

yovi

cf.

28:

I.

h\y: also below,

ri'^U'S
is

11.

7,

16.

In

1.

7 he

is

ibs 13,

and

his consort

"our lady."
in

Professor Clay has cited to

a
I

me

a divine

name
7UIN

Ubbulti

appearing

Cassite

tablet,

in the

name

Ubbulti-lisir.

might also be read, and

"generation,"
etc., etc.,

am
Aiuv.

inclined to

make

the

word

Syriac ubbdld,
deity,

and so

For a discussion of Aeon as supreme

269
1.

god of time,
in the

see Reitzenstein, Poimandres,

e. g.

ff.

The
;

Aeons appears
1.

magical texts,

Dieterich, Abraxas, 140,

51

192,

21

203,

1.

18.

The
list

syzygies of

Aeons were male and female

Iiaer.,

cf.

the

names

in Origen's

at the

beginning of his work Adv.

and

n'"7U''X

would be a forma-

tion to express the female

itself,

Aeon.

Derivation from Apollo also suggests

but the feminine

'J1J3
:

is

not thereby explained.

class
in 11
:

6.

Comparing what precedes, the word means some

In
1.

of
5

deities or
(q. v.).

demons.
It is

13 N3nJ3

is

a divine name,
etc.,

the

demon

then a word like Nn5N,

which can be used individually or

generically.

It evidently contains the

Indo-European element baga, "god."

is

It is difficult to

decide whether Bagdana

;

a propitious or maleficent
to

demon

(as in

No. 11)

in the latter case

he

is

charmed
e. g.

work

the

good of the

sorcerer's client, as in the

Greek incantations,
appears
JsnJ3

Hekate.

In

W.

T.

Ellis's

Syriac

text

(see

2)

no

NPnoE', "Samhiza

the lord

Bagdana," or "the lord god"?

penultimate vowel.
7.

The

spelling gives the vocalization of the

For

S. cf.

the Enochian Samaeza.

in this

DIIJJN: the

ending

D1-

and other names

recalls

Greek

formations.

May

this

word =;

ayye^^f?

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

and used nominally

199

Nb''bn: in

Syriac, "logical,"

etc.,

t^ UyiKdv.

It is

here associated with sddik, both being names of a potency; the passage
is

parallel to 2: 2, q. v.

"leader," interpretation,
religion

K73nO:

if

the reading

is

correct, the Rabbinic

^3"i

Afel,

may
of

give the

which would be a
excellence.

fitting

epithet

Armasa-

Hermes, "the shepherd" par

of
a
deity,

Cf. the idea in the late Hellenistic

r/f/^wv,

especially

Hermes, as a guide,
in

of souls; see
253.
It

Cumont, The Oriental Religions

be noticed that 'O
is

Roman

Paganism,

n.

63

p.

may

used

in the

Talmud

of a "traditional

word or saying"

(Jastrow),
8.

i.

e.

logos?

b^<'S^D: also 14: 8.

In his epithet, Kton appears to be used, as in

intimation,
i.

the Syriac, of the divine

9. N3Dn-iK: or the
r'K'p;

nod or
is

e.

"command."

name

to be read

mx,

followed by KC'Cp xnao K3D

why

the fem.

xn3D?

10.
in

In this and the following line most of the words can be read, but

consequence of the failure of the context the text defies interpretation.

three metals

The

may

be referred to as having magical properties, and this

may

give the clue to

the

NianT

Nn'S'D
5,

(n''n"'VD

written

first

erroneously).

Comparing

Mandaic

text in 39:

K-iWKT sriN^cnKa

(ST'Dj?), the

equa-

tion suggests that our

NH'^'D

"chains"; possibly

xnb'D

"basket," and

here used of a metal cage.

bxan 13:

"Son of destruction"?;
Nerab

cf.

DJn la,
1.

1.

11,

nit "13

1.

13;
DJn,

these deities are given a parentage like

?13'N,

7.

Possibly

DJn

is

the verb used in the

11.

inscriptions,

and so
7: 9.

?S3n.

DTK:="E/)uf, or
:

'Apw? D'313S:
found
in

cf.

Sk'-iTJK

i^KntJ

is

Schwab, Vocabulaire.

Is

bsntSK

"God's

cruel one,"
12.
13.
i:i

meant?
of words in ros
is

The accumulation
S3^D
n3 p'lK

a charm formula; see

p. 61.

=
:

na^o,

1.

5.

in

'PVT: the

'P'T

with Mandaic spelling.

found also
is

34

8,

which determines the reading here.

is

01

pns
it

the plural

problematic, as there

but one client to this

is

charm;
its

may have

been used inadvertently.

'V^n

not Aramaic in

present sense.

200

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION,

14.

tr'njT: this

obscure demon appears again in

1.

16;

it

is

evidently
in the de

the K"3T listed with the planets in Libzbarski's

Mandaic amulet

Vogiie Florilegium,
17.

1.

251.

DNytr: cf. the

i,

Mandaic dN'ro, name of an

angel,

Lidzbarski,

Ephemeris,
Ktiyr
:

104, n. 2.

Zeus,

Syriac

Tit,

in
DIT-

Jacob of Sarug (Martin,

ZDMG,

xxix,

no,

1.

50), otherwise bvt and

KJD
JlJn

the

Mandaic genius Mana ?

See Norberg, Onom. 96.

n'3: the family or school of

some magician

like that of

Joshua

b.

Perahia, see p. 46.

18.

DirplN

=
;

'aKcavd^,

the parent deity in magical theosophy (cf.

in the Babylonian)
recalls

see index of Dieterich, Abraxas.

Protogonos

who

appears with

Aeon

as son of

Ea The preceding name Kolpia and Baau in

i,

Sanchuniathon's cosmic genealogy, Eusebius, Praep.

19. '3^^^: cf. II
:

ev.,

10.

7.

n'E'Nlbo:

an astrological reference?
in

n'pjn nsniD

...

}':

the

same phrase

Pognon B, except

that

the

word

Knc't, "hair," appears there.

No. 20 (CBS 16023)

Kns'b^Ji KJxcbi

n:sddi

Kim
'S3

st'B' (S)

'o^nm n'ox snss-kx

mu

"nDmn

(2)

ciCk-d]

(5)

n3 niD nn^on

'csi:': tn^i S'i'j'sa

Nrnnon

(4)

[Knst5''']a

KKKKKK

n'bi'n

nbti

\c i^K ids ics i's^'sm ^S'Si-: ^Kn3J

Translation
Tardi bath Oni (2) Hormisdar Tardi.
exorcised and sealed (3) are the
In the

name

of

AAAAAA,

Demon and

the Devil and the Satan and

the Curse-spirit and the evil Liliths (4) which appear by night and appear

by day, and appear (to) Tardi bath [Oni,

Gabriel, Michael,

etc.].

(5)

In the

name of

and Rophiel.

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen,

Hallelia, Selah.

According to

AAAAAA.
Commentary

A
On

charm against

ghosts.
It

The

interest of this

bowl

lies in

the figure

decorating the center.

represents a
is

demon with arms and

legs manacled.
figure's right
e.

either side of the figures

an enclosed space, that on the

its left,

hand bearing the

and permission.
scribed the

inscription

KllDN, that on

Kitn,

i.

prohibition
is

In the lower part of the body on the former side

sorcerer's client.

in-

names of the

The

pictures thus graphically

presents the idea that the

demon has no power over

the lady in question.

is

The

picture
spelling
1

is is

of better quality than the inscription, which

very

illiterate.

The

most

careless.
is

The

connection of the proper names

uncertain, as also the char-

acter of the

names themselves.
Justi, p.

For niDOnn

might compare the Pahlavi

Ormazdyar,
2.

loa.
K, see p. 60.
artificial

For the repeated

an

3. KJKtsb: probably

form;
(201)

cf.

KiTC, Hlbc, NJDD.

202

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
ending.

4. Nrnrr'n

has Mandaic fem.

cf.

pi.

In

S'^^K3 the

first

K has a

point over
5.

it

to mark error?
:

the Massoretic Nikkudim.

in

^X'an

the

first

vowel as

Enoch and

in

Mandaic, representing
in

the

Hebrew

active ppl., parallel to the equivalent

:

Aramaic form
8,

Raphael.
in the

ni^^n: for similar perversions see 24: 4, 31

32: 12;

cf. aUriT-ov

Paris Magical Papyrus,

191
1,

1.

3032, and

n'b

i^bnin a Jewish

charm,

JAOS,

274.

Nos. 21, 22, 23

No. 21 (CBS 16054)

nn'3 n[n]nDi D'nn
(1)

No. 22 (CBS 16006)

nn'3 Dnnoi DTin (l)

No. 23

(CBS

16090) Dnn (1)

nnu D[K]nn2i
na

nna

nn

nnsipo'si

n3

nm nncipD^Ki
PJ/J2
i'3 ijs

nn
pyja

nnEiPD'si
iis

12

n-N

12

nnK

rm[-i b]^ ID iB'13

KnI'Dnc [i]ei pB"a (2)
pptJ
!'3

pnn

12 i'a"3

pnn
Kn^33D
KptOI SptJ

5'3

121 p{5"3

Kni'33D IDI p.B'U (2)

PPT3 i'321 n'^'i' [21

IDI

pB"3

(2)

iDi xn^i'i'
ni>

im

!53 IDI

Kn'^'^ IDI
b-[

nnn!'

impn sh
(3)

nnnS"

nij

impn xh

nrrni' n^
''\\'\

impn

nn
onnoi

[nn2]iPD''Ni'i

nn

(3) nnsipD'si'i

(3)

nn2ipD'^i

D'nnn nnx na

c^nnn nnx n3
Dnn]Di ppry nniriu

^D-innn

nn na

I'pty nniri-'n

DnnDi ppfv nn^nu

ponn
im pB"3
It3i

ny3E'3
iia

pDnn
t2i sri''^'^

nv3B'[3
^3 to

pDnn nyaca
pprj b^
IDI

[pifn]

PW2 (4) pnn

121

p2

xni'332

bs

PPTJ (4)

PPTJDI (4)

Knb332
nn''3i'

nb

p3ipn

si)!

nn'3i' nb

impn xh
nn2ipDisi'i

[n]m
[t2i]

nnsipD'Ki'i

nn

[nnx n3]
pt^'^
i (5)

nn n3

pnn

i'3

121

nov

pB"3 pptJ b3
a]by'?)

in
n>D I2K IDK

niJO

JDK IDK

nbo id[k ids

Translation of No. 22
Sealed and countersealed are the house and
threshold of

Dodi bath

Ahath from

all

evil

Plagues,

f^om

all

evil
all

Spirits,

(2) and from the

Tormentors, and from the

Liliths,

and from

Injurers, that ye approach

b. A.,

not to her, to the house and threshold of (3) Dodi

which

is

sealed

with three signets and countersealed with seven seals from every kind of
(203)

304

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

Lilith

and from

all

(4) Injurers, that ye approach not to her, to the house

[b.

and threshold of Dodi

Injurers, (5)

A.], and

from

all evil

Spirits

and from
Selah.

all evil

from

this

day and forever.

Amen, Amen,

Commentary
Three
identical bowls, out of the

four which were deposited at the

corners of the
inscriptions; in
inscription.
1,
t,

charmed house;

see 8.

There are

slight variations in the

No. 22 the writer found more room and made a longer

;

All three are most roughly and illegibly written are indistinguishable, and
5,
is

the characters

has a peculiar form.

The word

transliterated pn, 22:

written in a clumsy Syriac script.

is

An

interesting grammatical peculiarity

the omission of

after a
1.

genitive with the personal suffix.

This appears at the beginning of

3 in

No. 22, and throughout, in the same combination, in the other two.

This

might be taken for haplography before

nn

but the same

phenomenon

appears in the Mandaic bowls published below

see the Introduction, 5 B.

cf.

For

the injunction in

1.

4 not to approach,

the like prohibition in

:

a late Greek
fi

charm

(Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 294)

roi p}

HiK^am

ij

p'/A^ai

vpoacyyiaac,

k. t. ?..;

cf. also

a Syriac

charm of

Gollancz's, p. 93.

No. 24 (CBS 2926)

NJT'B'K le S'SB* 'cn-13

'Dn'm
i?:

(2)

KnEiino na njnij n? 'nn k'oc

.
.

[sn]iDx

nn
!?;

'pxpi'

nb nn s^se'

koids

hI'sd ir;s ion

'sijn

.'.

(3) kjin j^
. . .

Knns
h^kd

tci

laN 'B^a 'jnddi na-^a Nnni 'B'UK'

s'ob'

nyrs iiDann (4)

(5)

snal^nt:

K'ajnri'

^om:
n^nsN

'Drrrn na^nt:

nn

K'n^it^

sniDN

"ibbn

px

na

k'hj

nbxDiDNioN tox

(6)

^^ vaoa rna '.nxni

Translation
Salvation from

Heaven be
Selah.

for

Hindu bath Mahlaphta,

(

(2)

that she

be saved by the love of Heaven from Fever

(?) (3)

?)

and from Sweating, from

Amen,

Salvation from

Heaven be

for

Kaki bath Mahlaphta (4) that there

the
evil

cease from her disturbing

Dreams and

Spirit

and

evil

Satans.

Amen, Amen,

Selah, Hallelui.
for Zarinkas bath Mahlaphta, that she be saved by the

Salvation (5)

love of Heaven, to wit Zarinkas, that she bring to the birth her child

Amen, Amen, Amen, Selah

Commentary

A
names
1.

charm for three daughters of a

severally

certain

woman, made out

in

their

and for

specific maladies.
in

The

misspellings are numerous.

it is

nin: the same name appears

i.

40: 14;

hypocoristic of sn'njn

38:

3,

e.

"Indian woman."
is

2.

Nn'CN

doubtless fever, in neo-Syriac ^= malarial fever, cf. the

general

name

for fever with the Jews, NntfN (Preuss, Bib.-talm. Med.,, 184),

and

n. b.

the disease asu in Assyrian, Kiichler, Beitrage, 131, 197.

NTS

For the

next word the root

kind of fever.

suggests a sweating disease.

p.

NJIN

may be another

In general see above,

93

f.

(205)

206

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

3.

''pap:

also in Hyvernat's bowl.

in a Syriac

The name

occurs

as

that
(c.

of

an

Egyptian sorceress
cited

biography of

Rabban Hormizd
i,

600),

by Budge
is

in his edition of

The Book of Governors,

p. clxiv.

Our

word

probably the Syriac kaka, "pelican," while the Egyptian name

kuk^

may

represent
col.

(for a similar adoption of this Greek word, see Payne

Smith,
4.
5.

3709).
see p. 82.

For the "disturbing dreams,"

Zarinkas: cited by Justi, p. 382.

No. 25 (CBS 16009)

pnm]na
I'ri'oi

\)n'<i''i2

nn
p33

htutk snn na
pni'
5?

nnxi'i

^dkd in Mnui' niot?

'o n^oK-n

to

Kni[DN]

(2)

ti3-ip''i

rnn
i?.

iin^

pn'on p33
^^ki

'cma

^['ni n'{?

ina^-iDi

D^p

nns

dib'3
(3)

nno'j

lonri Kn [pn]^3T
I'R'Br (4)

nica

niB'

pnun nnan
.

in

imnoo 'b^a namn^ Din^

pi

cnip id

pnanc's

n^tf D'JsiKn ba by
J?i i'Di
'\p

ijy

nin'

nn ina
. .
.

tin

'sisn D't?
i'N'n'

mca
[!>35']

n' pntJD'a

nDD[is<]

nnoe'

n'

tai

mni

^'k^'j^db' ni)

ide'

KmosS'

pDoen

n^sK^s lu^x n^^s oema'

[r\]rf2

Dsnts'

o^ab D^ano
tin''

(5)

prtD

[nj]3ni n'nn'Kii

r\:>yp'i

pnm Kmosa

iipii

(6)

prs sb'^n 'n

nnjmi

lOK loK

Di)!;

b'^bib^

in Kcr

in 't3KD

na 'nu pnn^

(7)

n^nua

'B'J's Sidii

Translation
Salvation from

Heaven

for Guroi bar Tati

and for Ahath bath Doda

dw[elling the
dead,

his wife, that there vanish

from them

in their

Demons and
shall

Devjils by the mercy of Heaven.

alive to

Whoever here has

who

become

them

here,

and

shall

approach (2) and are found to be (actually)

In the
..

dead

from

these you are kept and these are kept (from you).

name: Thoucontentions of

send (to)

them, Hadarbadii bar

Blessed art thou,

(3)

the

them

all.

Behold,

Yhwh

on account

of the

name of
and so

(4) Yophiel thy name, Yehiel they

call thee, Sasangiel,

Yhwh,

names

[Arjmasa Metatron Yah,

in the

name

of Tigin, Trigis, Balbis, Sabgas, Sadrapas.

salvation to
all

These are the angels who bring

will

the children of men.

They (6)

come and go forth

his,

with the salvation of this house and property and dwelling of

his sons
b.

and of

and daughters and

all

the people in his house

(7)

of this Guroi
Selah,

T. from this day even for the sphere of eternity.

Amen, Amen,

Halleluia.

Commentary
The
inscription
is

of interest because
In this respect
it is

it

is

directed against the appari-

tion of family ghosts.

to be

compared with No. 39 and

Wohlstein's bowl, no. 2417; see above

p. 82.

(207)

208

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
a new-Persian form of Waroe.
N'llJ

'1")13

identified

by

Justi, p. 356, as

The Seder ha-Doroth

jmi3
(ii,

lists

number of Talmudic persons named

is

and

89)

also a

famous Syriac martyr Gurias

recorded.

Apart

from the Persian hypocoristic ending, the word could be explained from
the Semitic
barski,
(

^5n1J

Syriac, "whelp").

Cf. also the Palmyrene

S113

Lidz-

Handbuch, 249.
Tata
is

'tSND:

a feminine

name found

in Syriac, in

Asseman's Bibliosee

theca Orientalis and Wright's Catalogue of the British

Museum;

Payne

Smith,
2.

col.

1456.
'^S,

Cf. snsn, 39:

8.

'Vx,

and n^'N
2,

1.

5: the

Aramaic pronoun with

loss of

t.

cf.

similar cases cited to 8:

''"inD''3,

if

not a Hebraism.

imnD'3:

Hebrew

Nifals with Aramaic inflection.

is

naiTn^ Oin^ n^C: the idea apparently

dead
to

that a

message be sent to the

cause

them

to

cease

their contentions
is

(}in'3n) with the living,

is

then one of these departed spirits

named.

The name
as Yodid,

not recognizable

as a proper name, and evidently, as in Wohlstein's bowl, referred to above,

it is

a fancy name. (There

4. bx'BV
:

we have such names

six

Muth, Dabti,
6,

Ith.)

One
is

of the
in

angels

in

Targ. Jer. to Dt. 34:

along
prince

with Metatron, and,

of the
131-

Schwab, Vocab.,

145, a companion of
nin'',

M. and

Law.

'Br

Talmudic surrogate for

see Blau, Zauberivesen,

^X'm or ^Kinv

cf.

Sxinv Schwab,

p.

141.

The

following

name

is

un-

known.

These angels are invoked as phases or names of Deity;

:

cf. p. 58.

Hermes-Metatron
with Yah.
5
.

for the identification, see to 2: 2; here identified

These magical words are mystical names of the angels

see p. 97.

They

are dominated by sibilant terminations for which see p. 60.

n'sspo: Mandaic plural spelling.

6.
7.

pn'
d55J?

tins'. cf.

^'bj

Syriac

NnJC,

SJ3t

br J also of a
;

cycle.

No. 26

(CBS

3997)

motyo
'"'

riKi

(2)

1VD' '"' 12
-[2

'?y\

ur' '"'

's ^v

nnx

'"' U'ni'N "'i iisiB"

i'j;

ya^

netr "'^ nyr laon (3) "" nvr iddh bn '"' los'i nt^D la'"" '2 ~fl Rnc'ia xnn (4) tijs riT-nsi m^DN 3in b'ko ^vid iin nr '?n D^I'tJ'Ti'a Tnun Kin..n na TsmJEXiK sini 'cno ^3 nun'sna!' tin!' irnrrn k> Kna^pn Kn'^ibi Kn'j? ba si'i nnvtri nnvB' ijsa xiJi, lavi tf'an 1533 v!?\ nb^b^ ab) aou kS) (5)
'DH'
.

K1 iDDITTI lEDI '3110121

'DDiJ "^IpCn IinifilP [D (6)

"Jft

pn^'X

N'Tj;

N'Ta

'an

ddo'x
(8)

n^sn

(7)

imn
ntr
. . .

3ini

iin^a'j"'!'

po^j

p'c

panan

soa
k^

K:o''e'a

pa'o ithb-ski
.

nB"x NJfa.K
a

''nB'''K

'.aia

nim^K sb

x'^va

iT-nan m^.vn ova

n,Trii

Translation
"Hear, Israel:

Y\'YY

our

God

is

one

YYYY."

"According to the

mouth of

YYYY

they encamped, and according to the mouth of

YYYY
Satan

they marched
to the

(2).

The observance

of

YYYY
"And

they observed according

word of

Yhwh

through Moses."

YYYY
who

said

to

YYYY

rebuke (3) thee, Satan,

YYYY

rebuke thee,

chose Jerusalem.

Is not this a

brand plucked from the fire?"

evil

Again, bound and held art thou, (4)

that thou appear not to Berik-Yahbeh bar

Spirit,

and mighty

Lilith,

Mame

and

this

Ispandarmed bath

H.

.dora, (5) neither

by day nor by

night, nor at

any evening or morning,

nor at any time whatsoever, nor at any seasons whatsoever.

But

flee

(6)

from

their presence
[I

and take thy divorce and thy separation and thy writ
thee, [even as
(7,

of dismissal.
their wives

have divorced]

demons write] divorces for

and return not

(to them).

8)

Commentary
This charm, against the
evil Lihth, is

introduced by three quotations

from the
still

Scriptures.

The

first is

the opening sentence of the

Shemd, which

remains the contents of the Mezuzoth, or house phylacteries of the

(209)

210

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
UnfortunI

Jews.

The

other two have occurred in previous texts

see 5

5.

ately the last

two

lines are too

broken and obscure to be read.

In
the

have

merely reproduced here the evident characters.

circle at the

segments of the

bottom of the bowl appear words, some of which are forms

of the divine
I. "":

Names

n'',

in% ns^S; also llS'S (?) and in^s^ (?)

for nirlv

Cf. the

common

scribal abbreviation, " or "'; also such

forms as

W and

l"i, in

Schwab O.

ne'D 13: for T3, as in No. 5.

3.
3in: cf. 2:
I.

4.
it is

n^airana: there

is

no doubt as to the reading of

this

remarkable enough.

The second and

[n']3"i3,

divine component of

name and the name

which was an ordinary

[n']3n3, or

[n']3n3, has been expanded

so as to give the awful pronunciation of the Ineffable

Name.

We

cannot

suppose that the name was thus ordinarily spelt or pronounced, but the
scribe has taken
client's
it

upon himself
is

to give this interpretation

cni'S') of his

name.

Here then

a clear survival of the ancient magical significa(cf. Heitmiiller,

tion
ff.),

and use of the personal name

as also of the pronunciation of the

n>

"Im Namen Jesu," 159 name itself. It may be retorted

e,

that

would
The

hardly be used to represent

and that the original pro-

nunciation was
xxiv, 152).

Yahwe, not

(see Arnold's valuable discussion,

JBL,

latter thesis is right,

but

think that the tradition repre-

sented here connects with the Hellenistic magic, in which,

among

various
I

forms,

loi?

occurs several times (Deissmann, Bibelstudien, 7),' although

la^v.

have not found a case of

Further, in the

Talmud (Sank. 56a) nov

appears as a surrogate for the Name, which Dietrich,

ZATW,
e,

iv,

27,

would vocalize as Yose.

Greek magical term
be further proof for

Blau (Zauberzvesen, 131) objects to

^BV
11.

but adduces

from the Mishna, Sukk. 45a, the surrogate

j^v

which he

identifies

with the

(citing Paris Pap.

1896, 2746).

This would

in the current magical pronunciation.

As
9:

for

IT-

=
25
:

-e,

we have
and

not only the masc. pron. suffix for a parallel but also the

plural -e represented in the

5,

same way

in

some of our

texts,

e.

g.

6,

12:

i,

also the proper

name rrmi 31:2.

'

Also on an Abraxas gem, see Diet, de I'archiclogie chretienne,

i,

141.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

211

can find no other interpretation of this unique name-form.

it

note
2,

upon

was published
forth

in the

Museum

Journal of the University, 1910 no.

which called
assents),

some private

criticisms

from scholars
been
offered.

(along with
(Is

but

no better

explanation
rrarr'

has

there

possible explanation in the

noticed to 7: 8?).

In the

first

amulet in

my
16,

paper "Some Early Amulets from Palestine,"

JAOS,

1911, 272, fine

nun'

is

apparently to be read for the divine

Name,

a proof of western

connections for the present form.

TonnjsV'K:
I,

cf.

Glossary

for other forms.

The name
ix,

occurs in Ellis
its

where

it

was

first

recognized by Levy,

ZDMG,

470, 486,

correct

interpretation (as Spenta-Armaita, a daughter of

Ahuramazda) being given

f. d.

by G. Hoffmann, "Ausziige aus syrischen Aden," Abhandlungen

d.

Kundc
Griech.

Morgenlandes, 1880, 128; see also

Justi, p. 308.

For the mother's name

see

Prof.

Kent suggests
112.

to

me

comparison with

''EpudSupof,

Fick,

Personennamen,
8.

KJtD'E'Si: cf.

2:

5.

No. 27
TinnT'K 13 (3) iKin'
K^DT
iriirK
iTia

(CBS
^omn

16041)
k3-i

SJN

:'?']

s'dk

(2)

nnsiox

ns
'B'sjt
(5)
(6)

ine^a
'b'na

Kim
KvnKi
pri'Dn

'HDip
K^'OB'

n'?)'2

K^nsT 'napip K^insi

b'?'2i

(4)

Knx'va 'naip3
xt^n!'

sisn tsnn w^ni

]inb
'31

kui sDsnsi
^a'^a

xit^'abi

ny^a dnt

nnoK nna
HD
(9)

"aaib'ynai

^kjd3 iinn

rryja

3in pab xjo'tj-B Kin'

.[p^

j3'8j xriB'p

nnjnr's

"i^

la-i'V kjs ''hu (7)

(8)
tin''Dn

Kpn NSK"S3
nnJit^N
"13

113l5

Kja^tTK NJK3

IHTD

KJK 3in nn'3 n'3

DVTO
wrrno

1H1VV :h
iiyi

nnu
sji'ns

pn'on crro 3in srjn in^v^T

kbb'^nsi

WJn nam
.
.

iJT'T'^
ib'^S'i

-iiD

ti2Tn bv xjirnsT Knoinsi

'vt

smnj

xnaE' in'i'y
bv\

NnKB"3 'nm

B'33'o^n

iiia'D

mioy

(10)

dhd

bjn

RnK'I"5'3
.

'^3

n^irs (11) pn3 ri'ws rr'^tN in:it's 13 intt' kjk

nnN'jTt

naiD naio

m'D miD

I'o'p no nnK3p'j nnNnnD'S3

n3n n3na3 KnNE"3

pn'bv

Commentary
After the introductory appeal, "In thy name,
etc.,

Lord of

salvations,"
2.

the inscription for lines 2b-ii

is

practically identical with

No.

This
lines,

portion does not need translation and commentary.

13-24, are so mutilated or obscure, that I can

The remaining

make out but few connected

passages in them, and hence

do not present them.

between the parallel
texts, this

There are a few

slight differences

one
is

being probably more correct.

in
1.

The most

considerable variation in text

9,

where the sorcerer says that he

6.

laid the

ban upon Hermon

his wife

cf

my

note to 2:

The same Yezidad bar Izdanduch and

7.

Merduch

bath Banai, appear in No.

There they are the subjects of the charm,

here Yezidad operates magic in his

of the charm in No.
2.

own name.
also takes

Cf. the mutual character

In

1.

8 the wife

up the exorcism.

(212)

No. 28 (CBS 2972)

bv k!"S
'JJjr

wuan^K

k^ ^'?v

:b'T3

pox ^rsnj na nns inn

(2)

33nK"3i

KB'oiB'

npn

KnK''3nnNi ^nn iudj (3)

3 bv iiino-iBT
nariK'^ji

nn
[i]inj'
[.
.

rT'n''^3

nb'J'N 121 n'.^J???^

'n (4)
.....['J

snom mi
.

n^^s k"tiji }SbtoD

.nijK]

nn] nnK nna

K-it3'pi n'n'is

in'nB"JT iv 'idis na
b
.

pxnn ^y

iironBTi

po ppDs

(5)

n i>n2 xrinm
nctj-m

mm
p-sK

nxmB'

'3i

"m

jinn-iD 'n^'x

Kntny na^bnn

nsK^a i'S'an'n n^atrn

ni^nan
pni>i3

pN

Translation
In thy name,
the account of

Lord of heaven and

.
. .

earth.

Appointed

is

this

bowl to

Anur

bar Parkoi, that he be inflamed and kindled and

burn (2) after Ahath bath Nebazak.

Amen.
a

Everlasting presses which have only been pressed upon (?)

man

in his heart.

(3) Take

hrk,

and hot herbs

?)

which they

call

sunwort

(?), mtlln

and peppers

them and the

rites

of love which thou (?)

hast sprinkled upon

b. P. until that

(4) She shall sprinkle

them upon
b.

this

Anur
(5)

he be inflamed and burn after Ahath

N
name
(

and

in lust

and

in the mysteries of love, in order that

take pieces from his heart and the

charm

his

?)

In the

name

of the angel Rahmiel and in the

all

name of DHbat Amen, Amen,

the passionate,

the gods, the lords of

the mysteries.

Commentary

love-charm
It

such

is

the import of this sadly mutilated but interis

esting bowl.

belongs to the same class of magic as No. 13, but

more

romantic, for there

one for a

we find a charm passionate woman to bring

for a childless, neglected wife, here

her lover to her side.

p. 44.

For the use

of a bowl for such a defixio see above

The

first

copyist

was

able to

(213)

214

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
was
in his hands, the

read more than

can now,

as, since it

bowl has been

cracked and then repaired.

The lacunae
legible, the

in the text are tantalizing.

So far

as the text

is

charm which names the two

parties

adjures the passion of the beloved.

Some
is

praxis

is

described, a simula-

crum
image

is

evidently used, for "his heart

to be scattered

to be torn in pieces,"

and on

this

is

some kind of salad of hot herbs expressive of

love's passion, while the beloved's

name

is

to be formally pronounced.
in

Blau has collected the Talmudic material on philtres

wesen, 24, 52, 158, 167;
n. b.

his

Zauber-

the recitation of Bible verses over the love-

apple, p. 52, n. 2 (with literature).

In the Old Testament

flf..

we have mere

references to this aphrodisiac {Gen. 30: 14

Cant. 7: 14) without any

note as to magical manipulation.

philtres prescribed in

For

later

Jewish use, see the numerous

1906-7.

Thompson, "Folk Lore of Mossoul," PSBA,

classical

But

it

is

from the
this

and Hellenistic

field

that

we have most

knowledge of

amatory magic, and the connections of the present text

are found in that direction.

to mind, in
fire

Of

course Theocritus's second Idyll comes

casts the various philtres into the

which the love-lorn maiden

with adjurations of Hecate.

For

this classical field I

may

refer to the

monograph of O. Hirschfeld, De incantamentis

apud Graecos Romanosque (Ratisbon, 1863)
;

et devinctionibus amatorii.%

see p. 42

for aphrodisiac

herbs; also see section 8 (p. 233) of Abt, Die Apologie des Apuleius.
In the magical papyri numerous erotic incantations are preserved,
in the Paris
e. g.

Papyrus
flf.,

in

Wessely, Vienna Denkschriften

52,
1.

hist.-phil.

Class,

xxxvi,

1.

2622

xli, p.
is

976

flf.'

But the most graceful and famous

of these charms

that inscribed on a lead plate found at

in a

Hadrumetum,
in

N. Africa,
earth.

buried
no.
cit.

necropolis, just as our

it

bowl was buried

the

First edited by Maspero,

has been since frequently published:

tabellas, p. xvii
;

Wiinsch, CIA, App. continens defixionum

Audollent, Defix-

ionum
271
to
;

tabellae,

271

Deissmann, Bibelstudien, 21, and Bible Studies,

5.

Blau, op.

96; Wiinsch, Ant. Fluchtafeln, no.

It is

Blau's merit

have specially pointed out the Jewish connection of

this

this text.

Now,
literal

between
*

Hellenistic

charm and our bowl we

Liebeszauber

find

an almost

may add now

in

F. Boll, "Griechischer

aus

Aegypten auf

zwei
1910,

Bleitafein,"

Sitsungsberichle of the Heidelberg Academy, phil.-hist. Class,

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
man

INCANTATION TEXTS.

216

correspondence in the trinity of terms for the passion adjured in the lover.

With our invocation

after" the
girl,

that the

"be enflamed and kindled and burn

compare the longing of the Greek maiden Domitiana that

ipuvra /iaiv6fuvov (laaavi^o/ievov ^ Or
epi>vTa /iaiv6/ievov PaaaviCi/ievov
,

her lover come

ip.

or

paa. aypvTzvovvra

repetitions like those in our texts.

With
cited

this

probably

technical formula
Scly
cfie,
:

compare the second of the charms

until kX'Sovaa
1.

above by Wesayawijaa arcpyovaa

May X
T.

do naught

Trp6q fie rbv Selva Tr'hjpoifiopovaa

K.

1.
TTj

Also in our
(pMaKoi epurt

4 there

is

an echo of Domitiana's wish that he

while the formula "to the name,"
1.

come

iv

Kal em-^vfiia,
1.

i,

and the use of "heart,"

2, indicate

Greek connections.

How much
is difficult

Jewish,

to determine.

how much Grecian, the Hadrumetum tablet is, it Our text shows manifest ties with the love-magic
is

of the Hellenistic world and

the eastern representative of the philtres

is

of which the North African text

spirit

the most notable western example.

The

of both these texts

is

Greek rather than Semitic; but the fame of

its

Jewish magic appears to have made

desires of passion.
religion, is of

solemn formulas
is

eligible
all

for the
in

Our

text,

it

is

to be noticed,

not at

Jewish

more simple
praxis
of

original type than the African charm.

For
charm
Algiers,

the
cited

our

text
et

may compare
religion

Moorish

love-

by
p.

Doutte,

Magie

dans I'Afnque du Nord,

wishes
to

1908,

253

"A woman who

the

gain

the

love

of

man

should

procure

following

materials

from

neighbors

with

whom

she has never eaten: coriander, caraway,

gum

of terebinth, lime,

cummin, verdegris, myrrh, some blood of an animal whose throat has been
cut,
is

and a piece of a broom hailing from a cemetery.

On

a dark night she

to

go into the country with a lighted brazier and throw these different
one after another into the
fire

articles

speaking these words:

coriander,

bring him mad!

caraway, bring him wandering without success!

!

mastic, raise in his heart anguish and tears

white lime, make his heart

!

wakeful

in

disquietude
fire

cummin, bring him possessed

verdegris,

kindle the

of his heart!

myrrh, make him spend a frightful night!

blood of the victim, lead him panting!

side."
I
.

cemetery broom, bring him to

my
and

Etc,

n'OB"!)

'r

I"*

bvona.

his definition of the phrase as indicating "die

and see Heitmiiller, "Im Natnen Jesu," 95 flF., Zueignung an eine Person

216

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

unter irgend welchem Gebrauch ihres

loo-iio).

Namens"

(p. 107,
is

and

at length, pp.

As he shows,

the

usage before us

not

Semitic or even
4.

Septuagintal.

Cf. also Bohmer,

Das

biblische

"Im Namen,"

2. the

HKibv
'3

'Caa:

translate the
i.

words without any certain

sense.

For

noun

see to 7:
(

If

Kobv might be read, the reference could be to

figure

a moulded

caa,

"press")

representing

the lover.

Below

in

1.

the space before the man's

like.

The

latter part of

name may have contained "image of," or the the line is most obscure. The "heart" (also 1. 5)
This
is

appears as the seat of sexual affection.

(with the possible exception of the
times with a

a Greek usage, not Semitic

five

woman

as

the

Hebrew phrase a? bj! tyi, used object). See Andry, Le coeur, 5, for
p.

the

Greek idea of the heart

use.

as the

amatory organ,

15

ff.,

for the late Semitic

P. 17 he quotes a Spanish Arabic poet

to the heart, but the

who

speaks gallantly of being

wounded
3.
I

metaphor

is

that of a mortal wound.'

translate the ppl.

raoj, as also

TpDB

1.

5,

as imperatives; cf.

Rabbinic and Syriac usage.

01 Tin:

to

this

list

of

aphrodisiacs
is

the

clue

is

given by S'nu ('-

=
col.

pi.

ending, as in Mandaic), which

;

the piper candidus (Payne Smith,

erotic

2303)

its

pungency was evidently regarded as possessing

power
to be

and symbolism.

Then

JMi, if the reading be correct,

and KH'^nnN are

explained in the same

mn, "burn." SCO'C '33j; May ]b?QKi be mushrooms? doubtless hes in the same circle of ideas. Loew's Aramdische Pflanzennamen does not contain these words. The

way from

their roots,

Ttfi,

"rites of love" are the

magical practices.
KDiJn'E'

4. nsn-'B':

compare Syriac
a' a

{sub

nitr).

"boldness, lascivious-

ness"; the ending

5
.

for ay a?
:

n^yh fO rpDE
is

'D

a noun, or

better

ppl.

like paDJ,

1.

3.

The

phrase

simplest interpreted as a reference to the lady's slowly tearing to

pieces the facsimile of her lover's heart, with the intent that he perish of

love

cf again Theocritus's second Idyll.

.

'

Cf. the phrase quoted in Lane's Dictionary, 782: "she has overturned

my

heart

and torn

my

midriflf."

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
name

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

217

n'iian: the lover's

see to No. 13.

is

to be pronounced.

For the angel Rahmiel

riT^T

one of the Mandaic forms of Dilbat, a name of the Babylonian

Ishtar, especially in her stellar capacity as

Venus.

For the Mandaic forms,

^ele^ar,

see Brandt,

Mand.

Schr., 45, 85

also in

Hesychius as

and

in

Bar
by

Bahlul as na^n.'

For

this form, see Noldeke,,

18,

Mand. Gram.
and the

25.

For the
appro-

Babylonian use see Jensen, Kosmologie,

Jastrow,
priate.

latest discussion
is

ZA, The

1908, 155.
epithet

As

the goddess of love her patronage

(cf.

Nnrty

38: 7)

recalls

the Babylonian ezzu, a

frequent epithet of gods, while Ishtar especially appears as the

raging

goddess, whether of war, in Assyria, or of love, in the Izdubhar epic.

The

same epithet became the old Arabian name of the morning-star,

(Wellhausen Skizzen,
denied by
iii, 41, Noldeke,

al-'uzza.

ZDMG,
;

xli,

710, the identification

nj?

W.

R. Smith, Rel. Sent., 57).

The Edessene
cf
.

was

originally
NTVinC'v

the morning-star, Lagrange, tudes,' 135

the

Aramaic names

and Tvmne'y (Lidzbarski, Handbuch, 347

'

f.).

So

also to be explained r\tht in

Schwab, Vocab.,

403.

No. 29 (CBS 16055)

n'''n

ppsi

itrs-i

nn

(3)

[B'usna
D^nni
(6)

Kmos^ nisov
.

nin' (2)
!tVP

jtrK-i

n3 trosrinb

(5)

irpi

as

'Wp

IV'^'J

IK'S (4)

ri^'^

to

nn^a in n^a lo nj'c

nnpjvi
r;T'E'3i

p'^

V>^t<''

na

B''':snai'
I'sj-u

msnv mnn n'oca nycp

(7)

Nn[B']u

t^n^b-'b)

fi^Kn f"D i^yac n^iD

nmn
nc
.

tru

nvTD
;3n

(8)

[ii3'i'y]

sjysB'a
'E'tti

k^si'j

lai

'aiDi

ki3t Kn:2i sn^anDi sns'p

KantsDKT 'sia
VP-'^
'?:>[

stc

pb"b' na 'SE'i'm normal n'n'an

'i'''^

pt!"3

ppnm

'b^a 'J3 n'ts'i 3t3i ki.d

yja vjj'k didip xirp.

k!)!! ii]n^D65'

(9)

SJo^pDi NJn^Ji KjavDi KJWB'ei

woi;:

iin'oti'

nji3[t (10)

n^-isit

Nn^N n^ns it's n^ns (11)

n^D^'yi
o'lpHB-'i'

ra rp yp rn ra

m rpi
(12)

io

n'ocj'n

p^'^v

'pn'

tpna

n^Dim smos

b:i

na

SHI'S sin las'

nsiva sai
b

sna^j

sm

SHI'S

sin nnaiyi'i nTiun'ni'i n'nanni'i

ninu

ipno

Translation
[This bowl
is

appointed in the

name

of?] (2)

Yhwh
of

Sebaoth for the

(4)

salvation [and sealing? of Metanis]

(3) bath Resan

and
Sebaoth

sealed (5)

for Metanis b. R.,

an

amulet

in the

name

Yhwh

for Metanis b. R.

And bound
Lilith

(6) from her, from her children, from her

evil

house, from
evil

all

her dwelling, are the

Plagues and

evil
.

Demons and
. .

the

and the decent

and the Necklace-spirits and

Menstruation
(

and Tormentors and the Hags of the wild and Impurities and Epilepsy

?).

We

adjure you

(8)

whatsoever
. . .

evil

thing lodges in the house and

dwelling of Haliphai bar Sissin

(9)

and Darsi the foreigner and Astroba

.

Leprosy, Plague, Stroke, the kindly and

all

Lili,

and the

Demons, ghostly Shades, and

I

Goblins and evil Injurers whose names

[I

have mentioned and whose names

fast

have not] (10) mentioned:

fast (sic)

exorcise
in the

and adjure and make

and bind and make

upon you,

name

of

MW,

of KS, SS,

MS, BS, KS, KS, BS

name.

(11) I-am-that-I-am,
all

the great God,

Mesoah
is

his

He

is

God, the Lord of

Salvation,

whose throne

established between the ethers

and

his eternity

(world?)

(318)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
(12) in

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

219

is

established for

Yhwh

and for

his praise

and the

faith

in

him and

his service.

He

is

the great, the mighty God.

Commentary

charm made out

for

two

different parties,

(i)

woman

Metanis
quarters.
is

and her household, and (2) for several men and

their

house and
of the

These may be lodgers

"foreigner."

in

the

woman's house.
is

One

men

The

tone of piety in the charm

is in

superior to that of the

other texts; the incantation

praises are dwelt
I
.

the

name

of

Yhwh

Sebaoth alone, whose

upon

in

almost liturgical fashion.

to

The charm appears

have a double introduction.

Most of

11.

3,

is

unintelligible.

5.

B"JKno:? tC'Si: possibly the

father's

name, Syriac SJE'sn, "prince."

One

is

tempted to compare the name of the famous Roxane; the masc.

parallel

Roxanes

Persian Rosan, Justi,

p.

262.

But the

should be

indicated. 6. m'B'31
'3

h: see above,

p. 76.

'3

may

be euphemistic and then have

1.

developed into a distinct species.

7.

Cf. the epithet S3St3 in

9.

SDS'a: Syriac kepsa.

Ki3T
in

sn33:

cf.

17:

3.

'DID: Syriac kdixd.

sIjs'J

n3

one might think,

the context, of abortion.

But

in the

Talmud
see

D'^'SJ

Griinbaum

p is a demon of nervous ZDMG, xxxi, 332 for some

trouble or epilepsy, Bekor. 44b;

discussion of the word.

Epilepsy

was a most common

disease in antiquity; n. b. the miracles in the

cf.

New

Testament, and for the Hellenic world

Tambornino, De antiquorum
It

daemonismo, 57: often equivalent to

insanity.

has been generally sup-

posed that the Jews were particularly subject to this disease; M. Fishberg
in

The Jews, London and New York,

191

1,

denies this, but admits the

nervous pathology of the race (chap. xv).

cited in Bekor. 44.

Cf. 16: 8 for another disease

8.

rrrm: alongside of

'"I'l,

1.

6; the form appears in the Syriac and

Mandaic bowls.
'KD'^n

=
:

Palmyrene 'Bvn
the Persian
(

for signification, cf.

xna^no.

PB^C

cf.

?)

names

Sisines,

Sisinnios, Sisoi, Justi, p.

i.

303; on the etymology of Sisines see Noldeke, Pers. Studien, 404, no.

220

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
Also in
Is

Cf. the Jewish

names

NtT'E'

and NJCB', Seder ha-Doroth,

the

ii,

348

f.

Pognon B (where
KTtJ'

rcjJB')

it is

name

of the parent
learn

mother or father?
is

an additional name?
N3i-it3DK is evidently

Of

"fin

we

only that he

foreigner.

Also

a Greek name.
of

9. VJ^N: the

demon offspring
ii,

Adam

are called

ms

'33 'yJ3 in

the

Zohar, Eisenmenger,
DiDin
. .
.

422.

for this formation, see Levias,

Grammar

of the Aramaic Idiom

diseases

in the Bab.

Talmud,

975.

For

similar

eruptive

named

in

these texts, see p. 93.

N^'L3
'J3:

epithet of the goblins;

:

Rabb.

vhwi

Syr.

tella,

"shadow."

Cf. the

'3^0,

Targ. Cant. 3
at

8, etc.

The lacuna
10.

end of the

line is supplied

by help of 14

6.

For the dominance of

sibilants in these magical

words

cf. p. 60.

At

the begining and end of the series are characters enclosed in square

lines.

11.

'3: for

p3, as also in the

Talmud.

There follows a lapse

into

Hebrew

probably
:

a citation.

D''i5ntJ'

one of the seven heavens of Kabbalism.

:

12.

rT'n3cnn
:

for iTnn3Enn?

nn3lj;

it

is

strange to find this

word of magical connotation used of

true worship in a Jewish text

No. 30
Tmnja''D'K
(2) "i3 t3:B'nj'n:''i

(CBS
la

16096)
cinni idk
.

Kmx
iO

srscN Nn "m sn^n nnsnoi

10
Q^'^D^

JO (3) NTI31 KIK'

KJOKD

Kin

B^astf lo

'iat:''D

n[3]
sna^pj

-ini

wnnpjNi Kn3n sn'!"^

nn
fis

id

sn^JTr
kj'-j;

sioin

id

pB'u pnn

id

sn'^''^

nnn

ikt

n
ID

wb nu

nm

Nrr'jnDxn KJ^y xnapj (4)

sian KJNry
b'n

PB'u pnn

Ki[n]D sjmh

id ';d (5)

k"3

ii^n

id

xnut kid nih pB"3

ntj-a

ntrnKHN

nnu-sr kid xin

id

Translation

Bound and

sealed are the house

and the

life
.

of this Ispiza bar Arha,

bath Simkoi,

and Yandundisnat bar (2) Ispandarmed, and

from the

Sun and Heat, from

Lilith,
evil

the Devil, the Satan, the male the

Demon

(3) the female

Spirits,

impious
(or)

Amulet-spirit,

the lilith-Spirit male or the

female; the Eye of

man

(4)

woman;

the

Eye of contumely;

Eye

which looks right into the heart; the mystery which belongs

to the evil

Potency, that impious lord; from the evil hateful Potency; from disturbing Vision; from evil Spirits; from that impious Lord, in the

name

of

Commentary

charm

for

two men and a woman from

inscription
is

certain specified diseases

and demons.
difficult,

The
writer

illiterate

and

the

script

particularly
n.
b.

the

using a
"1

very individual chirography;

,

the

D,

the non-distinction of 1 and

the

8<

which often consists of but two

finial
3

upright strokes, and the use of one form for internal and
in the

except

word

ID,

where a

finial is

used.

I. -IDK:

for
cf.

TDK.
the Syriac
tatJ'K

WBC^K
i: 3.

(Aspaz)
1.

for the

Hebrew
I

TJStJ'K

in

Dan.

(tJSDK

occurs in

Myhrman,

i,

to

which

cite

the

Babylonian

(321)

222

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
"house,"

Aspazanda.).

The

Persian

XTSCN

is

and S'3rBE"N "steward."

May

it

be an abbreviated form of the latter word?'

:

KmN
2.

cf.
:

the biblical Arah, a post-exilic name.

t23C"13ny
''13D'D

so the most likely reading of the name. the

characters

are

uncertain.

Cf.

^eifteiKoc

in a
p. 294.

Greek

inscription
NC'3i

from the Don,

C"D^5t^':

Persian simikos, "silver"; Justi,

is

the

iirst

word

the
is

Mandaic

spelling

for "the

Sun,"
XD'a

which also

in the

Mandaic

religion

regarded as an
42.

evil genius.
6,

KtiV, see Noldeke,

Mand. Gram.,

Cf. Ps. 121: 6, 91:

the

and see

Grunbaum's discussion of the

"'I'lD atop,

demon

of the midday sun,

ZDMG,
Nna'p:.

xxxi, 251

f.

KTST: an error for sian

Cf. the unabashed

(cf.

1.

3), or intended for assonance with

spellings in

Samaritan literature to
"i3T

produce
in the

rhymes.
sense of
3.

Or

is

there a play on the roots,

and 3p3 being used

"name"?

i.

e.

the

named

spirits.

Nn''^''ij

nn:

cf.

N. T.

Trveiiia Haifiovo^.

NJsrv

the last two letters are dittography.

There follows a

list

of

various kinds of "evil eye," for which see p. 86.

4.
NrT'jnDNn

xry: so the most

likely reading;

cf.

Lidz. 4,

end, Ki'V

NJsnDin (?).

"The eye

that

sees

(or

of

those

that

see)

within the heart"

is

reference to the uncanny effect of the evil eye.

In what follows some corrections are necessary.

rtr'a
is

'

isn

= im
with
1.

for

yn
the
Cf.

read E"3

-n

as farther on,

and correct

KniJT to KniJiNt

5.
I'J)

There
) is

evidently a repetition of phrases.

The

C"3

i)'n

(like the

NC"3

personification of the

power operating these psychological wondprs.

the Rabbinic nin3(Joel,

Der Aberglaube,
24:
4.

i,

80), the

New

Testament

dwdufif.

NTiiD NJitn

lEnJC <oSn,
1.

At

the

end of

comes a long

series of characters

which do not

appear to form words.

' According to Karmsedin's Lexicon, quoted by Payne-Smith under the latter word; in lingua Nahathaea est oecononius et viatorum exceptor, etc. Observe the accompanying name ms.

No. 31 (CBS 9008)

rue

nfm
(5)

(3)

nanjcDS la n^^mi sjm nnui

ptir-:

(2)

xnanni' dx3 kjh iotd

pi"ne

imB'21
-i3

in^DK

i<::"3

xc^a

xol^^'ni

xnoii'i (4) snijana

\'br\

nn'3 pi

nanJcDK

^3^K^

sjm nnui

(6)

sn^nn^ xdn3
ipnainj (7)

piDjm
nitya

i^onnai pi3j;o
p-tB"j

nriDS nn^^B'tJ' niK lana oyna d

in''nN'

i<mnb

nH

+++++ ++

n'iJ'i'n nisD

poK pas kkkkkkk

(8)

m
(9)

nx nx ns nKinty^ Knia
nn^n lajn^ji Qinnnij
jai

njD nt'ni nanjaDS 12 nrnxT

sjm fim
pax

KnnjKi

iterz (10) Nai"ni

snaih Knb^^c nnu

Translation
This bowl
is

designated for the

sealing

(2)

of
his

the house of this

iDadbeh bar Asmandiicht, (3) that from him and the Tormentor (4) and the Curse and the very
fortified

house

may remove
Charmed;

evil

Dreams.

and confirmed,

(5)

corroborated,

strengthened and sealed and

this

guarded are these bowls for the sealing (6) of the house of
b.

Dahbeh

A.,

that

they

may

not lodge
S,

together (with them). In the

name

of

Yahihu (7)

NHRBTMW,

MR'S,

YSHN'H,
Hallulia.

Ah, Ah, Ah, Ahah,

MRMR, 'oth Sasbiboth, Astar, (8) AAAAAAA, Amen, Amen,

Miita.

Selah,

Sealed and guarded shall be the house (9) and wife and sons of this

Dadbeh

b.

A., that there

may remove from him and

evil

his

house the Tor-

mentor and the Curse and

Dreams.

Amen.

Commentary
For a general discussion of the epigraphy and language of
the
this

and

following
1.

Syriac

bowls

(Nos.

31-37), see Introduction, 6.

The

crosses in

8 are the same as those which occur in the center "seals" of

these Syriac bowls.

I.
'l^

pm:

cf.

8:

i,

and see to 3:

i.

(223)

224

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
also in Nos. 12

2.

Dadbeh son of Asmanducht appears

and

16.

Here

the latter
3.

name appears

in full Persian form, -diicht.

6.

nrn

nrn: see to 4:

4. pnTO: see to 4: 6.
5.
j'^'riD:

for 'no.-KDt p^n with reference to the four duplicate bowls.

6.

lS''n8<^:

play

on the Tetragrammaton, with the three primary

use
1.

vowels;
is

cf.

the

magical

of

the
ff.

seven vowels

in

Greek; there

anu

also

found, Paris Pap.,

3019

No. 32 (CBS 16086)

nr^m TBmj2D''{<
Kin 13 (4) Kinin

12

n^m nmi
pnija

nnnjsii

(2)
n-iis

nnm

xn^nn^ sdkd xjn

iota

Tavi siny Krpcn sron

ke"3 iioSn, (3) xnljaao njo

wt3Di
oiiy^T
Nirij'j

(5)

Km

NTC
nn^^j;

by

-iunm

iin^i'V

snai x'-ms 12 vib"' dt

aTin
ari-bb)

KTanoT
u
}D

an^ ain TomjED'K na

nin ninx

'um
mnx
nyisi
sn'^^i

niraa jtkt
ninxris
n'idb' (7)

k^lj^i

KJvb'J

N!:"^

n u

id

nonx

Ditj'a

(6)

iDDn'x pnjnni [KnlNoi non'K pninai

Iia'ijy

i<-iiDi

B"3Dn'N pnjnm
[ktkKB'-in]

p'i'Di

Ktsi'V

to inj;

iinjnni

(8)

saobi

NJtaoi

xim
b^

nn^[3 10]

(9)

iir[p2si']

s.psi

Kmi'nni'

[xj^un Sb'p
n^rrxT ^3
(lo)
ini

ei^xn^si

noiid!)

nnoi
D'nn

D-nCm] tdxi KT-anoia

[ii]n'P'3{5'
i<5i':si

niB-njaD-'K nn
K''Dnp

'um

TDK

3in nn
nJiD

k!)

loisn K'onp
kj;

n'[i3 Kb

ktIbh p'k

D'n[nn'j (11)

pcK pcK]

h'H'

n'-ni

D'nnri'm Knoii'i iica to^ni KniiDno

i>

id

n^n^n^n^n' nw2 KiunoT Kjn^ nnnoi TomjEo^K 12 mm nnu iDjrr'Ji

Mm

31

HiTji KHDibi KB"3

KD^jm

Knljanc fs (12)

[rim nnnjK]

^t33n''n1

PDK
Translation
This bowl
is

n.bn

designated for the sealing of the house and the wife (2)

and the children of Dinoi bar Ispandarmed, that there remove from him
the Tormentor (3) and evil Dreams.

The bowl
like

that which

ban-writ against

work which has been made (4) Rab Jesus bar Perahia sat and wrote against them, all the Demons and Devils (5) and Satans and Liliths
deposit and sink down, a

and Latbe which are

in the
is

house of Dinoi
all

b. I.

Again

he wrote against

them a ban-writ which

Atot, within

for

time, (6)

by the virtue of

'TMDG,

Atatot

T(

?),

Atot Atot the name, a writing within a writing. Through

;

which (words) were subjected (7) heaven and earth and the mountains and through which the heights were commanded; and through which were
fettered Arts,

Demons and

Devils and Satans and Liliths and Latbe; (8)

this

and through which he passed over from

(225)

world and climbed above you

226

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
counter-charms,
a ruin
to

to

the height

(of

heaven)

and learned

all

destruction,

and
all

... to bring
is

and from

that

in

his

you forth (9) from the house of Dinoi b. I., house, I have dismissed you by the ban-writ.
is it,

And charmed and sealed and countersealed

not,

even as ancient runes

fail

(10) and (like) ancient

is

men who

are not ...

Again: charmed and

sealed and countersealed

this ban-writ by the virtue of

YHYHYHYHYH,
b. I.

YHYH, YHYH,

A'.

Amen, Amen,

Selah.

(11) Sealed and protected are the house and dwelling of Dinoi

from the Tormentor and

tected be [his wife

evil

Dreams and

the Curse.

And

sealed and proevil

and son] (12) from the Tormentor and

Hallela,

Dreams and

Curse and

Vows and

Amen.

Commentary
Nos. 32 and 33 certain practically identical inscriptions,
they are

except that

made out

in the

name of

different

clients,

and that No. 32 has

is

additional matter at the beginning and the end.

for the interpretation of the

This identity
in

fortunate

two bowls, for the lacunae

the other.

each one can be

for the
three

almost wholly supplied from

Also No. 35

is

made out
of

wife of the client of the present charm.

The chirography

all

bowls

is

the same, being

more

cursive than the script of No. 31.

The charms
certain

effected in this

and the following bowl are attributed

Perahia,
evidently
in

to a

master magician, Jesus bar

the
8,

Joshua ben
9,

Perahia,

who

appears

in
is

the

same capacity

Nos.

and

17.

Now
down

Joshua ben Perahia

the tradition of the

one of the several Zugoih or Pairs,

;

who handed

Law

from the Great Synagogue and he flourished

in the early part of the first century
is
:

in the reign of

Alexander Jannaeus,
reference to
is

B. C.

The Mishnaic

him

found in Pirke Aboth

7,

where

the following dictum

possess thyself of an

attributed to

him "Make

unto thyself a master, and

scale of

associate,

and judge every man on the

merit"

Further, an interesting Talmudic tradition concerning the same Joshua

appears in uncensored editions, according to which he fled into Egypt to

escape the cruel persecution instituted by Alexander against the Pharisees,

culminating in the crucifixion of eight hundred of that faction, circa 88

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION T^XTS.

227

B.

The

tradition

is

of added interest because

it

connects Joshua with a

is

certain IK"

whose

identity with Jesus of

Nazareth

generally recognized."

The passage in Sank. 107b reads as follows: The rabbis taught: The left hand should always push away, and the right hand receive favorably. Not like Elisha, who drove away Gehazi with both hands, nor like Joshua b. P. who drove off Jesus How 'isun IB", i. e. Jesus the Nazarene) (in the Munich MS., and in Sota was that? When king Jannaeus killed the rabbis, R. Joshua b. P. and Jesus went When peace was established, Simeon b. Setah sent a to Alexandria of Egypt. message to him From Jerusalem the Holy City to thee Alexandria of Egypt, my
:

He (Joshua) arose, and is lodged in thee, and I sit desolate. came, and lodged at a certain inn, where they paid him great respect. He said: How fair is this inn (aksania). He (Jesus) said to him. Rabbi, her eyes (as though
sister:

My

husband

by aksania the landlady was meant!) are too bleary. He replied to him: Thou He brought forth four hundred horns knave, thou busiest thyself with such stuff and excommunicated him. He (Jesus) came in his presence many a time, and said. Receive me; he took no notice of him. One day he was reading the Shema, Jesus again presented himself, thinking he would receive him. He made a sign to him with his hand, he thought that he had utterly rejected him. He went off and erected
!

tile and worshipped it. Joshua said to him. Repent. He replied, I have been taught by thee that every sinner and seducer of the people can find no opportunity for repentance. And so it was said Jesus bewitched and seduced and drove off

Israel.

It is

of interest that the Jesus of our texts

epithet of the
jnK"'',

is

given a

title

which betradition

came the

Nazarene Jesus with

34:
2,

whom
Is

Talmudic
in
this

connected him: N'ON

=z 'ivam

aur^p ,

there

magical

reference to Jesus b. Perahia a confusion with Jesus Christ?

We

find

then in these magical bowls an independent tradition con-

cerning an early hero of the Law,

who

appears as endowed with magic

powers, and
heaven.

who furthermore was

able to

make

the ascent of the soul to

He was

accordingly one of the earliest to attain that spiritual

'

See Schurer,

GJV,
is

i,

288.

The anecdote

Hagiga, ii, 2, Sank, vi, p. 8 ff., gives the texts of the first three passages, with critical apparatus, and Strack, Jesus, die Hdretiker u. d. Christen, 1910, 8, gives the texts from Hagiga, and the Bab. Sanhedrin. Through the kindness of Dr. Julius H. Greenstone, I have also had access to his rare copy of the Constantinople edition, 1585, of Sanhedrin. Dalman quotes the Venetian editions of the two Talmuds, and the Jewish Encyclopaedia, s. v. "Joshua b. P." cites the Amsterdam and Berlin edition of 1865 for the passage in
Sota.

found in Sanhedrin 107b Sota 47a; cf. Jerusalem Talmud Dalman, in Laible's Jesus Christus im Talmud', Appendix, 8.

On

the criticism of the legend concerning Jesus, see Laible,

b.

p.

ad

loc.

The Jerusalem Talmud names Juda

Tabai

in place of

40 ff., and Strack, Joshua (they were

interpretation.

contemporaries) and omits mention of Jesus. Cf. Blau, p. 34, for some points of The introduction of Jesus is a sheer anachronism.

228

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

privilege,

which was the claim of apocalyptists from the author of Enoch

in general Bousset, iv

down.

See

"Die Himmelreise
f.,

d.

Seele," in
is

Archiv

f.

Rel-ivissenschaft,

(1901),

136

229

f.

Such a claim

made

for

Akiba,

who

alone of four friends succeeded in penetrating Paradise, Hagiga

p.

14b

(see

Bousset,
for

145),

and

this

mystical claim
for R. Ishmael
;

was asserted by
see
full

the

Kabbalists

Moses and
flf.,

especially

references
ii,

in Bousset, p. 151

cf.

Graetz, Gesch. v, 231 and Joel, Aberglaube,

35.

The Talmudic

tradition has unfortunately not preserved for us

enough of
alone

the mystical side of the early teachers; Akiba could not have been
in

his

mysticism.

Joshua was

possibly

one of the good company of

preserve a true reminiscence of

apocalyptists and our magic tradition

his personality

may

and

claims.

2.

n33: plural

with masc.

sing,

suffix,

as in the texts above

and

in

Mandaic.

'Un
3.

s.

Noldeke, Persische Studien, 403.

:

'i\

NJ^Oi KiiB

see to 9

I.

may now add

in

the Syriac Kinia, "earthen-

ware
opera,

figures" (of the gods), occurring

13,
1.

Overbeck, Bphraetni Syri ...

piiru,

24.

Compare

also the

Assyrian

"bowl," see Zimmern,

Beitrdge, 147, note k, and

KAT,

518: but

my

etymology contravenes that of

Zimmern.
Niuy: so also
Ninin
:

in

No. 33; elsewhere

xnay, X131V, Niayo.

a duplicated form of the pronoun, found in the Syriac.

:

4.

'a

a preposition appearing in the Rabbinic dialect, not in Syriac.

yiE'"
'ii/ffoif,

the spelling represents the older pronunciation, the Biblical

Isii.

yB",

the Jacobite Yesii, over against the Nestorian

NT2nm:

Prof. Roland G. Kent, to

it

whom

I
1,

referred this word,

359.

has
the
-\-

published an elaborate study of

conclusion that
it

in

JAOS,

191

He

comes

to

means "a handwritten

deterrent,"

from

dast,

"hand"

bhira (Sansk.), "terrifying."

5.

The word

occurs only here and in No. 33.

K3t3^: see to 9: 7.

6.

The same magical

more
perfect

reference appears in
in

No.

32.

For the

practice

see the

form

6.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
It
is

INCANTATION TEXTS.

239

pnjn

a unique spelling (occurring also in the parallel, No. 33, along

for the Syriac hennon.

with

Y^in),

an elder form and

is

to be com-

pared with the Rabbinic inrK, see Levias, Grammar, 95.

7.

IDH'K: corresponding to both Syriac and Rabbinic forms.

"iDN.

iDDn'K: from a denominative verb, arising from the root

Smith,
col.

Payne-

2181, gives a citation for IDD,

vinxit catenis vel compedibus,

ib. col.

with which
cf.

may be compared snunoDD,

actus ligationis,

324.

Also

ISO, Glossary C.
8.

s^un

also

found

in 37: 11

and

in Lidzbarski,

Mand. Amulet,

1.

33

(de Vogiie volume).

papBN^

for the infinitive, cf. 9

8.

p'S := Syriac aikannd; the good Syriac 34: 4. What follows is not perfectly clear. By
rare in Syriac), are meant charms
b. P.
(i. e.

I'X appears in the parallel

the "ancient songs"

(ktc

carmina), such as the master Jesus

once used.

But the following clause remains obscure because of the

unintelligible "IDIVT.

10.

NCiS:

cf.

the Rabbinic 'tyrs

inse.

which Noldeke (Mand. Gram., 182)

Syriac rarely uses the plural in the

understands as enase, not

sense of "men."

The

No. 33 (CBS 16019)

anai

K^ma

in

vw m a^nn
sn'^li'i

(3) xin ^3 xinin

lujn xiny
Jctc pn^^

(2) kj'pb'i

wot
im'I'j;

xma
(4)

nrraa n'KT

Katsbi

(5)

icjcDi

Sim
pn'i'y

!'V

Ki'nnDT

niDNnN JTons mtra

tt-nan^N
i<i]ni
[i'D

ni'yi'T
ij

wnuriDT
jo

2n3

nnjnm kjv^u

sjrljC'j] xae'

mn (6) riDnjoDN mnx nins [n u

[y
ii:n]3i

na nanxiT

j;:

njinx
s'']aK'

(7)

(9) Ktb* icB-nn -iDorT'X pjnai anikDi lon^N pjnai

icnioi s<[y-ixi

(8)

fi]i'sn'Ni

Nsnai' pa'^y

i?'i'Di

sol'V

jd

-12

xacbi

nttIj^i

njLddi
(lO)

nanJoDN

nn nrnxii

nnu

jn

p3i?CK^

[s.dki]

xmbanb x^'an
nbn'-i
(12)

t<^3'p

NTCT

p3' onnoi

D'nn[i

tdki xTjanoia
nn
!'

iirr'p'DB'
Ntj-jxi
n^'n'

b)^

121

(11)

Njn nnnoi n^nn n^Ds

mn
[n]S'D

idivt

x'tenp

una

n^ N'oip

nnu

iDJD'ji

D^nnno

pns poN

(13) sy
fi:3

.T'n"'

.TiTH' dib's

xTanon

poK

sntii^i n!'33o id

nrjpi Mnjai

nnn^xi n3nJ3[D in naixn

X3]m

This inscription

is

practically contained in
is

No.

32, with a

change in the

name
Nos.

of the client,
12, 16.

who

the

same

as the one in the

Syriac No. 31

and

(230)

No. 34 (CBS 9012)

K'DK viB""! i"n ^'R3
nt'onin -ir":t rinjai
1^:1

(2)

'2^ 12 ^t'o^lR in'CT nn'3 psinni' sdn3 Kjn

nnnjsi nnui (3)
Ktnt:
r:n:iDij'2i

fort:

rijai

mn

-|idk

NS'pn 'Jdn ^^na

-i3

xiiK' I'S 12P1 fiiDi sa'!'

t:nt I's
snna
(5)

(4) dtiri

i^dn ^osa

npn'*3T

Nj^'sbi nj;"iN^

Nnbx nascKT
(6)

xnijo

D'nm I'dk
o^nni

cnm
tdx

i^dn

id'J jin^nn

s'DC'

133

n^nm h^dk

nhsoii

niid

niDxa

p^^"''<^

pym
k^dx

i^K'^a (7) Dirn p2'P KJ1P1231 t'TDX Nnboai N^roi N2313 NinDi Ncotr wvnxi

n^Ki KmB'13 nbia ND'nni

nj'jpi

ntds 'Jhkt xnsy

(8)

i^xnsji

X'i'no

i'^-K^ani

nT3i

i<n:3i

.1j3i

nnn:s nnus
tit3''i'B'T

'cso 13 it'oiin "iniai mja3 nisi

poTin n3T

(9)

Tn
la

13 k3^3

nnpT'ysi ijt 13 iv-isn

nnnn3

mn
S'-dk'

^331
NDE^'y

pa'nm
Kjn.

k3-i

xanm

Ka'pn
n:a

xna
i<3aS

dd3'13ni iib'S^ki

NanR3 KJa^nm

^5aD^1

Konm nsip

H'bd

iiip'jn
5)31

(10)
)>

ktc

Ijsi

nviki

P3

K11J (11)

mDK3 nonx Kin

toiB*!

npan

iii"j/j

xi'vai
xiB'ai'

snap
xaiy

Sjvi

jn5;3x>
i^b"B'3i

nn'3 nnjn'31 C'nnrr'j nbo pax pax xvixi

x^atj-

xn
,l33i

XD^m

xni'33a n:a nr'ni ^axa 13 (12) it'amn nn^ai mjai nj^jpi

nnnjxi
xb'u

D-nnn'm

xnu'SD'oi

xaini

xjioim

xj^n

xn^33ai xe'ini
ja

xitji xnci^i

xcnni xiTJi xnDibi xk"3 xabni xn^33a

n'?

(13) xnno n3 n3 inn3 iDjnTn

KD^bb-,

3npn

x^i

r\bi^^\2^

hn^i

xni'D3ai

xrinarm

xnS'33a
ris

non'm xn3PDi
nnn'n
xi"!

pax xino n3 n3 'nR3 xnn3

Translation
This bowl
bar
of
is

(14)

designated for the sealing of the house of Mihr-hormizd

Mami

(2) by power of the virtue of Jesus the healer, by the virtue

relative.

my

mighty

Charmed

is

the dwelling, and the abode (3) and

the house and the wife and the sons and the daughters of Mihr-hormizd,
is

who

the

charmed and sealed (4) even as Moses commanded b. M. Red Sea and they (the waters) stood up like a wall on both sides. Charmed and sealed, charmed and sealed, (5) by this word which God
surnamed
;

(231)

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
their tops

laid

upon the earth and the

trees

which

charmed and sealed

with the seal of the mountains and heights; (6) charmed and sealed (with
the spell which is) in the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon,

the stars and

(zodiacal)

signs,

and by the word they are charmed and

remain in ward.
reliever,

In the

name

of (7) Michael the healer and Rofiel the

and Gabriel the servant of the Lord.

sealed
is all evil

Charmed and

that

is

in the

body of Mihr-hormizd

b.

M.
and

(8) and in his house (and) his wife and his sons and his daughters
his cattle

and

his property

and

in all his dwelling,

by the signet of

Arion son of Zand and by the

seal of

King Solomon son of David, (9) by

which were sealed the Oppressors and the Latbe.

And we
all

have sealed

with the seal of El Saddai and Abraxas the mighty lord, and the great
seal with

which were sealed heaven and earth and

foul

Knots and Latbe, which contend against him.

against

Harm

and Constraint (?), that they

Salt

shall not

Demons (10) and And a seal is this And at all enter in.
(11)
fire

every

Damkar and
Selah.

and Sard are charmed by the

spell of

and

the enchainment of water until the dissolution of heaven and earth.

Amen,

Amen,

Sealed and guarded be the house and wife and sons and
b.

property and body of Mihr-hormizd (12)

Injurer and evil

M., and depart from him the

Dreams and

the

Curse and the

Vow

and Arts and the

Tormentor and Damages and Losses and Failures and Poverty.

And
Practices.

sealed

and

protected

be

Bahroi

bath Bath-Sahde from the

Tormentor and

evil

Dreams and

the Curse

and the

Vow

and Arts and

And charmed
B.

be the Tormentor and Lilith and Ban-spirit,

who

thwarts her in her hand and foot, and

may

it

not approach nor

afflict this

Bahroi

b.

Commentary
The
text
is

of the same order as those immediately preceding.

is

At

the

end the charm

operated for a

woman

(with a Christian name), presum-

ably the wife of the chief client of the text.

I.

I'Oinn: the reading is certain,

and the word

is

is

parallel
if it

to

Nnonn

in the previous inscriptions, but the formation

unique,

be not an

error; 'Dinn

would be a Pael

inf.

Hormizd son of Mama(i) appears

in

No.

15.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
the

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

233

IPDiin "im

is

same as Mitr-oharmazde, or Mihrhormuz, the name

p. 216.
e. g.

of the murderer of Chosroes II; see Justi,

2.

X'DX: here applied to the sorcerer, but otherwise of God,

e.

i,

or angels,

g.

Michael,

1.

7.

See introduction to notes on No.

32.

'Jnx (evidently so written) I take to be for ':'ns,

"my

cousin."

The

magical tradition was handed

down

in the sorcerer's family, of. 8: 11.

snuacn
4.
strio:

SJ3B'D. but of peculiar formation.

a point over N, also in the same

name

in

35: 6

diacritical

for e?

The charm
14: lOp
22.
is

is

the effective one used by

Moses

at the

Red

Sea, cf.

.i'.

See

p.

64 for the magical use of such episodes.

3
:

But the plural

a reminiscence of ]osh.
p^'^
P'^'"i"'n

16,

and indicates conflation of the two

'l"in

narratives,
is

appears to be a confusion for pn'D^J

is

JD.

'nn

Palmyrene and Rabbinic, not Edessene, but

153.
spell; the
Is.
i.

found

in

neo-Syriac,

Noldeke, Mand. Gram.,

5.

naacs: of laying a
is

same verb for laying a ghost, 16:

9
e.
:

11.

The Afel

a hebraism.
it

Compare
;

"a word

Yahwe

has sent in

Jacob, and
'31

has fallen in Israel"

the magical
is

word
is

itself is potent.

KJ^'S: the reference of the

noun

obscure as
to

also the

meaning

of the following verb.

ancient "big" trees;
cf.

There may be a reference

Isaia's denunciation of

some myth concerning

Lebanon and the
1.

"everything high and lifted

up," 2: 5

ff.,

and especially
13.

his

woe upon
is

the cedars of

jcan

'Ji^K

v.

Then

v.
is

14

parallel to the Knsoii xiiD of

5. is

The
found

following relative clause

almost unintelligible.

The

root
I

j?Ti

only in Arabic,
Biblical

"withhold, refuse."

The next word

some

identify with the

TOK,

Is.

17: 6 (possibly, with

critics, also in

Gen. 49: 21).

The

old tree-myth

against the gods.

of the
the

may have told how the trees flaunted their high tops The obscurity of the passage may be due to corruption of pnnos appears to be used as one of form of the legend. The
'

Seydme
6.

points.
:

pTDK
:

n. b. position

of the points.

KJipiB3

a reference to the myth of the restraint of the celestial powers

see the discussion

on 4:

5,

and

cf. Is.

24: 21.

234

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
a pau'el formation

7.

Pi'^no: a

unique epithet for Raphael.

It is

from

N?l, and, agreeably to the etymology of

Raphael and

parallel to the epithet

sc.
is

applied to Gabriel, the participle

sick.

is

used in the sense "to relieve,"

the

Cf.

Baba Bathra x6
is

b,

sn'Vp '^TS

NOV '^TK; "when the day

high,

the sick

man

relieved."

In the Syriac the Pael came to be used in the

sense of "saving," see Payne-Smith, col. 903.

'XT mnj? ^'NnaJ
I,
:

Gabriel

is

especially the

messenger of Deity
calls

cf.

Luke

and Rev. 19:

10,

where the angel who

himself

owtSovAoc

with the

apocalyptist

may
:

be Gabriel.
Several phylacteries for cattle are given in
e.

mu

Mandaic form.

Pradel's collection of Graeco-Italian charms;

pp.
125,
127.

g. p.

18

and references,

An

exorcism against the "seven accursed brothers" (the

Babylonian Seven)

who

attack and devour the blood of the cattle,

is

given

in Gollancz's Syriac charms, p. 87.

According

to the

Babylonian magic the

i,

Seven

Spirits "smite both

belief in

oxen and sheep" (Thompson, Sem. Magic,

the 'hexing' of
cattle
still

33).
the

The mediaeval

flourishes

among

Pennsylvania Germans.
nJt
"13

Jl'iN

this sorcerer's

name appears

also in

No. 19:

13, 17,

and

the

two passages help mutually

9.

to identify the words.

ppl. of a

KOCy: a new species of demons, "the oppressors,"

common
cor-

Syriac root.
10.
Nlp^j?

(or

'B

?)

"Knots,"

i.

e.

of magical power.

The word

responds to the Arabic 'ukdat.

K'OD:
'

has usurped the radical

xrv,

; cf. Noldeke, Syr. Gram., 33 b.

fryriD: Etpa. of

probably metaplastic for

ny.

insjas

for the prosthetic vowel see Noldeke, Syr. Gram., 51,

b.

Mand.

Gram., 24 (n.

the equivalence of
ugliness or

ON^and

'p

b]l

as in Mandaic).

The

word may mean

in the

some more

specific

malady.
looks.

Cf. the charms

Greek magical papyri for obtaining good

parallel

The
identified

xnop must also mean some kind of malady, and may be

(

with the Assyrian kamtu, "misery"

to

Muss-Arnolt, Diet. 366),

root tiOp,

which

is

be

connected

with

the

Hebrew and Aramaic

;

"compress"
contortion.

(with

dissimilation

of the dental)

probably some form of

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
:

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

is

235

]^b^')li

K^yn

the

first

word
cf.

evidently an absolute infinitive

from

hbv,

plus a
final a,

(=

me"ela

me' la,

the

noun ma'la).

For this formation w^ith

250,
last
line,

Noldeke

offers a

Mandaic
(if
'

instance,

Hand. Gram.,
by Noldeke,

NOp'D.

In the form
;

pWj
^31
:

is

to be read) doubling of the second radical

appears

cf.

the

Mandaic form

p3'^'n,

cited

ibid.,

249, ad infra.

Kitn O'Cl
the

ipm

all

three words are obscure.

15, =
;

D'Cof the
VTiV,

ICre to Is. 28:

t3iB',

"scourge."
the

The

The second may be third may be the

(also

Rabbinic

"prince,

demon"

or

Hebrew serah

Aramaic)
in-

"chain, necklace," cf. the magical

snpjy.

But diseases are apparently

tended

(cf.

jnwx

above), and

we may

identify tS'C with the Syriac Saitd,

"eye-tumor"
{ib.,

(Payne-Smith,

col.

4094),

and NIC with

the

Syriac

N"'"iB'

4316), "diarrhoea."
"ip3,

"ipDT

may

then be understood aas a formation

from

"pierce," of taf'al form,

tankar =ztamkar (cf. Delitzsch, Ass.

Gram., 59), damkar. With the root meaning of perforation, cancer or the like may be referred to. The absolute forms are used, as proper

names.
11.
is

K'n

jbc^EJ'ni

Kni3 iidn: fire

and water are potent over demons.

the
catenis

J^tT'e'

collective

form
7.

in

-an.

Cf.

igneis

in

Wiinsch, Ant.

Fluchtafeln, no.
'Ji

KiB'D? KDlj;: the

demons are

to be

bound

till

the end of the present

final destruction

aeon; then will begin a new order, which will include the
of their power;
12.
cf.

2 Pet. 3: 12: ovpami

wfjohfievoi \v9iiaovTai;

also

Enoch.

srt

"loss"; see Jastrow, p. 393, Payne-Smith, col. 11 18.

all

For the

personification of
'lina
Justi,
:

kinds of losses, see

p. 94.

hypocoristicon of
if.

Bahram?

See Noldeke, Pers. Stud., 387

flf,,

361

icnno

na: "Daughter-of-the-Martyrs," a Christian name,

Bibl. Or.,
ii,

cf.

Bar-S., in

Asseman,

403 (Payne-Smith,

col.

2536), a bishop of Nineve.

ib.

Cf. the proper names, "Son-of-Carpenters," "Son-of-Ironsmiths,"

596.
13.
'Ji

591,

^nnoCD:

epithets of the Lilith,

;

who
and

is

also the Witch,

who

can

"bind" the limbs of her victim

see No. 42

p. 78.

Superior points for

the feminine suffix are used here as also in No. 35.

14.
"iDn'n
:

switchings by demons are a

common theme

of magic, see

1:10; compare

the Christian hagiological legends.

No. 35 (CBS 16097)

na
(3)

nan^soT
toi

rnjsii

nrjpm

njaii nn^ai (2) smt3Ji sncnni'

kdk3 :n

i>3tD

kStj
^'Knui

^<^la^:^1

sd'didi

(4)

kjcdi t<in[i]
'triK
(5)

^<c:a6^'

xt'c

is

itijnTn 'nDia

b'tiyrs

'"indi

mx mx
Si^mo

dibo k'Js ijan

Nno^cKi xnnpi
b''8<''t2^tyi

iijnDj: pjsi

xnunLJiob kk^d cv Tipsri'K

iis

ju'^i (6) !'''N'nnni

i'S

!"Nnt2Joi

siTJi xnDii"

ini

nte^i x'jd i<in

.
.

ic

^uoia

(7)

na nsn'No tnnb
Nj-ian xb'jk 'jaT

DW2 ani
IN IK.N'KJ

p '?f ]i^}y^ N'DpjHsnn ns^D N3

.

3
. .

i
. .

N-onsii Xtr^hi (8)

(9)

is^snn S^xnon

n'pN.e-p noE^ai

nsn'NQ

Nnni>

njionnji

(10) runtDjj pjNT

xninxi Hax^o !^^n

B'''m

own tck ton

Sa

inan na nsn'NO
NnnoB'Di
sni^^i

iDjn'ni

o'Dnrrn idn obvLb] xobv^

nitji
nddi^i

'i^on na
(11)
jo

NniiDao iDnTii

nb"2 Ho^ni

Nnj>33:

nnn:Ni nrra najn^m 'inon nn (12) non'Ns^ n^ niipn xbi

ni^Jini

riTxa Nn^tinoi
nj'j'pi fijai

poN Nmji

Nntaii'i

Sr'n Nobni Nni'Dno ts

TDmJSD'N la

'um

Translation
Appointed
the house
is

this

bowl

for

the

seaHng

and
of

guarding

(2) (3)

of

and sons

and

property

and

body

Maidiicht

bath

Kumboi, that she may be guarded from Demons,

and and
ardi

Plagues

and Devils
any
(5)

Satans

(4)

and
and

Seducers
Rites

and

Diaboli,
in

and
the

from

Vows
arsi,

Invocations

of

mankind;
Nuriel

name of
and
with

and

mart;
(6)

Michael
they
will

and

and

Saltiel

Mantariel and

Hithmiel.

And
they

were
guard

commissioned
this

along
b.

Moses
from

to
all

wardship,

and

Maidiicht

(7)

K.

hostile Devils

and affrighting Demons, and from every Curse and

(8) and of

Vow

of

mankind, of

men
(9)

women, and of

Idol-spirits
in the
;

who

(are

known)

and who are not (known) by name.

And

name

of ..., Hamariel

and

Sariel

of
the

Yah-Adon-ICamya

naya,

0,6!

Commanded,
for the ages

commanded
(10)

is it in

name

of these angels and letters which will guard

b.

and

seal

this

Maiducht

K. from everything
(236)

evil,

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
Sealed
evil

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

Maiducht

237

forever,

Amen.

and guarded

is

b.

K. from (ii) the

Tormentor and
the

Dreams and

the Curse and the

Vow; and charmed

in her

Tormentor and

Lilith

and Ban-spirit who thwarts her

b.

hand and

foot; and

may it not approach Maidiicht (12) And guarded be the house and wife and
Amen.

K.

son and property of Dinoi

son of Ispandarmed from the Tormentor and evil

Dreams and

the Curse

and the Vow.

Commentary
Largely a replica of No. 34.
of No. 33,
1.

It is
little

made out

for the wife of the client

who

is

himself given a

space at the end.

smt33(b)

noun of

intensive formation; cf. the

charm

elc

tj>povptioiv,

Reitzenstein, Point. 292.

2.

nan'XD: for the the

first

element

Mai

see Justi, p. 187.

The name

also appears in the unpublished No. 16093.

3.

'13013

cf. KuHJiaioc, Kd,3o(, Ko/i/3a0(c, Justi, p.

is

165.

4. Nta'BiD: (a plural-point
to be connected
spirits,"

not visible) a peculiar formation, evidently

t3iD, Xt3D,

with

the

theme

"go astray"

hence
i%fH, 4*

"seducing

corresponding to the words before and after.

Pi'lel

The form may be

Cf. 2 Ki, 22:

explained as a

participle,

with rejection of prefix.

of
I

19

ff.j

and the

nveif^aaiv TT^.dvin^ Kai fhdafXKa?.iai^ f^ar/iiovtciv

!
is

Nbl3N'T:

some of the characters are

It

uncertain, but the

word

suf-

ficiently clear.

appears in Syriac only (in the singular in -6s) in the

col.

Arabic lexicons; see Payne-Smith,

868.

snnp: evidently the same as the common nnp.

Notice the distinction

made here between

5.

diabolic arts

and human machinations.

Letters and angels are practically
is

For the assonance,

see

p. 61.

the same; see p. 99.

Of

these angels, Nuriel

one of the archangels (also

is

Uriel), Mantariel and Hithmiel are unique, Saltiel

listed

by Schwab as

form of

Saltiel.

These were Moses' guardian angels, and so can be

effective for the present client.

No. 36 (CBS 2933)

Nni)it3p

ma

Kn!>iDp
'JTIB'

im

(2) ni

TianriK

ri

[xd]k3
.
.

ssn

pm
.m
'5>

'KJJ 'JIPE ^3

K3['D]
i'V

^inb^

-[bv

V'Q^
-'b

(3)

K>1D

''OIP tO

'On
.

P12 PIS

3nn
kp'p-i

i'vi

snK"3 xnn
n'jn;a

n^s? ^'ist tth^n

nn^ (4)
(5)

;n'ji

nraa

noK
^-tpi

tin''n2Ki

unpnoi jinnncsi KJnn

Hj3
fvnii
(6)

Spo-n s^tspT xnipun n^

j'l^m

Kni?'!

i'lnnno'K!?

nds^d

pn'Oip
'ij

to

pis

kji^ib
'j"'n''n3N!)

[K3N*borbn]

(7)

lonp ic piD
fix
.

xntm Knn
. .

'3pbn

nm
niJD

nn^

KotyT

inr

'Knc'iK Knipj

iJiSKi

i<!)ibn nia!' i'nKi

sa^oj

Nonn Kjn

to 'jEn

t'OK I'o[n] (8)

n.anoi

Translation
.

designated

is this

bowl

turned away ... (2) of that Murderess,

depart from before
. .

daughter of Murderess.

Go away, go away, and

The lord (3) Sames (the Sun) has charged me against thee. Sin (the Moon) has sent me, Bel has commanded me, Nannai has said to me, and
and Nirig (Nergal) (4) has given me power
spirit,

to

go against the
kills

evil

against Dodib,

whom

they

call

the

Strangler,

who

the

young

(5) in the

womb

of their mothers, and they are called "Slayer," and their

fathers "Destroyer."

Go from

the presence of these holy angels (6) that

sons

may come

to birth to their mothers

and

little

children to their fathers.

Because he has given

Spirit.

me

name by which
bridal
.
.

I shall

drive thee forth. Evil

Go from
seal,

the presence of (7)

[these angels]

and depart from

. .

this

engraved

and go to the

chamber and
. . .

eat.

moreover drink

a libation and [depart

from

daughter of

]-izduch and her .... (8)

Amen, Amen,

Selah.

Commentary
This inscription has a twofold interest.
Its

magic purpose

is

the

insurance of a bride against the goblin which would destroy her powers of

motherhood

the evil spirit

is

invited to

go to the bridal chamber and there

(238)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TBXTS.
to be presumed,

339

partake of a certain food and drink, which

it

is

would

in

some way

incapacitate his powers; the text

is

badly obscured, but enough

survives to recall the book of Tobit and

against the
full

the

charm Raphael performed

Magic
is

demon which haunted

the chamber of Tobias's bride.

of this liHth witch

iii,

who

destroys love; for an early instance, cf. the

Maklu-series,

flF.

"The witch

who

robs

the

love

of

the

enamored man,
lascivious charm.

...

of the enamored maid.

Looking

at her

he
;

feels

her

She looks on the man and takes away

love."
is

his love

she looks

on the maid and takes away her

Cf. Nos. 13, 28.

The other
the old

feature of interest
deities, the lord

that the

charm

is

given as though from

pagan

Sames, Sin, Bel, Nannai, and Nirig, the an-

cient Nergal.

All these except Nannai survived as evil spirits,

the

spirits
s.

of the seven planets

in the

Mandaic

religion (see Norberg,

Onom.,
is

vv.),

but the present charm confesses their benevolent power and

also without
in

any Mandaic
the early

trace.

(This more antique aspect of these deities appears

in the

Mandaic amulet published by Lidzbarski,

247
ff.,

de Vogiie volume,

where,
It is

1.

"Samis, Bel, Nirig and

Kewan have

strengthened him.")

relic

of the religion which survived to a comparatively late date in

is

Harran.

The charm

given in the form of an oracle from these deities

;

according to ancient magical use

see p. 100.

For these Syrian

deities

see

the hst given by Jacob of Sarug, edited by Martin,

ZDMG,
d.

xxix, 110-131,

and

in general for the material

Chwolson,

d.

Ssabier u.

Ssabismus (1856).

For the use made by the Harranian pagans of "magic, conjurations, knots,
figures, amulets,"
etc.,

see Chwolson's extract

from the

Fihrist, ibid.,

ii,

21

for their use of oracles, p. 19.

1.

Tannx: n

for n, see 6.
artificial

2.

For the demon's

f.
tf-'DE'
1.

names, see
is

p. 77.
e. g.

2
T.,

K'-io: in

the

Mandaic '3ns
tJ'-DtJ',

the epithet of the Sun,

Ginza

p. 23,

15, ed.

Peterman; for

cf.

Mandaic

'^'DNB'.

K3'D: 3 is more likely than 1, and we The Mandaic has both fD and NTD.

obtain, a

form of Sin

in the Syriac.

'3: a dialectic

form of

b'3

(Mandaic).

For analogies

in

neo- Punic

names

('a,

'ya,

V3), see Lidzbarski,

no. 869;

and

in Syriac the deity

Handbuch, 289; CIS, Inscr. phoen., Beducht (Bel's or Beltis's, daughter), see

240

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
aus
syrischen

discussion

in

G.

Hoffmann,

Aiissiige
ff.

Akten persischer

Martyrer (Leipzig, 1880), 151

'SJ3
:

the ancient Babylonian goddess

u.

Nanna

(see Jastrow, Religion

Babyloniens

Assyriens

i,

76

ff.,

252, 266), daughter of Sin.

See

at length

for the later character of this deity G.

Hoffmann, Ausziige, 130

s. v.

ff.,

151

ff.

(for later literature, Roscher's Lexicon,

"Nana").

She combined both

Venus- and Diana-like

characteristics,

and thus appears on coins with a

crescent on her head (ibid., 152).

This lunar characteristic doubtless ex-

plains the gender of the deity in our text,

where as the verb shows, he

is

masculine.

In his history the

moon god
in

has vacillated between the two

genders, and while in later religion the moon's character has generally been
defined
as

female,
see

nevertheless
the

the

Harranian religion the moon was

in

androgynous;

excursus by
this

Chwolson

his

Ssabier,

i,

399

ff.

(Hence the Latin writers express

Mesopotamian

deity

by Lunus.)

It

may

be noticed that in the reference to Antiochos Epiphanes' raid upon the

in

temple of Noramc

2 Mac.

13,

15, there is

found

in the

Alexandrine

Codex the masculine variant Namfov.

4.
q. V.

ami:

the

name

is

obscure,

probably equivalent to SJ'ano, 37:

10,

Nn'i5iJn: the

normal feminine

.of this

formation, as against xn^lDp.

The
of

same
in

evil spirit,

Nnpun XDN, "Strangling Mother" (of babes) appears twice

(in Actes of the
is

Gollancz's Syriac charms, pp. 81, 83

nth Congr.

Orientalists, sect. 4).

And

the like epithet

found

in

the Greek amulet

published by Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 298, for Baskania, the Lilith-witch,

who

is

charged with the same murderous functions

ij

ApKiCu at,

'ZTpayyakia

no-

2.vfiop(pe,

cTrepxof^tv^ e:rl rd fitxpa naiiia, i/rt^

^xsi^

X^'^P^

adjjpav Koi avpetg rd TratSia Koi

.Ainre/f avrd koX TtT^vruaiv.

And there f oUow

1.

immediately "the names of the holy

5.

angels," just
^Tpayya?.ia

a*

these are referred to in

"^

See notes on No. 42.

naiioizvUTpw.

With
by

cf.

the

demoniac maladies

nmyaMuv and

cited

Roscher, Bphialtes, 55, 39.

NpDiT
'i^

KpTiT 37:
:

10,

{ip-i'\

18: 6, with assimilation of the dental to

fern. pi.

p.

xnpnoi

Mandaic form of the

wrought

The

best interpretation of the

to the parents

line is that the mischief

to the

embryo was charged

Cf. Ginza
ii,

who

so gained the ill-fame of infanticides.

98

(ed.

Norberg)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

341

"hence have arisen the abortive ones

foetus."

who make

abortions and destroy the

The

epithets are in the singular, being used distributively.

5. sasliD 6. ivn::

p^^:

i-

e.

the deities mentioned above; see above pp. 97, 99.

Cf. Rabbinic sn"ri, "midwife," and the
e. g.

"come

to the birth."

Syriac Afel used of the function of midwives,

an' Nocn: the antecedent
is

Peshitto to Br.

16.

uncertain

probably the charm has been ab-

breviated.
7.

XS'DJ: for

s<S'!?J?

Cf. 11:
'3 is

8.

ii^i^n

n'3^ ^vx

the -n

the

common

Syriac term for the marriage

chamber, or the nuptials

like the

in general.

preceding imperative to the

The imperative is apparently addressed demon who is bidden to go, if she dare,
her.

to the wedding,

and there partake of the magic foods prepared against

xnipj: the Syriac n'kdyd, "libation."

'KnB"N: the spelling represents the Syriac fem. impr.

'i^

inr
be

probably a Persian feminine

name
is

in

-duch,

the bride's

name
ical

to be filled out here.

b.

The

following

word

obscure, the missing rad-

may

No. 37 (CBS 2943)

nn33[i nj3] nnnsK nnsiPD'Ki nnC'ai] (2)
NjD-n[^i

Nmolxb ndn3 kjh

iJisi]

ic[ro]
[n]-i'3

...

(4)

nn^3 D[']n[n]
.

[i]n ^nxt^

hIj

pimi

niriE'XT

(3)

K3N \nn sn'3i Kts

Kijj
iJia I'Vi

(5) Nj;[iN ni] (6)

i'la
.
.

pap nC'Io ni n'oc

n kh^kt
isy

nnb<o b^na-ntj^
'?)^

snnansT

[^vi
. . .

Nn^3]3o
(7)

i'yi

xtjnn
bjn

nan^Ki

by no^K
bv\

KeKJn'D Kns'pn nn^bb

^yi

[k]TB'
did

bn
.

KnSriD'K

^m Nnoin
pa!'
.
. .

rnK NT:n Kaxijo

'vk-i

si'

...
.

(8)
.
.

...
(9) n^

nnx

^apon K:Mno

n'n
fiib'y

KVDB' NDJn'ST ni^y

Kin
. . .

s'nx k
.

i^ijopi

pb'p fiioip xanni ke'dii

xnt;'
i"a:i

api-iih N.a.
B'an iiauK
. .

(10)
.
.

Di

Kin Kpns'Di
k.ji

^'ax Nrraa a'H'

xobtr

Kipn^o

Kin
joi

KT'a^. KniaK Nnprco KJ'anoi

Kityai

.a

Kat kd^'B' kib'di Knap'j

xmnD^K

Knan xn^K

jo ko^'J'

(11)

Kiua Ki"3n

Translation
Designated
is

this

bowl for the [salvation and] healing (2) of the house

cattle,
.
.

and threshold, the wife, [the sons and] daughters, the

that]
is his,

(3) (4)
.

[and
.

all

and whatsoever

shall

belong to Zaroi son of

con-

firmed by the virtue of the word of God, the Mystery of heaven and the

Mystery of the assembled waters and the Mystery of

house
I will

earth, (5)
(

... of this
?)

enjoin

all

that

is in it,

Arts and the Tormentor

all
. .

(6)

[and the Image-spirits] of idolatry, and

spirits

the Legions and the Amulet-

and the Ishtars and

...
I

all

the

Demons

(7)

and
.
. .

all

mighty

Liliths.

word
in

declare unto you, which receiving

the mysteries of

Angels

wrath coming against him and with sabres and sword standing
kill

before him and ready to

him.

(9)

... against

the

word heard
.

(?).

He

sits in

the house, eating and devouring, drinking

is

and quaffing,
is

(10)
( ?)

[a slayer of ?] children

he,

and Master named;

... (11)
...

he,

and Jinn

named.

Peace

your father

Peace from the male Gods and

is set in
.
.

from the female

is

Ishtars.

And

victorious peace

.,

and destruction

set in the fire ...

(242)

j. a.

montgomery

aramaic

incantation texts.

243

A
it

badly
;

pagan origin

Commentary mutilated bowl with much of the inscription illegible. It is of in the name of God the Mystery of heaven, water and earth,
The expression
is

concludes with a pax vobiscum from the gods.

1.

"victorious

peace,"

ii, recalls the

standing Mandaic doxology, "Life

victorious,"

and

the threefold division of the universe

may

be from the same source.

is in

The

charm

is

against a murderous house spirit and

part parallel to No. 36;

here the

demon

is

masculine and

is

represented as carousing upon the blood

of his victims.
letters of the
I.

The

quarterings of the circle or seal in the center contain

Tetragrammaton

apparently n\
Syriac lexicographers,
B.

NJOIT: a Persian word noted by the native

also in

and neo-Syriac;
3.
'nr
:

Pognon

See Noldeke, Syr. Gram., 127.

cf.

Zaroes,

name

of a Magian, and Zaroi, in Firdausi;the

;

present spelling substantiates Zar- against other readings

4.
Knt)N:

see Justi, p. 383.

religion;

name

of the Light-King in the later

Mandaic

see

Brandt, Mand. Rel., 47.

For

his following epithet as the

Mystery of heaven

and

earth, cf. "the Great Mystery,"

hell,

who

is

the helper of Hibil-Ziwa in his

;

descent to

Ginza
cf.

r.,

p. 140, ed.
i
:

Petermann see Brandt, Mand. Schr.,

143.

For the r^P K'O

7.

Gen.

10.

Other "gods" are named below.

1.

01 Nosari'B:

resumes "ics,

5.

8.
p. 86,

SON^O
or
'1

'TKi: either in

appositional sense, KtK"i used like KiD'N, see

p.

refers to the magical rites conjuring the angels

evil spirit.

who

are called

upon against the

Mlb'V

the

Rabbinic-Mandaic preposition of plur. form, 'elawe, but

cf.

with suffix attached as to a singular form;

9. syOE'
:

n:3, "his sons."

for xyDtr: the incantation heard?

The

following ppls. reprehis

sent the carousing of the

demon over
were
in

the flesh and blood of

victims.

These

realistic

descriptions

themselves regarded as prophylactic.

b'SD appears to be denominative verb

from a noun

in 'D,

formed

to

rhyme

with ^'3K.
10.

KJ'ano

ywi, a

perversion, in 36: 4.

The word corresponds

to

the actual Syriac

KJ.J:
ti3i3K

KJano tabescere
N3'3,

faciens, Payne-Smith, col. 831.

probably
:

jinn, see p. 80.

Mandaic "your

father."

No. 38 (CBS 2941)

insijvm

(3)

nns:ni
nnsjai

n:3i
r;:2",

hjk'jui

nb^m

mn
riE

(2)

nnu

TNnrni

tnt

tdj?

nwK nn'oy
N"n
c":j;

nisn xikici 'sin

(4)

Kirnrnn nn'an snsjxi

siri"!'

nnS'J'DD KriKDiiB' (6)

N'niiNT
(7)

iti'K'I

Konlrn TnnsniB' pn^i3i nxjx

Kssl'!:

'sjn'

(5)

iinpKEi 'snivan

trsTK-ia
(8)

(erasure

sri''!"^)

'Njnsn

nrnpai

ban

ndkI^d
(9)

x^nnai

sncpni Nntny xnin^xT x^nT Koicn

nni>i3

NnsinDvi
nrra
|[oi]

Nnainsi
sn^iiTn

s';[nE^]
loi

smajn H'-bs

sn'Dj? n^xi'o

i'V

ikinJ'
;

(i/c)

srrnrn
i':i

n:3 s'tj'.sni

K'n^n

xaisoT ivxija

K23KDai srnDi
nSp''a6j'T

KTDV
iijt'B'i

nn''jvn

nnKjajoi p'Nntoi iT[sist] (10) iDino-is pi

. . .

KHKaiiB'

Ka[n^ni] (11)

irsnt

-int

KTim

NinDj;

sb'm

N'mnsi KDMirn 12 s3tnot

ns Kn''n:''m
tVKiKti'i

.-nri?
.

s^nin sjnsoi xs'di nb231 sb'Jii ntdj/ (12)

.

mrb

N'mriKi (13)

tjn'nrnn

n:2

x^wNpni
x-rxt

xmsn
s"m

niyh \snn

Ii'i3si'

ni"inn

xmoji Nnsanni Kntnsn smox

n''*j'xj[x5'i

[b]v pPEs:^i

pi^xi'i

irxriNa

(14)

nn]K''jrn5'i

i[inKJ]ni'i

p'SJ^i'',

nnx:3^i ivxDy 'xnn [ns xnl^nj'-S'i xn^nj-'n nj3 x'UisnTi x^nxt-ti xdx-.xs

Exterior

n"

B-np (15)

Translation
Charmed, armed and equipped are the house, (2) the dwelHng and
mansion and barn, and the sons and daughters, (3) and the cattle and household vessels of Hinduitha (4) bath Dodai and (of) Marada, even her husband and her sons and daughters.

Charmed

art thou, (5) Lilith Yannai,

and

all

thy Broods, even the three

hundred and sixty (6) Broods, by the word and command of the angel
Negoznai, by the mysteries and ordinance (7) of the living God, in the name
(244)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

AR.\MAIC

INCANTATION

TfiXTS.

245

of the virtue of strong and mighty Deity, and by the seal (8) of the angel
Be'odai,

whose word none

are
all

transgresses.

Charmed

the

Gods and Temple-spirits and

Shrine-spirits

and

Idol-spirits (9)

and Ishtars from the body of Marabba and Zadoye and

Dazaunoye sons of Hinduitha, and from Hinduitha and from her house and
her bed and from (10) their [wives] and their sons and their daughters

and

their cattle.

Charmed and
from her one

confined and restrained and hobbled

is

the mighty Istar

I

(11) and the three hundred and sixty Broods, which

after the other.

have dismissed

Charmed

are

all

the Amulet-spirits that dwell in the houses of

men and

waste them; (12) charmed and hobbled and suppressed and covered and
squeezed under the foot of Marabba bar Hinduitha and under the foot of

Zadoye and Dazaunoye sons of Hinduitha,

Hinduitha
b.

(13) and under the foot of

D.

And

life,

abundance, health and arming and sealing and

protection be to their body, and their wives and their sons and their daughters

and their

cattle

(14) and the people of their houses, both those entering

and departing with Marabba and Zadoye and Dazaunoye sons of Hinduitha, and with Hinduitha
b.

D. their mother, and her daughters.

Exterior

(i5)Holy(?)

Commentary
For the language and
see 7.
script of this

and the following Mandaic bowls,

A
sons

charm executed

in behalf of a certain

woman and

her husband.
is

The

with their families are included by name.

lilith,

The charm

particularly

addressed against a specified

with

whom

"the mighty Istar"

who

is

named
I
.

later,

may

be identical.
etc.
:

"House, dwelling,"
(which
is

these four terms occur in Lidzb.

The
is

b^'n

found

in the

Mandaic

literature in the original

4 and 5. meaning)

here reduced from the sense of "temple, palace," as in Babylonian, to that

of a private mansion.

The word
;

also appears in Hyvernat,

1.

15.

In 40:

4,

KJX'ra

is

the cattle-barn

in general

perhaps "outbuilding."

246

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

2.
3.

mz

for the plur. w. suffix, see Noldeke,

:

Hand. Gram.,

144.

NriN'Jvn

"cattle";

it

occurs in the sense of "wild beast," in 39: 6;

singular NDvn.

NHNiN: the singular would be the equivalent of the Assyrian anu,

"vessel,"

Heb.

'JX

and Arabic ma"".

The word

is

otherwise
In the

unknown

in

Aramaic, having been replaced by the derivative man.

are favorite abodes of the demons.

Talmud

vessels

One

is

tempted to regard the word as

a plural of KJy, "sheep," but for the following "of the house."

Nrcnrn:
4.

i.

e.

"Indian

woman";

of.

njn, ni'n, 24: i; 40:

16.

''Nnn=nn, Nos.
;

15, 21.

xnNiD= mar, "lord" + Adda; a

the
deity

form of

Hadad

or the

first

element

may be
is

Mar,

Bir, etc.

see Clay,

Amurni, 95), so

that the

name

equivalent to the ancient

Damascene name

lima
14.

(as

in

Pognon's Zakar inscription), the Biblical Benhadad.

With

inexact construction,
1.

M.

is

the husband.

For

"both, and," cf.

6.
"lilith"

'SsnJJ

so

the probable

reading.
titles

Notice from the erasure that

for this being.
Cf. the Lilith

and "angel" are interchangeable

40:
17.

'KJTn

JinpNS:

of

same root

as

smps, with
is

assimilation of l

with n; see

Noldeke,

p. 44.

The

original formation

that of the Syriac

noun pakadta.
see p. 72
f.

8. 'Kiiya: a corruption of

bsnuy?
:

For
10
?)

Knny and K'Dns

The second word

9. K31ND:
1.

is

supplied from 40
in
1.

4.

i4S3Nnso,
DN

12 with the second N caretted; an old theo-

phorous name
N'nNt
century.
:

-i

(or

xm

+
p.

Persian Zadoe, see Justi,

378, quoting a

name

of the fifth

S'Ulxn
82. 10.

Persian

name of a Syrian monk of

the seventh century, ibid.

NDHD:

original root

DDD (see Noldeke,

45)

the verb

is

found in

the bowls of

Pognon and Lidzbarski, and

relieving

defines the

word
Cf. a

as used in the
like

Mandaic

literature, thus

Noldeke's doubt.

series

of

passive ppls. at end of Lidzb. 4.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
is

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

247

KOJXDD: the reading

almost certain, but

cannot identify the root;

probably an error for SDiXDD, as in 40: 21.

N^'JT: a

denominative

from

bji,

Rabbinic

SiJ"i

cf.

the Arabic
in Lidzb. 4.

ragala, "strike, tie (a sheep)

1 1

on the
is

foot."

The word occurs

40
:

nbp''2ir

the passage
I

identical with

22, except for the latter's

;

reading, nrp^aE', "which

have dismissed from him"

see Noldeke, 170.
fern. pi. in

the present text

is

to

be so interpreted.

For the form

40: 23.
sa^no,

pn^saino
12.

=
=

For the

N, see ibid., 162.

17.

NS'D
:

cf. ibid.

63; the Pael in 7:

[cy,

KJDSO

can suggest only the root

found
V
is

in

the

Rabbinic

pt2V,

"olive-press"; but according to Noldeke, 45,

persistent in Mandaic.

K'UIKnni
13.
i,

error by dittography for

'PI

K'TXt: the

Assyrian cacu, abundance",

Muss-Arnolt, Ass.

Hwb.
14: 9.
65,

277, and

identical with the

Targumic

NtKT, "foliage,"

Targum Job

An

archangel Zaziel appears in a papyrus published by Wessely,

xlii,

1.42.

NnNonn
14.

for
:

sn3xnn
with change of construction from the preposition hv
relative after n:3 see p. 39.
EJ'lp.
;

X'nsn

cf.

Noldeke, 222.
15.

For omission of
is

(Exterior) ip

sure, perhaps

No. 39 (CBS 9005)

ni'ij/i'i

(3)

nn''K'''Ji

[n]n32i

.si

ni'^nn (2)
(4)

xmoji Kn>:nn[i s<]nnKn

kjiidk

KnK''^'S'

KToy
'<'?'<'?

n^fi3

xnon Nnno xn^oy

s^e'Cxnin]

^nsn n[B nolyn

xD-inaT n:DK3i
Knxi'B'itj'a

KnK^5"5>
(7)

[t<n]'Dyi

xnan xmh Knioy xijont

[K'trnjn

(5)

K'JND
(8)

KiJKrm

K^E^n

rib'Js

xn^cy

snxtj'K-nn -ixtm

shkhpu
s'^'a
nbiy
jo

(6)

ini

N'TipT

KnK73i

NMm
ns
Ji.n

K'aini

K''0[''3]Nn

k'jn3-i

x'txii

vn'''?'''?

Kn^DV

Knsn

k-dth

[n]Dv[-i

Kjon-iaT

njosai

x'ni

IKTDj;

nnxnK na sn^nT
K'^'i)

n^K'nuTon

sn'^"!)

stdj; Nnii^.on (9) niix'oxTDT

N'Dsn K'JKunDi

H''abn2 t6'[.'Dn]iai
'm'?

bin

r\yD (10) xriNim

K'o'nni

pnJ'iD

Nmos
na

Din

[Na]^D

jCidI'^b't

(11)

NnEpfjM
njoxni'

xn'oy kdkd'kt

[K'Di^n

n]Dyn

(12)

[nd-iIidt

n!'Niioi>i

nb'inn xnnni

xnnsn
[sn]NT

Translation
Health and arming and sealing and protection (2) be for
.

and the

body and soul (3) and the unborn child and womb of Bardesa whose mother is the daughter of Dade. (4) Charmed are the Sorcery-spirits in
stocks

of iron;

charmed the

Lilith

(5)

in

chains of lead; charmed the

empoisoning male Devils and charmed the

(6)

empoisoning

female

Liliths;

charmed

[the

arts

of?]

evil

men and

hostile Beasts, (7)

and

evil

Mysteries and the

(magic)

Circle of malignant

Masters and Sages and

is

Doctors, and the melting of

Wax

figures (8) of

him who
is

alive:

from the

unborn child and

womb

of Bardesa whose mother

Terme
.

b.

D.
Lilith
all

Charmed

the Lilith that appears to her (9) in

charmed the

that appears to her in [shape?] of Tata her sister's daughter;

charmed

the defiling Ghosts (10) that have entered, which appear to her in

Dreams

of night and in Visions of day; charmed and sealed with the seal of (11)

King Solomon.
Again: Health and arming and sealing be for the
parturition of Bardesa (12)

womb and

the

whose mother
(248)

is

Terme

b.

D.

j. a.

montgomery

aramaic incantation texts.

249

Commentary

A
for the
is

charm for a pregnant woman.

may compare
i,

the mortuary incan-

tation published by

me

in

JAOS,

1911, 27-2, no.

which includes prayers

1.

unborn

child,

nblj?,

of the petitioner.

From

4 the present charm

very similar to that in Pognon A.

2.

^5nN^: so in
1.

Pognon

B, in Lidzb.

5,

V""*!; a

feminine form in
Cf.

-e, cf.

K'DTn,
4.
ers,"

8 (the mother's name, overlooked here).

msi,

12: 2.

NnriD: also

Pognon A.

In the Mandaic appear the sinsD, "sorcercf.

Norberg, Onom., no.

is

For the meaning

Ass. sdhiru; in this sense

the root
'B

not otherwise found in Rabbinic and Syriac.

text,

KnsD: Pognon's

xniKD

(to be cited to Noldeke, 89, la),

5.

S1N3K: the Syriac S13K was used for "lead" and "tin," according to

the Syriac lexicographers,

abrd, or abard

who

postulate a distinction between abard and

is

and ebdrd but dispute which word

col. 19).

applied to which metal

in magic, the

(Payne-Smith,

Both lead and

like the
xiii,

tin

were used

former
the
xlii,

especially in the

KaTdSeafioi,

love-charm

from Hadrumetum,
Index to Wessely,

Cypriote defixiones
ftdh^ov,

{SPBA,

160, etc.),

and

cf.

et

seq.;
in the

tin

was equally used,

like all the metals, ibid., KaaaiTe/jivdv,

tin is atropaic,
is

and a case

Testament of Solomon where

positively decide

JQR,

ix, 584.

Hence we cannot

whether our abdr

lead or tin; but the

weight of the former metal

may
337

better suit the

symbolism of the language.

at variance.

As

to the

meaning of the Assyrian abar Assyriologists are

in

Lenormant,
mentioned

TSBA,

vi,

f.,

346, Argues

correctly

from the

alloy

in iv

no. 2, rev. 17, that abar =: lead

and anaku

tin.

How-

ever Sayce, Archaeology of the Cuneiform Inscriptions,

the

p. 60,

denies that

Sumerian or Assyrian word for

tin is

known.
(eft.

Lyon, in his Keilschrift-

texte Sargons, 53, 82,

makes anaku =: lead

Heb. 13K) and leaves abar

untranslated.
that abar
is

Hilprecht and Haupt, on basis of chemical analysis, find

used of magnesite, Hilprecht, Assyriaca, 80

is

flf.,

83.

msv,
'dn^ka

the Hebrew equivalent of the Aramaic Kn3X,

is

"lead."

The Syriac

"tin,"

whereas

its

Hebrew

equivalent

13K, "plummet" rather suggests

is

the heavier
in

metal lead.
10

The Hebrew

for "tin"

^na,

which however
tin

Zech. 4

may

rather be "lead."
paralleled

This confusion between lead and

in the

same word

is

by the ambiguous use of plumbum

in Latin;

250

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
tin; see Pliny

p.

nigrum

is

lead,
;

and

p.

candidum
Arabic.

H.

N., xxxiv, 47 (ed.

Weise, 1841)

so also in

The

dififerent

vocalizations 'abra

and,

mssy

vs. 'abdra,

and Heb. 'andk

vs. Syr.

'dn'ka,

appear to be attempts at

differentiation,

mav,
in

apparently "lead," appears in

W.

T. Ellis's bowl-text,

which
5.

have edited
S'E'Niin
:

JAOS,

1912, 434.

amendment

after Pognon's

parallel,

but with the

form

found
'^

in

1.

6.

N'^'b:

an inadvertent

repetition.

6. NriKK'Kiin for the adjectival formation, see Noldeke,

Mand. Gram.,

105.

K'jsrn

possibly absolute
II.

pi.

(-a

from -an)

or a masc. plural form, cf.

Nnoin, 38:
7.
46.

nxtn: (n. b. construct)

I interpret the

for iSTn, as in xna't, see Noldeke,

ibid.,

word of

the magic circle, part of the dreaded arts of

the necromancer; see p. 88.

01 S'JKDi
:

sorcerers are by tradition "Doctors."

'D

sn-pT

K'-itro:

may

be

inf.
i.

Peal of sic, or better, in agreement with

"dissolution," or "dissolvers."
'P
is

the context, Pael ppl. plur;

e.

"wax"

in Rabbinic, "pitch" in Syriac

and Mandaic,

at least according to the refer-

ences in Payne-Smith and Norberg.

"Pitch" might be the translation here,

Kriimi

but comparing the plural with the Greek

related the
plastic

and the Latin

ccrai, I

have

word

to the

well-known use of
for

wax

in Hellenistic magic.

Any
in

substance might be used

these

simulacra

of

the

enemy

Babylonian sorcery.

Tallquist enumerates clay, pitch, honey, tallow,

dough

(Maklii, 19, and see his note to

ass.,

ZAL. LU,
to

p.

119)

so also Fossey,

Magie

80.

Wax

does

not

seem

be identified

among

those substances,

though Jastrow and Thompson

kiru (see Muss-Arnolt, p. 432)
the

speak of

wax
Is

as used.

Assyrian khu or

pitch.

the Latin-Greek

word from

same

origin,
Its

the

term having undergone

is

extensive

modification in

meaning?

etymology

uncertain, see A. Walde, Lateinisches etymolocera.

gisches Worterbuch', 1910,

see the

j. v.

For the use of wax

in Abt,

in
d.

western magic,
Apuleius, 82.

ample notes and bibliography

in
:

Die Apologie

s^m

cf

the isolated instance given by Noldeke, p. 344.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
first letter is

ARAMAIC INCANTATION

TE;}^TS.

251

8.
Oep/iia 7

S'DTn: the

conjectured from a mere remnant; possibly

g.

In

this

line

a
e.

definite
g.

family ghost appears. NDIDT

is

used

in like

sense in earlier bowls,

7: 14.

The word before

in

xriNn

is

unintelligible.

Knxn

cf.

the
;

feminine

name Tata

Strassmeier, Inschriften von

Darius, no. 25, 12

idus, no. 343, 8,

also Tatta-dannu, Strassmeier, Inschriften

Tatti, etc. in Johns,
i.

von Nabonx.

and

Assyrian Deeds, 450, Clay, BB,

Glossary; 'ONQ 25:

10.

snsj'KD

connect

this, as

a participle, with the root pD, Arabic

;

Sana, which does not appear as a verb in Syriac

s^yana, "dirt," and with the

from

it

comes the Syriac

same

is

to be connected the

Hebrew
p. 40,

JIND,

"shoe."

The same word, masc. and

fem., occurs in

Pognon A,

which

he would derive from k:d "hate," but without explanation of the form.
It

might,
in
:

if

a singular instance, be an error for xns'JSD.

However

n. b.

that

Sachau's Elephantine papyri occurs the

2,

metathesis t^D for K3D,

Pap. 57
bv.

58

16.
pi.

3d fem.

of

bhy

X'ON': a mistake, corrected

by the next word.

The same note

is

to be

made upon ^0^

11.

in

1.

11.

Din

doubtless

3in,

"again," so often found on our bowls.

Thus

Noldeke's explanation of Din in the Mandaic literature (Mand. Grant., 204)

is

confirmed.

n^KliD

for the form, see ibid., 67.

No. 40 (CBS 2971)

nnK:3i
iC'']:i-'i

(3)

hjdi

nixn

n-usij

nb^mn Knrin
kjs'':''3[i]

(2)

uniDXi

s^ni ivksieo
nr'K2i snxapii

Ktjyi Klin

snin sion Kns'':vnn

(4)

nbym

mm

K"n K^s

(6) nD"'bKroiDi ii3'K^K JT'SE'K

s"n

10

b'ukLrs] -lanNoasiCS)

mnn
(12)

na
,
,

x-rniD
.

la Knsi^'i'

nixni siaa
snioKi
(14)
la

n^KRo
N"n
to

"la

nsoa nasaa iiaj^mam

NniDJi D
N-ioni

Knanm Nnnn
nba^n

b'ijkro ~a (13)

nxoa nn'saa
[nja]

K-iin

i<;K'j'ai

mm
x^n
nba'ni

nn^xai

xnsapu nnsjai snan

mjs!'

15) n[l'''i]nn sniosi

[B'OKnc la nsDasT k'J'R smtn

N[nKapij] nnxjai

xmi
nja^

mm nn^xai

wnan

Exterior

xnan
na

njai

niKti

iiNoa mjsi ni'iinn khidki

s'-'n

id

nj^n ns ^khsidt (16)

sriKapu nnxjai]
jd

nKDaxT

(17)
...

nnK^Jsrm
[snsnriDV]

nJN'J'ai
pniaiai

nb^m

[mm

nn^sai

twn
Kinn

Non^ni
...

xn'!''!'

'KJtia

nsJN nn^oy K>'n

njxna
Nnsa-iiE'

[vsmpsai K"n n^n ivxi^Kia Naxi^o 'XJna nns ns nnlijoa (18)

ni'i'D
iiy

N'TDV
tai

-isaK? c'jy ^lai

id

sas^n
(20)
toi

smi

sonna ss^^n
.

(19)
.

'sjna nsi^

mxt

lei

mjs

sns-inD'y[i]
lai]

x^ansi xmayi

[n'o^k pn^ia]

na nND3^5^ nj[K'ra
pn'Ei
K'-ixcT
...Kninoi
ai

n^a^n

mi]n pi nn['Ka

id]i

nnwa

jdi

n;a

Konirii

[inlDy

xb'[J]ni

smooi
. .

KD[nDi
.:

N]-i'Dy

E'lJxns (21)
(22) KriKanity

Knmn

pnl'ia

[sn^oy nsnjs nsriNa

[K^'j-n

n^'p'acLi]

NJSDD KS'Di ...[KjB-nai

N]TD[y]
n:ai
. .
.

ii^a-ino[i] (23) ii'sri'Kaa

nn^Ka (25) s[ns]apij nnsjai

IB

snan

nin

siajn (24)

ma [a

id]

N'^n

njsnD

na

[nND3s]i

nnK'j[KV]n

(sic)

n:s'3'ai

nba['ni

n]ini
(26)

IN'asr

K"m

Translation
In the

name

of Life!

that
(3)

health (2) and

armament be

to the

body

and wife and male sons

and female daughters, and the house and

(252)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

and

253

abode, the mansion (4) and the barn of the

the property of (5)
I

cattle,
L,ife.

the ass, bull

goat,

Xaro bar Mehanos, from

swear and adjure you (6) by Life.

'(12) and
wife.

have broken you

in the gate of
etc.,

Xaro

b.

M., the

man and

his
in

[Health and protection,

from] the

Liliths,

when they appear

the house of

Xaro (13)

b.

M., from Life.

]

And

health and

armament and
and

healing and guarding [be to

the male sons

and female daughters and the

ass,

house (14) and dwelling and mansion and the barn of the
goat, the live (?) property of

bull

[Xaro

b.

M.], from Life.

And

health and

armament (15) be to the body and the male sons and female daughters and the house and dwelling and mansion of (16) Merathe daughter of Hindu,
from
Life.

And

health be to the body of

Xaro

and the wife and male

sons [and female daughters and the house and dwelling] and mansion and
building and cattle (17) of

Xaro

b.

M., from Life.

all

Charmed

art thou, Lilith

Buznai, and

the goddesses

and the

three hundred and sixty Tribes,

(18) by the word of the granddaughter

(

of the angel Buznai, by the adjuration of

. .

?)

of

Life,

and by the command

who
(?),

is

(?) with the mighty Buznai, (19) by the seal of the angel

Darwa
.
.

whose word none transgresses.

and
shrine-spirits

Charmed

are a[ll the gods

and]

temple-spirits

(20) and goddesses from the

body and the wife and sons and daughters and the house and dwelling and
mansion and barn of Xaro
hobbled
is

b.
.,

(21)

M.

Charmed, shut up and confined and

the Ish[tar]

and the three hundred and sixty Tribes, (22)

.
.

which
all

have dismissed from him

one after [the other.

Charmed] are
and

Amulet-spirits which lodge in their houses

(23) and devastate them.

is

Charmed [and hobbled] and suppressed and covered

the Plague
.
.

the Satan

(
.

?)

[from] the body (24) of the

man and

his

wife

and the

male sons and the female daughters, (25) the house and dwelling and

mansion and the barn for

is

cattle,

of

Xaro

b.

M., from Life.

(26)

And

Life

victorious

Commentary

long and

repetitious

charm for a
kinds of

certain

man and

his family

and

property,
inscription

including the
is

several

live-stock.

About

half of the

found on the exterior.

254

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
sections of the Ginza, also

With

the

same invocation begin the

some

of Pognon's bowls.
NDiDKi
:

for

of purpose, see the like phrase in Pognon,

e. g.

no. 14,

and Noldeke, Mand. Gram., 293.

4.
KJN'J'3: as the
:

regimen shows, the barn.

X^D^

i.

e.

hemra, also cited by Syriac lexicographers, see Payne-Smith,

collective plural, Noldeke, Syr.

ad loc, and used as a

ing

Gram., 91. The followfinally the

word was written

Knin, n

was then caretted above, and

word

rewritten.
NTJjJ
:

to be

added to Noldeke's instances, Mand. Gram.,

68,
tJj?

and now
is

found
in

in

Sachau's recently published papyri from Elephantine.

certain goat-species, Payne-Smith, col. 2934.
'Vn, cf.

found

names of

Nitrn: for

Noldeke,

ibid.,

47.

The word
s.

is

used
In
1.

like

the
it

Talmudic ^>^, "private property,"

supplemented apparently by
5. N'TI,

see Jastrow, Diet.,

v.

14

is

=
12,

"livestock."

nKD3

evidently an old Persian

name

in

Koseform;
in

cf.

Ajseri,

Xsayarsa, ArtaA-sathra, Justi, pp.

173, 34.

The K

OKi, here and again

first radical.

below, represents the vowel of the prefix, before the vowelless

n:xno
17-

=
:

Meh

Mithra, plus Anos, a Persian genius, Justi, pp. 208,

S"n

JO

the long period which this phrase concludes

this ancient

is

paralleled below.
in

IWxSs

and

full

form of the preposition appears

Pognon

B, but not in Noldeke, under 159.

6.
J<"n x^N: cf.
1.

18,

N^n sbsiVK^xna.

'N

= the preposition just noted,

3
object.

and
is

is

used uniquely with a verb of swearing, where in the Semitic

found.

Cf the Greek
.

iiri

representing, as in the English "swear on the

Bible," the primitive action of laying the

hand on the sacred

38:
6.

16.
18.

"nsno

17.

'Kina

cf.

'kjiuj,

This antagonism of Buznai's granddaughter to herself

is

evidently

a case of casting out devils by Beelzebub.

The

sorcerer affects that he has

received from one of her brood the proper charms by which to bind her.

Observe interchange of N3Kbo with

Sfl'T?.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
is

INCANTATION TBXTS.

255

01 p'xbxna

"by that which

upon,"

i.

e.

"by the adjuration of" Life.

For the redoubled

to
1.

preposition, see Noldeke, 231 b.

For the phrase,

see

6.

IVNmps: for the

23
.

sing,

with p'S
is

see ibid., 146.

S3NDD
:

but a feminine

demanded.
;

Nmno
26.

in

agreement with the Syriac

cf Nnno, 16
.

in

the

Ginza,

IK'3KT
5.

K"n: the same doxological formula

in

Pognon, B, no.

22,

and Lidzb.

APPENDIX
No. 41 (CBS 179)
This text
is

unique,'

being inscribed on the top of a

it

human

skull.

Enough
served,
ered.
face,

is

legible to indicate that

is

a magical inscription, doubtless of

the same order as those on the bowls.

The

skull

is

remarkably well pre-

and though badly shattered, almost

is

all

the pieces have been recovthe shaling of the surinscriptions,

But the text

sadly

worn and obscured through

legible.

and only a few detached words are

There are two

top,

one running across the length of the left-hand side of the

back and also
side.
filling

from front

to

up some space

in the
is

forward part of the right-hand

back of the right-hand
side,

The

other, shorter, inscription

at the

at right angles to the central suture.

In the
in the

first

line

of the longer text are visible the words,

tirhb,

P'^1"';

second

nn

nJX

indicating an address to the evil spirit.

The

fol'10,

lowing names are visible:

ins,

cf.

5:

i;

(?) bn^

'anio, also spelt the

"Mordecai ben Saul"; and a woman's name

first-named
reading.
I

(evidently

wife of

the

man

nhv2 can be read

name
Wise Men,

in

one place),

'SDJ, so the

almost certain

take the

to be a feminine hypocoristic in -ai to be connected

i,

with Gathaspar, in the B.vcerpta barbara to Eusebius (ed. Schoene,

228), one of the three
the later Caspar

app.

(Caspar, Jaspar), con;

nected by philologists with the Old-Persian Windafarna

Justi, p. 368.

The

use of a skull for recording a magical inscription opens up an

interesting line of magical practice.

The
its

skull has

become part of the stock

is

apparatus of the necromancer, and

his

use in that connection

typical of

power over the dead, while the presence of the gruesome object adds

to the

awe

in

which he

is

held.

But

all

through magic runs the morbid

In
the

theme of the use of mortuary remains.

texts are buried in the graveyard; in the
'

Creek tove charms, the

love,
that

magic brews for compelling

I

This statement must

now

be qualified, as

learn through Professor

Ranke

two

similar skulls are in the Berlin

Museum.
(256)

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

broom from
side

257

human bones

are used, and in a late Arabic charm a

lover's

a cemetery

has efficacy in bringing the beloved to the

(see

to

No. 28).

Cf. the burial of Pognon's bowls in a cemetery.

Primitive animistic beliefs

;

have survived, which connect the skeleton with the world of spirits
a material point d'appni, and the skull
striking
is

it

is

especially preferred as the

It

most

and perhaps most durable part of the anatomy.

may

be noticed

that in Arabic the

3, p.

word
There

for skull
is

is

also used of the soul (Wellh. Skizzen,

161, 164),"

a reference in the

Talmud

to

the

necromantic
(31N 7V3)>
is

use of a skull; Sank. 65b: "there are two kinds of necromancy

the one

where the dead

is

raised by
(

naming him, the other where he

^XCJn )." Joel {Aherglaube,
i,

asked by means of a
thinks
skull
this

skull

rhibil

44)

refers

to

some

artificial

skull-shaped object; but our actual

in

illustrates

the practice noticed

the

Talmud.
in the

The use of

skulls

(caharia)

in classical

magic

is

also

vouched for

Apology of Apuleius;

see Abt, p. 141.

special

For

this practice

of "speaking skulls,"

we may
ii,

note
150,

its

vogue among the Sabians; see Chwolson, Die Ssahicr,

and
ii,

Dozy and de Goeje, Actes

365
f.,

of the Leyden (6th) Congress of Orientalists,

cf.

293.
skull

But the

was

also efficacious as a prophylactic object.

James of

Edessa notes that a dried human head was used by the heathen Syrians
as an amulet (quoted by Robertson

Smith,

Religion of the Semites, 362,

Especially as part of

referring to Kayser's edition of the Canones, p. 142). the skeleton

Blick,
ii,

was

it

efficacious against the evil eye; see Seligmann,

Dcr hose
tribes of

141,

who

notes the use in Italy of a tiny skull-charm against the

Jettatura,

and also the use among the ancient Taurians and the

Caucasus of the heads of enemies stuck on poles as a prophylactic; also

Elworthy,

The Evil Eye,

;

340,

notes

the

use of skeleton-like figures as

in classic times,

talismans in Italy

he finds the same talisman

2,

comparing

King. Gnostics and their Remains, 213 (ed.

falls into

180).

The

skull therefore

the general category of frightful or obscene objects, which had

the power of repelling the evil eye in particular and evil spirits in general.

'

Dr.

Speck,

of

the

Museum, informs me
like

that

the

carefully preserve the skulls of the animals they hunt, as a

tion of the beasts,

North American Indians means of the reincarna-

and

understand

customs are found over the world.

No. 42

Towards
Gottheil,

the close of

my work

on

this

volume,

Professor Richard

kindly forwarded

who had several me some

in the

years ago thought of publishing the bowls,

notes and transcriptions which he had
the papers

made

in

his preliminary essays.

is

Among

was the copy of a

text

which

not

now found

Museum.

It differed so radically
if it

from the other

inscriptions that I inquired of Prof. Gottheil

was taken from a bowl.

He
text

replied that he

knew

of no other source whence the text could have

come

into his set of papers.

Accordingly on the hypothesis that the original

I

was once

in the

Museum,

venture to publish Prof. Gottheil's copy,

its

and do so the more readily because of

tration
it

interesting character
It

and the

illus-

affords to several points in the texts above.

contains a form

of the Lilith legend, widespread in folklore, and a bowl would have been
a perfectly proper place for a text of this prophylactic character.
I

have

not however included the text in

my

Glossaries.

rnbvr,

nu^
nl)

nsijin

'3:k in'i's
nniji'i

'jnx

"ib

noxni ivm
r^b

csi'in

ckoo ipn

na

nvo!'

n^un mi" ns
V't

men nrc
n^

nnb njn na htk't c't

mxpTD

[nDial' 113?]
ivei'
li)

wa^n

in'i'K

iokm

ntj'a

ns nnn^i rniovy

mo

nsc^i ion

ncsm tvm
nnvl'
tci
i'siB'''

n^n nen psoi

"i

n^nn

mivy inani Drn nso cina

'2JK'!

Dnmn
tn
:

'Hi's

orn
^3r:i

ni'

V2U'ni
niji^n

n-i2K
n^'-.ci
sij

mnn

ic

'DTrin

i'"

nnornB'
li'Ki

^3i
y-in!'

P'tni'

I3K'
'1'it

ni)

mstr

(sic) nni'r nra

i^k

p-itn^i

n3
:

n3

i'3i

'^

n^n''

D''3in3 'm'zv nx
.

nxn
:

'JK in

li^'x

i-i'23'x
3''B'ni
:

diik K'pn laniox

:

np'3K
:

-id'3N
:

ri'!'''!'

inior

in'^s

n^

riK-tin

nn^n

>bi>

nnnDtr

nDpiJ3N

ntsnoa

(258)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

259

tnpn nvni

d-ijeik

a''sn'
k!)!

n-itj-j;

db'2i

nrnpn
n"2
si)

inrDB" n.B'm aipyi

^nba n33i

pnv nm3
'ied

nx
Kill

punlj "li^T

nac

ds nb
b icn
tsiJi

lairi

si'tj'

mxnvn

min
ik

mm
mS'n
onn^
nrNB*

rmcvv ns nsa^
tn'p-iyi

nx

ninr!'

-b lisun

mM

nxtn

lOD

tn'Tj

n"Dr3

innas

:"n3
k!'i

s^

ens yrb

kS

ntra n
ni'i3'

isKnon

ptj'

yip otya d'h io dn tr^ain^

D'OB'n '3313

nx ^1BD^

Accompanying

the text are given

some inscribed designs and phrases.

evil

rough figure of a hand (prophylactic against the

eye) contains the

Aramaic legend:
NE"3 N3K' n'S NtS^r t6) Kmti
"I

(= NH

?)

tip

=lDin *yitD
evil

N3N

am

the seed-producer (?) of Joseph;

when

come, an

year cannot

prevail over him,"

fertility

a play

of thought between Joseph as controller of the

fertility

of Egypt and the

of the family, and as a good

omen

for

the

expectant mother.

"David's Shield" contains

left

in the center

"run ns', a fanciful form of

Adonai, on the
Vn''(?),i.
e.

hand

JCE',

"Satan," in another division 33S and nearby

fri'SSK, to

be found in Schwab, Vocab.

contains
niri"

Another species of the

with
n", etc.

shield

more roughly designed

with piLiOO and

in the center, flanked

side.

and

'JTX,

tlS^TiD

on either

The changes
is

are rung on

the possible mutations of

pb\ and the scripture Dt. 28: 10

cited.

Similar
in

charms against the

Buxtorf's Lexicon,

Lilith are to be
s.

found

at the

end of Sefer Raziel and

v.

Translation
Shaddai
Sanui Sansanui Semniglaph
In the

Adam YHVVH Kadmon

of
Israel

Life Lilith

name

of

Y"

the

God

who
the
all

besits

the cherubs,

whose

name

is

living

and enduring forever.

Elija

prophet was walking in

the road and he

met the wicked

Lilith

and

her band.

He

said
all

to her,

Where

art thou going. Foul one

and

Spirit

of

foulness, with

thy

foul
I

band walking along?

And

she answered and said to him:

My

lord Elija,

260

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

am

going to the house of the

woman

in childbirth

who

is in

pangs (?), of

So-and-so daughter of Such-a-one, to give her the sleep of death and to

take the child she
his bones
is

bearing, to suck his blood and to suck the

flesh.

marrow

of

And said Elija the prophet blessed his name With a ban from the Name bless it shalt thou be restrained and like a stone shalt thou be And she answered and said to him For the sake of Y" postpone the ban and I will flee, and will swear to thee in the name of Y" God of Israel that I will let go this business in the case of this woman in childbirth and the child to be born to her and every inmate so as do no injury. And every time that they repeat or I see my names written, it will not be in the power of me or of all my band to do evil or harm. And these are my names: Lilith, Abitar (Abito?). Abikar
and
to

devour his

(Abiko?),
Satriha,

Amorpho, Hakas, Odam, Kephido,

Batzeh,
Taltui,
all

Ailo, Matrota, Abnukta.

Kali,
I

Kitsa.

And

Elija

answered and said

of

to

her: Lo,

adjure thee and

thy band, in the

name

Y" God

of Israel,
his holy

by gematria 613, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and

Shekina. and in the
Beasts and the
Hosts, blessed
is

in the

name of

name

of the ten holy Seraphs, the Wheels and the holy

the

Ten Books of
he
!

Law, and by the might of the God of

not. thou

that thou
is

come

nor thy band to injure this

woman
marrow
their

or the child she

bearing, nor to drink his blood nor to suck the

of his bones nor to devour his flesh, nor to touch

in their

them neither
is
(

in

256 limbs nor

365 ligaments and veins, even as she

thou art?) not able to count the number of the stars of heaven nor to dry

up the water of the

sea.

In the

name

of

'Hasdiel Samriel has rent Satan.'

Commentary
Only a few
'13DJD '13D

detailed notes are necessary.

fl^JJDD

Of

the terms at the beginning,

and
vz:).

are

common
is

in

childbirth

charms

(see

Schwab.
it is '3

Vocab.,

s.

The second
cf
.

erroneously explained by Schwab;

.
. .

DC,

the inscribed
'i:d:d

Name,

the DE'

^I'^J

in

11:9.

'IJD

and

its

reduplication

probably mean "divorced."

N. B. the order of Adam,

Yhwh, Kadmon.
The
root
cf.
is

(NIKpT)on Klspi'D

is

obscure to me.

probably used in
t''n,

the Syriac sense of mourning, hence supplicating; or

as well as "dance."

Heb.

"writhe,"

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
I

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

njn n3 m'X, the

261

m^f ns NTS' pronoun

fern,

would read

as

first

as the indefinite
ieiva,

quaequac, the

last as

representing the Greek

which
use.

i.--'

commonly used
nnn

in the papyri, the actual

cf.

name being

inserted

upon

=
the

t^n,

Arabic DDp.
Lilith the second

Of
(see

names of the

Abatur the Mandaic genius

Glossary

A)

but the possible reading of the copy, Abito,

may

be

preferable, in view of the

aiiopifio^.

Greek

parallels

see below

the third

is

the Greek

613
the

the figure

is

the gematriac

sum

of 'the Lord

God

of

Israel,' as also

number of

positive

and negative commandments of the Law.

As Mr.

A. Simon, Harrison Fellow of the University, has suggested to me, the

preceding abbreviation stands for K'lOO'J.

The "256 The

at the

limbs" are 248 in Jewish lore.

For the 365 ligaments,

cf

the identical expression in a 10

charm given by

Reitzenstein, Poimandres, 295.

;

Books of the Law are the double of the Pentateuch

in the

cf.

the

Eighth Book of Moses

Leyden MS. which Dieterich has published

end of his Abraxas.

ancient use of epical narrative as an efficient magical
p.

The very

charm

was described above

over the

62

thus the mere

is

narrative of

demon's power

as in the case of Dibbarra,

evil spirit

potent, or, a fortiori, the relation of a triumph

from some sacred legend.

In the present case

we have
hei

the added virtue of the revelation of the demon's names, and she swears
that

whenever they confront

(cf. p. 56).

her, she

will

retire;

the

knowledge of

names binds her

Dr.

M. Gaster has published

entitled

in

Folk-lore xi (whole

number
a

xlvi), 129,

an interesting paper

'Two Thousand Years of

latter

Charm Against

the Child-Stealing Witch."

in several of

The

uncanny

spirit

has already met us Dr. Gaster surveys

our preceding texts (Nos.

11, 18, 36, etc.).

a wide material of European and Semitic forms of

all

this

magical narrative,

of which have evidently the same root.

He draws

on Slavonic, Rouman-

ian

and modern Greek legends, and

I

cites

one of Gollancz's Syrian charms,

refer,'

a collection to which
'

have had frequent occasion to

and also quotes

4, p.

In Actes of the 8th International Congress of Orientalists, Sect.

of these charms are in the narrative style.

Cf. also a similar Syriac

Most 77. charm given

by Hazard, JAOS, xv, 286

f.

263

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

in translation a Jewisli

Lord

(in the

Hebrew

"''

charm of the same order from the Mystery of iiD, a book I have not been able to obtain).
is

the

This Jewish legend

almost identical with ours.

It

is

considerably

shorter, concluding with the

names of the

Lilith

and a direction to hang

up the names

in the

room

of the
;

woman

concerned.
:

The names
Lilith,

are almost

identical with those in

our text

they are

Satrina,

Abito,

Amizo.

Izorpo, Koko,

Odam,

Ita,

Podo, Eilo, Patrota, Abiko, Kea, Kali, Batna,

is

Talto, Partasah.

My
Kas.

form Amorpho

probably older;

Koko =KaKofmay

be

preferable to

my

In both these Jewish forms Elija and the Lilith are the actors.

In the

Syriac legend quoted by Gaster from Gollancz,

it

is

a saint

Mar Ebedishu

and the Evil

the
latter

Spirit in the likeness of

an ugly

woman who

are the characters

has
(cf.

for

one

of

her names that of "the Strangling-mother of

In the European Christian legends, the

children"

above to 36: 4).

is

benevolent actor

the Virgin, Michael, or a certain saint bearing the

name

Sisoe, or Sisynios.

These names are derived from the Jewisli

In the Greek legend the spirit
in the
is

'1JD3D 'ijd,

as Gaster suggests.

Gylo, the earlier rt/Xu,

which appears also

magical

papyri.''

In

all
is

children are the object

for a

of the fiend's ravages, in one case the

cataract.

charm

boy

afflicted

with

There are some other simpler forms of

manuscript amulets

this

legend contained
to

in

Greek
In
his

which were not accessible

Reitzenstein

Dr.

Gaster.
is

Pobnandres,

p.

298,

publishes

text

which

the

earlier
It

prototype of the
reads
:

Roumanian

folk-legend published by Gaster, p. 132.

"When

the archangel Michael

him

the impure spirit with her hair the archangel Michael said to

And

came down from heaven, there met down her back and her eyes inflamed. her: Whence comest and whither goest
said to

thou ?

The impure one answered and

I

him

go to enter the house

I

as a serpent, dragon, reptile,

change into a quadruped,

go to make the

plagues of women, to humble their heart, to dry up the milk, to raise the
hair of the master of the house .... and then
is

kill

them.

For

my name

called

Paxarea.

For when the Holy Mary bore the Word of Truth

also Tv%ov,

'

Wessely, Vienna Denkschriften,

xlii,

66,

Reitzenstein,

Poimandres,

298.

For

Gello

the Assyrian Gallu, see Frank,

ZA,

xxiv, 161.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
And
Gelou,

INCANTATION TEXTS.

263

went

to deceive her

and ..?..'

the archangel Michael seized her

:

by the locks on the right

hand and
first

said to her

Tell

me

thy twelve names.*

(third,
etc.
i

And

she said:

am

called

second

Morphous,
Karane,

Karanichos,

Amixous,

Amidazou,

Marmalat,

Selenous,

Abiza,

Ariane, Maran.

Wherever are found my twelve names and thy name,

archangel Michael, and thy

into the

name

Sisinios

and Sinodoros,

will

not enter

house of such a one."

Compare

also the amulet given

on the

preceding page in Reitzenstein (p. 297), lacking the reference to the \'irgin,
the

demon enumerating her

plagues.

A
is

similar legend, in large part identical with both these just

named.

given in the Greek-Italian charms published by Pradel."

In this Michael

descending from Sinai meets the hag Abuzou' and the demons cast out of
heaven.

He

inquires

where she
etc.,

is

going;

she

answers she crawls into

on men, to dry up the

houses like a serpent, dragon,

mother's
milk,
to

to bring

all evils
kill

wake

the

children

and

them.

Then, evidently a

Christian accretion, she causes faction in the church, sends floods, destroys
ships.

Michael asks her her name, which

is

Pataxaro.

He

asks for hei

many names.

She swears by the throne of God and the eye

tell

(=

eyes)

of the Beasts (cf. the oath in our text) that she will

the truth.

She

then gives forty names, the

first

two of which are Gilou, Morphou.

line of particular diseases,
;

cataract, as in

The legend sometimes ran out into the one of the Roumanian forms

e.

g.

or Beelzebub and other

i,

demons
But

are named, as in an amulet in V^assiliev, Anecdote byzantina,

the story of the wife-hating, child-murdering

336.

hag

is

the original element,

as Gaster points out.

We

thus possess forms of the legend in

texts of eastern

Hebrew and Syriac, in Greek and western Europe, and in modern Roumanian and
heroes of
the
epic

Slavonic folklore, while the

Christ and various saints

include

Elijah,

Michael,

known

or obscure.

appears also in the charm names.

texts and in the
*
*

The To compare the

persistency of the form

lists in

the

two Hebrew
in Gollancz

two of Wendlarid and Pradel

myth of

respectively

and

Cf. the early Christian

the devil's wiles, Rev. 12.

The same number

Griechische
u.

is

found

in the

Hekate-Isis legend.

' '

slid.-

italienische

Cebete, 23.

The Avezuba and

Avestitza in Caster's

Roumanian

legends.

264
(Syriac),

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN* SECTION.
Lilith

we

find that the initial

Hebrew

Greek Gelou.or Gilou'

in

:=

Syriac Gees, doubtless r=

Gelos.

The second

the"

Hebrew, Abito
(Abikar?)

(Abitar?)

Apiton the ninth in the

in the

Syriac; the third, Abiko

Abiza or Abuzou

Greek

texts,

and as we observed above Avezuba

(in our text)

in the

Roumanian.

The

fourth

Amorpho

Morphous or

Morphou having third place in the Greek texts, and Martlos, 4th in the Syriac. Amorpho is doubtless the Greek afiop<t>oc: "shapeless," and our Jewish
,

text alone has preserved the correct form.

in the

Eilo and

its

obscure predecessor
the
latter's

Hebrew may be found

translate the

in

Pradel's
'?p.

Morpheilaton, and

Phlegumon may
It is

Hebrew

impossible to place our phylactery genealogically in such a mass

of interrelated material.
tradition with
its

The Jewish text doubtless depends upon Greek magical name Amorpho and its transliteration of Seiva,

while the later Greek forms have borrowed from the

Hebrew

in St. Sisynios.

But the source of the legend

is

the

common
in

property of mankind, with

roots as ancient as the Babylonian Labartu

and Gallu.

child-killing

demon

which sucks babes' blood,

the Egyptian Resurrection,

etc.,
i,

is

found

Africa; see Budge, Osiris and

285, a reference pointed out to

me

by Pro-

fessor Jastrow.

In the Hellenistic magic a classical

all

form of such legend

was established out of

age,

the elements that were brought together in that

its

and

this

spread again assuming

variant forms
it

among
is

the peoples

and

faiths.

If

our text actually came from Nippur,

as

of interest as the

earliest

form of the Jewish legend and

one which can be dated with

approximate accuracy.

Corrections and Additions

P. 20, line 4: read "Berlin" for "British."

P.20: add to the

list

of published
J.

Mandaic bowls

the

two photographic

plates

of bowls (platesi, 2) in
2,

de Morgan, Etudes linguistiques,

vol. v, part

of his Mission scientifique en Perse.

P. 105, line 20: the

Koran

gives to the
:

Mandaeans
:

the

same

privileges as the

Jews and the Christians (see 2

59; 5

73

22: 17).

GLOSSARIES

GLOSSARY A
Personal Names and Epithets of Deities, Angels, Demons,
etc.

GLOSSARY B
Proper Names of

Men and Women

GLOSSARY C
GeneriVl Glossary

(^r

Prefatory Note

Glossary
ally.

is

arranged according to roots, the other two consonantthe

The former indexes only The

common

nouns.

citations of other authorities

can be understood from

as

2.

The

two publications of Pognon's are

full glossaries will

cited
all

"A" and "B", and Pognon's

his texts.
line
if

serve to locate

words of
spiral

Where

lines of

texts

are given,

the

reference

is

to the

facsimile
it

is

given,

otherwise to the lines of the printed text.

to give the line citation for proper

have not thought

in

necessary
they

names even

my own

texts, as

can be easily identified.

Under Glossary
ter of,
f.

B, the following abbreviations are used

d.

^= daugh-

=
a

father, h.

husband, m.

mother,

s.

son, w.

wife.

Where
to for

word appears

in

my

text the

first

citation

may

be referred
to further

any treatment by the editor; references are also added

discussions in the Introduction.

Notes are occasionally added to words

found

in

texts

of other editors.

In Glossaries
of a few
tions

and

all

the occurrences are given with the exception

like nin'; in

common

divine

names

Glossary

only typical cita-

and peculiar forms; also

it

has been the aim to give citations from

the three dialects.

(267)

GLOSSARY A
PERSONAL NAMES AND EPITHETS OF DEMONS, ETC.
SJJOJiax evil deity:

DEITIES, ANGELS.

Pogn
Lidz
II
4,

B.
5 (for

Nn^x, "X God:

D'n^x Elohim
^S'l^'X
:

7,

16,
i
;

etc.

k:si3us

evil deity:

Ellis

Hyv.

these
see to

two
:

names,
5).

angel: 10.
I

IID^'X Ellis
D'3B ba

(but see to 11:4).

8.
:

K13K Destroyer

3.

El Panim:

max

divine

\)a2

name?: 7; Myhr. Mandaic genius: Abatur.

I

DDsbx

name
2422.

of

Gabriel

Wohls

Ellis

(N-iio )
;

Wohls 2417

nc

bti

El Shaddai:

8,

34, etc.
:

(nitSUK)

see p. 96.

NDN demon (bath Imnia)

:

Wohls

bwn
T3N

deity (Apollo?

Aeon?)
:

19.

2426.
'D'N

n'Sa'X feminine to above

epithet of

ib.

name

of

demon: Wohls 2416

("ana-

God:
19.

8.

Stiibe (see p. 77).

D3naN,

D"DD-a,

D'3i3 Abrasax:

xoynxDX a genius: Lidz

thema"?).

(=

Myhr),

34 (see pp.
F.

57, 99)-

DnJJX deity:
:

19.

^nJX mystic name

Schw
:

nJX deity

19.

bsnrJK deity or angel

19.
:

msJX demon: Schw F

14.

(see

p.

25).

D'anJS "the holy Agrabis"

NJXnDX Satan

Montg.

bx'Jxnx angel

Schw
34
;

I.

'inx Adonai
'NITS angel:
^S'TTN angel:

Pogn

B.
i.

Pogn B; Lidz
19.

xvnoTJBDX Cpenta-dewa, name of Griin(see Solomon's Jinn baum, Zts. f. Keils.-forsch., ii,
224, Noldeke.
ib.

297).

KStx deity?: 19.

K-in'N

X1D1X

epithet
:

of

angel

("charmxii,

na ninx ghost: Wohls 2417.

18.
13.

er")

Schw, PSBA,

298.

xbx God:

xpioBX Wohls 2422 (=-iiuax?).

bs^sx angel
:

^xbx divine name:

I'OJa^x, I'ayaSx

Wohls
(

2416.
:

mystical 2422.
:

name?:

Dirpix
flpiJ

Okeanos
eipx
:

?)

19.

Wohls
01

1p3

series

of

mystical

nuni^x mystical name

5.

names
(269)

Schw

F.

270
N3Dn-iN deity:

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
t:"n:n

19.

demon:

19.

jns deity:
ijKns

19.

b"JT angel:

angel: 19;

Schw

I.
1.

Nnn'Dio'jn

Schw N. ghost: Schw Schw I. Schw I. Pogn B.

2417.

bsniK angel: Stiibe (Wohls

bsTin).

Km

deity or angel: 40.

^K'D^D-n angel:
34.
IjK'pil

pnK

deity?:

19;

angel: angel:

D'DTS, SDD1N, D'onn Hermes, see to

2:
2.

Weti

DTK

a deity (Eros,

Ares?)

19.

^Kmn angel:
^K'3B.T

Stiibe

(Wohls ^KnTJ).

eilpnipne'S

infernal

genius:

Pogn
;

angel:
s.

Wohls 2416.

B
cf.

(cf.

Glossary C, eipc
in

but

D>nn

KDD1K.-

Aristikifa,

Dillmann's
7).
n:T

text to

Enoch 6:

father of

pnK:

19, 34.

n^K ghost:

Schw
36.

2417.

KTW Zeus:
bK'p'T
'K:-isr

19.

-3

angel:

Wohls
and

2416.
lilith:

Bel

'J-iT,

granddam of a
parallels.

^X'nK'3 (?) angel:

NJ-IJ3,

Schw
:

G.
18, 19,

II

XJKIJS deity

11,

Montg.
"NJTin
lilith:
lilith:

irann epithet of "KJilK: Pogn B.

40.

^K'an angel:
(cf.

13.

oa^na
'XTiya

18

Dabn).

^Kntion angel:
298.
K"'n,

Schw PSBA,

xii,

angel: 38.
:

iisma angel
S'J?313

angel

Schw N. Pogn B.
Wohls 2416.

K^n

Life,

deity:

40;
5.

Mand. supreme Pogn A, B;

8.

b^'pia angel

Lidz

nvn the Living Creatures

bxnaJ,
is'naj,

Wi3J
:

Gabriel: 7; 34;

ca

^'n Evil

Potency

30.
11

etc.

(see p. 96 f.).
14.

Da^n, Dol^an, cvrhn

parallels.

lilith:

and

^smj

angel

^K'OKn angel: Schwab,/,

N'DT epithet of

c.

Hermes

2.

^K-n'oin angel:
^K-n-run.
ri'ViDn demon ^Knon angel:
:

Stiibe

Wohls

p2l angel: Pogn

a'ln demon
:

(cf.

psno).

36.

Schw G.
35.

na'h Dlibat
love
:

Dilbat, goddess of

28.

bK^rjn

angel: 13; Stiibe.

angel:
:

non mother
bx'on angel
:

of demon:

Schw

G.

^Knon

Wohls 2416.

itnn ghost

Schw N. Schw 2417.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
2416 bxniN).

ARAMAIC
(for

INCANTATION TEXTS.
Michael

271

bx^nn

angel:

Wohls

ijNa'O, ^'Na^o

34, etc. (see

Stiibe's,

p.
I'trs'i^D
tibhiD,

96

f.).
:

S'S-onn angel: 35.

Signs of Zodiac

4.

t6'bG,
19,

sb^DO the Word:

2 (see to 2: 2).
11.

27,

P30, PN3N0 (cf.

psm)

angel:

Pogn

B.
'3l3D^t2

nrOD
[D,

deity?:

deity: 19.

k:xo

K11B see "ilonK.

Mandaic genius: Wohls 2422.

19;

pjnjn

deity: 19.

TT, Tnv
nin'

ghosts:

Wohls 2417.

Yahwe

^'NnojD angel: 35.

rnr\

Pogn B; Lidz tmtN' angel: Pogn B.

angel:

passim.
i.

CJTio deity:

19.

nsiVD name of God:

"ID

29.

N'nm' angel:

demon: Wohls 2416

ghost:

(see p. 81).

ib.

xi^j-iD

epithet of a deity: 19.

t'N'm angel, or divine

"KJN' lilith: 38.

name: name:

25.

mo

Wohls 2417.

pN'SV angel, or divine

inp' angel: Lidz
i;

25.

Pogn

DNaJ Mandaic genius: Pogn. B.

'NJtu:

B.

N3nr

Mandaic divine name

B.
angel,

angel

Pogn

38.

^NnTj angel: Wohls 2416.

bsnnj angel: bsncj
'XJ3

Nan'

with

"eleven

names"

14.

following:

Schw G.

angel:
298.

Schw
:

PSBA,

xii,

Waa

angel:

Pogn B.

god Nannai
deity: 19.

36.

ND'a the "heat" demon: 30: 2. 7NnD3 angel: Hyv (in NiD')? o 'NlE-an; cf. Kasdeya angel of evil arts, Enoch 69:
12).

Dmp3
^X-mj

angel: 35;
p.

Wohls 2416

(see

96).
:

J't:

god Nirig; 36; I'TJ

Ellis

i.

tn^b Leviathan:

2.

miD name of God: Ellis 3. mno, Nin'D, ktd (Manti) Moon:

34,

NO'ano demon

;^y.

TVOno,

etc.

Wohls 2416; Pogn B. angel: Lidz i; Pogn

bx'SBno angel: Wohls 2416.

^'Vrno angel
:

B.

Pogn B.
9.

sra Sin: 36; Montg.

1icni:nD deity:
NJtiD
19.

N?3no the Destroyer:

^'njDD angel:
jntiO'D

Schw G.
:

Satan:

2,

etc.; KJKt3D, 19; cf.

Metatron

25

Wohls

2416.

KJKnDN.

272

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
niX3V,
b''\^'''\-S

^X'ajDD

angel:

Wohls 2416.
5,

'V

niT
:

8; xiu

'v,

8.

ID, K-iD "the Prince":

7 (see p.

angel

Schw N.
Adonai: Pogn B.
8.
I.

97
bs'ilD

f-).
I.

n-aiis

epithet of

angel: 15; Schvv

14.

nis epithet of
^N'-iis

God:

^K'ODTD angel:

angel: 14;

Schw

ijX'sno angel: 14, 19.

T^J

"I'V

Ssmo

angel: 15.

deity: Lidz 5 No. II).

(but

see

to

^Nniv angel:

8.
:

bx'papap

angel

8.

baa^V genius or angel

Ss*:v

Schw

F.

K31

imp

"the

great

angel:

Wohls
p. 27,
f.

Wohls 2422
2416 (see and Bousset,
iv,

(cf.

Kedron" Mand.

Wohls
Arch.
268).
baov,
^^?'D3;:

"the great Jordan").

sni^iBp

Rel.-zviss.,

name

of

demon
5.

36.

D'lsnasp angel: Lidz

NDip divine name?:

angel: 7; Myhr.
evil deity:

19.

"inov Istar,

Mand.
(a

Pogn
14,

NQp idem. noavp

she-angel,

nos.

15);
angel:

=
8.

name

of lilith?:

name of Schw F.
angel:

angel

of

death:

38, 40.
bii'''^PV

b'lXT
11.

Schw N.
angel:
:

Kmpj; "Barrenness":
^JK^aiJ?
^J'NSnij?

Wm,
:

^vrm

Pogn

B.

angel

Wohls
B.

2416.

^K"XT angel
Lidz
i

Schw L
:

form of Raphael

jNna D^?1 a male genius

Lidz

4.

Pogn
Diranas deity:
j!?a

rrns DX1 a female genius:

fP'i

ibid.

angel:

Pogn

B.

19.

^K'B'Si angel:

Schw L
F.

idem.

b'm
NDan
:

angel

onbsi,

Tirhs father and mother of

a genius?:

Schw N. Schw

demons
17).
"yibsi

(variants

in

Np3"i, 'n

mother of demons.
37.
13, 28.

n
8.

Mystery:

deity: 19.

bx'om angel:

SD'bB aobzi genius:

^N^JS

^N'Vm angel: Schw L

bust, b'K'En, ^'VNsn, b'j?sn, b'nssn

angel.

D'VnsD for Piriawis,

Mand. genius:
of
B.

(cf. ^'SSiiv, b'yis

)
f.

Raphael:

Pogn
b^VtS,

B.

passim, see

p.

96

Wns
Lidz
I

form
;

Raphael:
bx^'^c angel: 10.
^"NP3E',

Pogn

^K'piE angel:

Wohls

2416.

^'K'SPSC angel:

Pogn B.

J.

A.

MONTGOMBRY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

E^Ot^',

273
30 Pogn
;

"If Shaddai

Myhr

bn KlB'

7-

B"ONC

Sun
>

36,

bxmc
KrnDE'

angel:

Schw N.
'^^'"^
/r> r (Prof.
.

^^^^

Montg.

^'N'Dbc angel: 35.

deity:
Tv^
, Montg.
t:-

a"&el- ^S-

F.

bxnB', b'Nnc, Ij-^B', b"N*''KiB' angel:

14.
.

Perles calls
to

my

attention

35
,
:

n Pogn

r,

B.

y^Xpnc angel
occur'inB'

t-.

Pogn

t,

B.

the

midrashic

demon

Schw Schw
Ellis

_
F. F.
j'Z'jc?.

rence of 'tnor; see Griin-

baum,
f.

ZDMG,

xxxi,

225
Aiif-

bx"n'n angel:

=
f.).

Gesammclte
Perles,

bw

'NJn(n) genius:

sdtse,td.

1901, p.

^^-^n

angel:

(=

Lidz

59

See

p.

198.

D'1^51lDXp).

Also eleven names of angel

in Ellis 3:

sbaDD, nno, nasa, naana, nnTD,

?),

nnTn,
games
D'J3.

n'atSJ,

nsjpna,
:

namx (= kdoik
mystical

Dap-is,

cf.

the

"eleven"

in

In of

Schw G sanDD, iTK-itr, Schw M a list of

evil
spirits

K333, niTDl, 'JTO. P'nV, xspin?:, njnDi, angel

msB,

names:

\h'i,bh^,bb'0, etc.

A
of

Hst

in

ghosts,

some

cited

Schw G: "isj, nno above, Wohls 2417.

rhii, 'IODD, id-ddd.

Names

For a

lilith's

names, see

No. 42.

Some Kabbalistic forms of

nr in\

nin< etc.
ib.;
1.

(see p. 60 f.)

Schw
in'

Q;
Stiibe,

VV,
1.

Schw O;!"!,
16;
lDt5'

mm,
2.

Hyv;
8,

1111,

Ellis 4,
1.

Hyv;
cf.

in'

in'

n',

i^;.

28; n'3n\ 7:

Stiibe,

15,

13: 7; nn nn, 7: 12; in'nx' 31: 6; pin\ 14:

n'nK
Stiibe,
1.

-is?s

n'ns

Stiibe,

1.

29;

nynx,

5,

center;

NXN Schw

I;

KSSN

35,

KKKKKK, 20:
Stiibe,
1.

2, 5.

|*KfK,
!c

15;

p'm
1.

p'H' j^o fD, eiD 5)0,

1*0

J'K' {"p

etc.

29:

I'BVO

(Atbash),

Stiibe,

66.

Cf. also

i:

13,

24: 4f, 3:

6, etc.

; :

GLOSSARY B
PROPER NAMES OF MEN AND WOMEN
K3K Abba
s.

Komesh:
Zawithai:
(a

17;

s.

Bar-

I3nns

kita: Stube.

Ahathbu m. Wohls 2422.

Ahdabui:
d.

KTK
in3K

Ibba

s.

2.
:

nsnxnnx, n3KnNnnK Ahathadbah

7,

Abbahu
Myhr.

sorcerer?)

Imma: Wohls
tl3BKnnK (w. prep,
bon,
d.

2426, 2414.

'n^b)
:

Ahathat-

in32K Abanduch d. Pusbi: Kins Abuna s. Geribta: 2.

5.

Nanai

Pogn B,
Far-

no. 18
ttnT\

(not in glossary).

Dmas Abraham
8,

(the

patriarch)
s.

DKnK: Ahath-rabta m.
ruchiro:

Schw O;
d.

Dadbeh:
KDynns

Pogn

B.

12, 16.

nbJK Aglath

Mahlath: Schw P.
:

Ahathema Pogn B.
f.

m.

Dade:

n^K

Idi,

m. Asmin

Wohls 2417.
:

'031N

DIN Adam; nsDip

13,
piti

'K

10;

mx

'33:

Pogn A.
Hathoi:
6.
;

Adak
"inx

Schw F. HON, NDK Imma m. Hisdai Schw E; m. Osera: Schw G. nitSDK Amtur d. Solomon Schw L
Zutra:
:

Ukkamai

s.

"injnr

B
see

Aduryazdandur Pogn (for first component

Justi,

mo

-noDin ':ik (?). masdar Tardi

20.

Oni Harm. Tardi

pp.

5.

5i; the

second error for Yazdan-

T.iWK
B'liK

Anur..d
Anosai
ibid.

s.

Parkoi: 28.
:

dad?
'n'N (?)

f.

see

ib.

146).
18.
7,

Anos m. Zadanos
d.

Pogn B.

Ihi

Ephra:

'KKnJK

Mehinducht:
for

injnr'N

Izdanduch m. Yezidad:
27.

S'B":s Anise
3.

(error
ibid.
ibid.

previous

KMK Azia m. Maria: Lidz

name?)

^mnx

Ahdabui

s.

Ahathbu:

KnnOK Anosta,
K''n

Wohls

2422.

ni:K

Anuth-haye Yesho: ibid,

life"?).

d.

Sebre-le-

("vessel

of

nns, Mand. riKHKAhath d. Parkoi: 3 ; d. Hathoi 6 m. Do:

dai: 21, 22, 23; d,

Doda:
:

K3nt2DS Astroba: 29.

I'BDK

25

; d. Nebazach 28 m. Churrenik: Lidz 2; d. Dade Lidz 5.

:

Asmin
beh:

d. Idi:

Wohls 2417.

nsnjtSDK,

l-Asmanducht m. Dad12, 16, 31, 33.

(274)

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
m.
(?)

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

275

MBDK
K1D1K

Aspenaz

Gaye:

Myhr
Osera
s.

(see to 7: 4).

injons, n3-Bahmanduch(t)d. Sama: i, 13; m. Geyam-

Osera and Imma:

(see p. 83).
s.

buch
inn3 Bahrad:

Pogn

B.

Schw G
TTNSS Aphadoi
B.

Ellis i (see

G. Hoffsyr.

Dawiwi: Pogn
Saborduch:
18. d.

mann,
3NTjnn3 Bahrezag

Ausz.

aus

A'cten, 128).
s.

mSK, Knsx Ephra

13;
s.

i,

d.

Kawaranos:

Ihi:

Pogn B.
Kusizag: 'nn3
Bahroi
d.

K'lTlBK
'nJBV'K

Aphridoe Lidz 4 (cf.

26:

Bath-sahde: 34.
d.
i
ii,

Justi, p. 6).

nnjnn3

Bahranduch
duch: ElHs
Z.
f.

Newan-

Ispandoi w. Ephra: 18.

5,

(see Nold.,

Tmijsrx,

K. F.

296).
7, 27.

'D'K

(32,

35),

"D'K (30) Ispandarmed m. Yandundisnat 30; m. Dinoi: 32, 35; m. Beh:

'k:N3
nir'N

Banai m. Merduch:
\2 ?

perh.

"son

of

praise"

(artificial

dar: Ellis

i.
s.

er?)
N''3X313

name Schw G.

of sorcer-

mN

Ardoi s. Hormizduch: 3; Gayye: Myhr.

f.

Barbabe m. Yazid: Pogn

B.
s.

NniN Arha
tl'iK

^!>3")3

(m.) Ispiza: 30.

Bar-gelal
(

Dodai:
d.

15.
:

Arion

s.

Zand: 19; 34 (sors.

KDTI3

?)

Bardesa
:

Terme

39.

cerer or deity?).

"Kn n3 Bar-haye
112;

Rodw

nncmx
Kt'SE^S
-lETK,

Artasria
Ispiza
s.

Komes:
30.
;

Schw C
17.
cf.

Hal (so Chwol CIH, Talmudic name

Arha:
f.

K"n )

TtyK Aser

Bosmath
d.

Schw
Wohls

F; H.
naixriK Athadba

Immi
lannx

xnK in3 Baruk-aria (Farruch?) s. Reshinduch: Schw M. iTan^ana Berikyahbeh s. Mamai:

26
(artificial

2426
NJl-iriK

(cf.

ff.).
:

form).
Stiibe.

Ethroga m. Kukai

Pogn

Kn'3"i3 Barkita

m. Abba:

B
'ajo Babai

("citron").

.TDiCD n3

?)

Bar-mesosia:

Hal,

s.

Bedin:
Syriac.

Wohls 2417
'33, see

Schw C. (cf. my note on Schwab E, 3; a master

magician,

(cf.

with

artificial

Nold. Pers. St. 395, 414).

name?).
!>'<-,

n333, BnJ33,

BiJKSS Babanos s. Kayyomta: 9; s. Mehanos: Pogn B.

i'KDB'O

13,

Bar-mistael:

7,

Myhr
'33^65'

(see to 7: 13).
s.

-13

Bar-sibebi
15-

Tshehrazad:

pT3,

better

pT3 Be (h) din f. Babai Wohls 2417 (see

:

T\c^2 Bosmath

d.

Aser:

Schw F

Justi, p.

347 b).

(biblical).

276

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
na Bath-sahde m. Bahroi

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
X'lJlxn

ikiryo

34.

Dazaunoye
38.

s.

'Adwitha

N'DN n'3, riN3 Beth-asia d. Mehanosh: Pogn B. 3, 29.

najxnan Duchtanbeh Pogn A (p.

njjtnan,

d.

Kumai

18).

^^3D^''J

Geyambuch(?)d. Bahmanducht: Pogn B.

tn^nan
:

Hawwa Pogn B
ruchusraw
Justi,
'IJ'T
:

Duchtanos d. m. Far;

Lidz

(cf.

"J

Gaye

s.

Aspenaz
s.

Myhr.
:

p.

86).
:

'XJVJ
N'l^VJ

Geyonai
Geloia

Mamai
(Geloie)
;

8.

Dinoi

s.

Ispandarmed

35.

duch

Pogn B
^th^i

Durthe same
m.
no. 16094,

sntJi,

Nmxn, Nnnjn

probably

Denar(i)tad. Misa: Pogn B (cf. masc. Dinar, "penny," name

col.
d.

unpub.
ter"?).
b'bKii

(=

ye^oia^

"laugh-

Payne-Smith,

887).
Chosri-

Gamaliel: Schwab O.

nnri, injyT Denduch duch ibid.

:

NTJJ
'SDJ

Geniba

s.

Dodai

Montg.

imn

Durduch
(

d.

Geloia:
for

Gaspai w.(?) Farruch: 41.

Noldeke,

Pogn B Adhur29.

duch).

'mJ

Guroi

s.

Tati: 25.
d.

"tm Darsi
Pogn
snonn,
'N-

"the foreigner"

['K]jnJ

Gusnai

Beth-asia

B, no. 3 (of. below, njantN'

Hadista
(biblical
?)

d.

Miria:

Schw Mah-

M
mNl Dada
f.

Hadassa).
d.

njn, inyn (njn

Sarkoi: 12,
15.

Hindu

laphta: 24; m. Marathai:

WIKT Dade m. Terme:

Mahlaphta:

39;

m.
d.
sn'n:\-i

40

m. Mehperoz

Ellis 3

Pogn B;
(also

(see above, 3).

Ahath:
n'nuT); (yiKi).

ib.

written
5

Hinduitha
s.

d.

Dodai:
12,
s.

38.
s.

d.

Ahath: Lidz

iTJin

Honik

Dadbeh:
17;

16;

Komes:
K-in..nn

Ahath:
Ispand-

16020 (unpub.).
d.

nn,

'Nnn,

snn Doda(i)
;

Mar;

H.

r..
:

dora
26.
s.

m.

tha: 15; d. Ahath: 21, 22,

m. Ahath 23 Hinduitha 38.

:

25

m.
renin

armed

Hormiz

Mama:
5.

15;

s.

naiT,

nmxT Dadbeh
12,

s.

Asmanduch:
^^^0I1^
:

Mahlaphta: Lidz

16, 21, 35.

Hormizduch m. Ardoi:
3
;

Tn, TiT
34;

David (the king)

d.-

Mehduch
s.

14.

14,

Hyv; Lidz
f.

5.

nansT

Zadbeh
(

Denarta

nKT Dawiwi(?)

(?) Aphridoe:

Noldeke,

from

Pogn B Azadh-

Pogn

B.

beh).

::

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
lo;

INCANTATION TEXTS.
Yazid Barbabe: rather than
TIN'
s.

277

nt,

nt

Zadoi
K'nsr

s. s.

Newanduch:
'Adwitha: 38.
s.

Tr,

s.

Sisin:
ibid.

Pogn B; (Aramaic
against

ins

jxnt

Zadanfarruch

Kaki:
377).
B.

Arabic,

Hyv
'sn'it

(cf. Justi, p.
:

Pognon

B, pp. 103, 14).

s.

EnjNnst Zadanos d.

Anos Pogn
2.

nxTr Yezidad
n'nr.
(the

Izdanduch:

7,

27.

Zawithai m. Ibba:

K1D1T

Zutra
(w.

s.

Ukmai: Schw F
Mar).
:

Yazdoe d. Rasnoi: Pogn B same name, Justi, p.

nJEnsTK'
:

title

149).
'SJCnJ

m
1"iT

Zand

f.

Arion

19,

34 (sorcer-

Yazadpanah Gus(

er or deity?).

nai

Pogn B
cf.

for

the

second

word
nsNT Zapeh
Zaroi
s. s.

?:
:

Pogn B.

Persian
149,

above; the first a name, see Justi, p.

col.

37.
d.

Payne-Smith,
d.

1585).

C3nr

Zarinkas

Mahlaphta:

24.

1331'

Yokebed
pub.).

?: no.

2924 (unIspan-

a'3n Habib: no. 2924 (unpub.).

Kin

tSitrnJinr

Yandundisnat
:

s.

Hawwa

(Eve) wife of Adam:

darmed
}'DD'

30.
d.

13; m. Sisin:
'SS'^n

Pogn

B.

Yasmin
O.

Dadbeh

12.
8,

Halifai

s.

Sisin: 29.
. .

3pr Jacob the patriarch:

Schw

non Hmri sai Pogn B (no. (ni3n)-ii3nN Enoch the

'KC
.
.

d.

Emme

19).

pr\T Isaac the patriarch: ibid.

patriarch: 4.
:

pjn Hanun, the house of

19.

t'lJX

"1K13

no'n Hisdai

s.

Ama: Schw
?
:

E.
B.

zag:

Chewaranos m. BehrePogn B (cf. Noldeke's

KO<nn Hathima m.

Pogn

review, p. 144).

JWX13
'DKC Tati m. Guroi
n-KriKD'ts
:

kai
25.
s.

Timatheoz
Oni:

Mamai:

Chewasizag(?) m. MehrPogn A d. Papa Lidz 4 (see Pogn, p. 18; Justi, p. 182; Andreas to Lidz, propos: ;
:

Lidz 2

("Timotheos," Lidz).
d.

ing chush'Zak).
nK'3NT3

mt3 Tardi
nrK-in'Cta

20.

Tsherazad m. Bar-sibebi:

Kezabiath m. Aduryazdandar: Pogn B, no. 23.

15-

'nnri3,

'mnrn,
s.

^nnyri3

Chuze-

huroi(?)
ytnn',
jne"'

Beth-asia:

Pogn
17.

Joshua,

Jesus,

s.

B.
Kn553
'^5013

Perahia,

traditional

socerer (see to

Kalletha

d.

Mahlaphta:

8; 9; 17; 32; 33; 34 32).

Komai m. Duchtanbeh: Pogn

A.
17.

nnr (?) Yazdid

s.

Komes:

'UOIS

Kumboi m. Meducht:

35.

. :

278

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

B"ni3

Komes

d.

MaWaphta:
:

17.

pnnn

VoSavric

Mehrodan: Pogn Wardan,

B
Justi,

(cf.
p.

nSD3 Xaro s. Mehanos 40. innoa Chosriduch m. Denduch: Pogn B. 13D3 Kaphni f. Newanduch: 10; h. Newanduch 10. II
;

=
:

351)-

nrmin

nn'O
34.

Mihr-hormizd

s.

Mamai
'Kpnnjro,

n- Mehrikai s. Kusizag: (from Mithrakana, s. Pogn

>n'B13,

'K-.

sd.

Kufithai

m. Pabalc:
12, 16.

Justi, p.

214).

2,

4;

Dadbeh:

DBDSJKniD
loc).

'ST13
p'r-113

Kurai m. Mesorta: Pogn B.

Churrenik d. Ahath: Lidz 2 (cf. Andreas, ad loc).

Mazdanaspas s. Kusizag: Lidz 4 (see Andreas ad

s.

SJiabna Mahlephona

Dade Pogn
:

{KDN-in
see

Churasan w. Chuzehuroi:
(cf. Justi, p. 78,

(but Noldeke, sneSno).

Pogn B
144).
Kn2tn3,

but
p.

Noldeke

to

Pognon,

Kn^vcna

maka: Pogn B
Waresna, or
Justi, p. 354)-

Kusenta m. Su(from Pers.

derivative?

snB^no Mahlaphta m. Komes: 17; m. Mesarsia: 19; m. Hindu, Pogn etc.: 24; m. Pathsapta: B; m. Hormiz: Lidz 5.
n^no Mahlath m. Aglath: Schw P
(biblical).

see

KHBinD
:

KD'ns Kethima m. Nana

Schw

L.

Mehuphta m. Rakdata: Pogn B (but Noldeke, snB^nn) n3n'0, naiTSO Maiducht d. Kumboi
35, no. 16093.

CUSHD, BiJno Mehanos m. Xaro: 40; m. Babanos, Pogn B; m.

Beth-asia: ibid.

KJobn Malkona
P.
''^5D,

s.

Maksath: Schw

nnna Mehduch

Dadbeh: 12, 16; m. Hormizduch: 14; d. Mahl(aphta) 9007 (unpub.).

d.
:

Mamai, Mama: m. Geyonai: 8; m. Hormiz:

'SDSC, kod:
15;

'inn

Mehoi

s.

Dodai:
s.

15.

m. Berikyahbeh: 26; m. Mihr-hormizd: 34; m. Timatheoz: Lidz 2.

msHD Mehperoz
3

Hindu:

Ellis
p.

npDD Maskath m. Malkona: Schw

(=
cf.

Mihrperoz,
above, 3).

Justi,

206;

P ("olive-gleaner"). smiDD Mesorta m. Kurai Pogn

:

B.

nsnrno Mehinducht: m. Anosai:

Pogn B
186?).

(=

maheng,

Justi, p.

KaiKD, X3S-INO witha: 38.

NlN-iD

Marabba
h.

s.

'Ad-

Marada

Hinduitha: 38.
s.

pine Mehraban s. Yazdoie: Pogn B (Pogn thinks error for following; but
cf.

13-no, '10

Mordecai
d.

Saul:

41.

Meribanes
Justi, p.

IHTO Merduch
snND Maria
d.

Banai:

7, 27. 3.

Mihrwan,

etc.,

208).

Azia: Lidz

::

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
:

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

279

K'TO Miria m. Hadista (^ Miriam?).

D'no

Pogn

KD'ny 'Adwitha m. Marabba,

38.

etc.

Mariam: Schw Q.
Mersabor f. Kayyoma: Pogn B (= frequent Syriac
Justi, p. 206).
:

N'DV

Emme
B.

m. Hamri..shai: Pogn

nuKe-io

Kvnaiy (?)

s.

Rabbi, a

sorcerer:
f.

name,

Hyv
8

(see Noldeke, Z.
iii,

Keils.-

niKO Marath m. Rasnoi lowing name).

(=

fol-

forsch.,

297).

Kmo

Martha m. Dodai:
d.

15.

P3XS3

Pabak
Pannoi

s.

Kufithai

2, 4.

'snxiKO Marathai

Hindu:
:

40.

'US

d.
f.

Dadbeh:

16.
4.

ntno Moses (the lawgiver)

.
.

34, 35.

SSSB Papa

Chusizag: Lidz

KB"D

Misa...
B.
d.

m.

Denarta:

Pogn
IDC^

n'nsB Paproe d. Kukai: Pogn B (= Arabic Babroe, Noldeke,

Pers. Stud., 400).

Muskoi
Porath

Simoi: Myhr.
s.

N'CiEns Mesarsia
s.
:

Mahlaphta: 19;
G.
29.

Schw
d.

n'ms, x'n-iB, s'nna Perahia f. Joshua (Jesus) 8; 9; 17; 32;

:

B"JNno Methanis

Resan:

33; 34 (see to 32).

ins Farruch
^T^<33

s.

Pusbi: 5;

s.

?: 41.

Nebazach m. Ahath:

28.

'131B

Parkoi

m.
28.

Ahath:

nnJVJ
d.

Newanduch
:
:

d.
1 1
;

Pushbi:

5;

Anur
tssiiB
I.

3;

m.

Kaphni 10, duch Ellis i.

m. Behdan-

Farruchan

s.

Sahduch

Lidz

nj

Noah

(patriarch)

10.
d.

xnDDi-13

(also
s.

'XJW,

s:K3

Nana

Kethima:

chosraw
4-

NiNiDsns) FarruDuchtanos: Lidz

Schw L; Nanai m. Ahathatbon: Pogn B.

Itryb S'laVD Sebre-leyeshu f

n'3i"iB

Farruchiro
(cf.

s.

Ahath-rabta

Pogn B
.

Farruchrui, Justi,

Anuth-

haye: Pogn
"his

(w. Pognon
is

p.

96).

PJJIB

Pharnagin

s.

Pharnagin
:

(a
7,

(my?) hope

in Jesus").

traditional

conjurer)

KOD, 'NDD Sama(i) duch: I, 13.

'IB'D

m.

Behman-

Myhr.
'miB Porathai m. Mesarsia: Schw

Simoi m. Muskoi: Myhr.

?
:

G
NHBtJ'

(cf.

KmiB, Esth. 9:8).

m. Farruch:
d.
5.

13D1D Simkoi m.
KpoiD, xpHDiD

30.
s.

ncriB Pusbi

Sumaka
d.

Kusanta

ns Path-sapta

Mahlaphta

Pogn

B.

Pogn
Serin: 9.
8<n3B',

(with Pognon

n3

nomo

Saradust

"Sabbath-daughter").

280

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
d. Mahlaphta: 24; m. Zadanf arruch Hyv.
:

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

'pup ICaki

imac
13-

Saborduch m.

Ephra:

i,

'Hp^p

Kukai m. Paproe Pogn

:

(cf.

KOt/KOff,

JUSti, p. 166).

nnnxE' Sahduch Lidz I.

m.

Farruchan:

KDVP Kayoma

(a

Mersabor: Pogn Syriac name, Paynes.

Saul (?)
Sili
s.

f.

Mordecai: 41.

'^C

Sarkoi: 12, 16.

:

Smith,

col.

3538;

cf.

the fol-

KO^E'
I,

Solomon (the king)

lowing).

(nc^D),
I.

Hyv;

f.

Schw Amtur:
34, 39.

NHDVp !Kayomta m. Babanos

'31

9.

Schwab
ficl^C
Ellis
I

Solomon (the king)

;

Rabbi

father

of

sorcerer:

Lidz

5.
:

Hyv (artificial name?). span Rubkai: Pogn B (=

np2-i ?).

p'tr

Sirin

m. Saradust m.
16.

9.
:

Heb.
'ip-iC

Sarkoi

Kaphni

10;

d.

Dada:
s.

12,
d.

DlKDDii

Rustaum

Churai

Pogn
'BB' Sise

Beth-asia:

Pogn B
29; m.

B.
snsnp-i

(compare the following).

ftT'E'

}Bn

Rakdatha d. Mehuphta: Pogn B ("dancer"). Resan m. Methanes 29.

:

Sisin

m.

Haliphai:
d.

Yazid:
ibid.;

Pogn B;

Hawwa:
ibid.

undetermined

(:=

inj'JCNT Rasnenduch Lidz 4.

d.

Aphridoe:

60?).

nc Seth

(the patriarch)

10.

nnrr'T
'Uen,

Resinduch m. Baruk-aria:
Rasnoi

Schw M.
ri'iJCi

d.

Marath

K'tSTTi
:

Terme

d.

Dade:

39.
:

m. Yazdoe: Pogn B.

Nnxn

Tata niece of Bardesa

39.

GLOSSARY C
GENERAL GLOSSARY
tos father
T3N perish
:

pi.

lin'nas 36
7.
:

5.

inx be behind, tarry: Af. Wohls

2417.

KJnain destroyer

36

5.

inS behind:
iins do.
10,
:

pa'Sinj?
3,

Pogn

B.

KJ3X stone

sict 'Jas Hyv.

(tin?): 19:

8:

mnx

Stiibe 58.

Kn3K, NnK3K lead

"K oh: Hal.

39:

5.

Kiaj?:

Montg.

TK
P'K
pS

oh(?): Schwab F.
as: 32: 9.
5.

nJK hire: ntjs Pogn B, stjv Lidz

2.

ib' tree: 34:

7.

NnrK roof: 6:

nought:

KmJ'K

letter,

of

divorce

writ

UNC Schw M.
is:

which

is

not

13-

rrx there
4,

nbn'S 37: 3;n3nv are

KJns ear

Lidz

'niK

Schw L
Kav
17,

in him,

Pogn

B.

KJm'K
IK,

alcove: 12: 13.

IV
:

Talm.
4.

iO''N

sa

IT'S,

Mand.
if

or:

8:
;

Lidz 2;

Lidz

if

Pogn B repeated ... or Pogn B.

:

n'b is not:

Pogn

B.
?:

naiK error for following npis

K31K a disease: 24: 2.

Schw G.
^as eat:
36:
7; nsban,

pK

squeeze:

^VK 1:11.
xnins 35
:

whoever

niK ,nnK letter of alphabet: nvniK

(f) eats,

Pogn
6.

B.

9
ttn'TK

5,

9.
2.

K^3K food: 18:

ba unto,
6;
ibfN
DijiV

sweating fever: 24:

KJ^TK

^K

15 (see bv).

^m

go:

2:
b'tx

I,

nytN 6:
4,

sn^Sgod: 7:4; n^'

16: 5

i4;"'nbs, pi.

impf:

36:

byrn,

(also Glossary

A).

^Tn Pogn B; impv:

Ellis
I,

ib't'N

Schw
B.

F,

^ry ,b'W

Pogn
w.
:

Knn^S goddess: Wohls 2417: 5, xn^N ("K) Wohls 2422, 2426 (or, curse?).
Knini)S deity: 38: 7.
ci^N

KHK brother Knsns

KJnK

pi.

suff. 'ins

3.

sister

39:

9.

Af

teach

ssbo Hal
nss'^i,
\1?).

s-'EJlSs^

relative: 34: 2.

IHK take hold

of:

11: 4.

Pogn B; as from
(281)

ib.

(Pogn

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
DK, D'S if: 2: 3; repeated, whether
...
or,
:

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
pi. 'CJ
1

12,

Styj

35:

8.

EUis

I.
:

KD,

K^:'S

mother fD'CK 8
5-

4,lVKDjf,

NDN heal:TD\ w. suf. i: 15; Etp. 'Dri' Wohls 2422 ppls.

;

38: 14; plur. pnnnD'N, 36:

IDS,

N'DN, K'DKD,

Lidz

IC.
:

KDiDS
13: 8;
p.

healing, etc.
pi.

3,

nmooiN?

parallel
sions,
:

to cattle, posses-

3:

I,

etc.

(see

Schw M. px be true Hof pjoinn Schw M. [ON Amen: e. g. IDK fDK, 14:
. ,

129).
:

nos, SDK myrtle

13

3,

Pogn

B.

NT^SD'N
NnsipD''t<,

hall: 12: 13.

8;

j'Dl

]']!,

Pogn B

(see p.

OD'K, ODj? threshold: 6:

4,

63)-

9: II, Lidz

5.

Knuo'n
JOK

faith: 29: 12.

denominative
artisan (?) in

of

sjdix
]H12

tnpDK? Wohls 2422 (see Frankcl ad loc).

"IDS bind,

S'lJOKT

charm, of magic: 4:
non^J

i,

1DN

say,

has JUKWON, whoever worked for you, Pogn E. command 2 3 Etpe.

: : ;

etc.;

19:

14;
;

Af.
n'3
p.

ppl.

linnDD Pogn B.
ib.

N'TDV, prison,
52).

(see

-len'N

30:

7,

-ions 37:

5.

IDKO word: Schw M, lO'O 13:

2.

snos, "N, "v bond,

4:
3.

spell,

angel:

etc.

K10S tree-top?: 34:

jN
if
:

5.
:

NiiD'S ditto. 4: 3, etc.

in

Lidz 4

9.

KTDN

binding: Lidz

5.

pK yea: poi pv Pogn B (see IDS).

NriNJK vessels: 38:
-

N1D10 spell: 3:1.

3.
\iiK>,

KmnD'K goddess: Schw

in

2:

7, etc.

(see p.

N3ND vessel n'T^

face:
13:
5,

F.

71);

'BJS

]M^S32

your

Nmo'X
is

ditto?

Ellis

3,

Wohls

presence,

Pogn

B, no. 31.

2422
the

(but
or

see

Frankel;
of

IK anger: Schw F.
"DN over? ji3'DS paiy

form a confusion
feminine

Kma,

''K

i'nds
12,

and
;

'ii)

Schw R. man: i
t;o''K

with

N-1D''S?).

ava wood: 38:

flN

2.

etc.

constr.
pi.

38: 8; 15, KL"JK 32:

13- B"JV

'CJ'K 7

moreover:

3:
I.

11,

etc.;

11K,

10,

KTKJN

Schw
'TSK darkness

38: II.

lax turn away: Pogn B, Lidz

:

la.

man: nt^Ni 'K, Ellis 5. NnnJN woman, wife: 31: 9, 32: i; Nnnrsg: 4; snn''S3: 3, 7: 15, etc.; nnws Schw M; anna 3:3; Knni?, Lidz 2;
E^S

Schw

F.

'P^sa epithet of

pJlD 7: 11.
:

DiBisx fraeparatum? 13: NH'^px keys Pogn B.

:

12.

NJniN trap

Wohls 2417.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
in

INCANTATION TEXTS.

283

NmiK way: Hal 3. K"NmK Aramaean

Pogn
nynN
earth: 2:
B.

Kta cleave:

N'm^T

vhitb:,

Pogn B
evil

(so

read

(see him, p. 50).

B, 27, ext). 2;

10X3

insB some

form of

spis,

Myhr)
?t:3

Schw
cease,

L.
15, act.

Pogn

abandon: impv. 7:
part.

CN

fire

14.

pass.

17:

13,

Knc'K ditto:

14:

7;

NHNB^,

(?)

N'^t2S3

Pogn B;
13
I.

Pa.
k!'D3

Pogn
xn'CK fever
NO'B'K guilt
:

B.
:

undo: 17:
inf.; Etpa.
^It3'3

13, 7:

Schw

24

sntrs Schw G.
xii,

Schw

PSBA
Schw
3.

because of: 11: 8 (cf.

^iti'D).

299

B"3 DVCS,

KJt3K3
"11213?

womb:
32:
10,

(see p.

39:

3.

86).
^B'X

33: 12.
(
:

enchant

p define, specify
p3,
'3,
''3''3

?)

S3'3,

Schw

F.
...

XS!J"K enchantment, ibid.

between:
..

KnCK rump:
ns

TitJT,
:

Pogn

B.

r3
b...

whether.
'3,
II
;

or, 3:

sign of accus.

Schw

between...
N''3''3,

5; and,

(Heb.).

29:
B.

'y3,

Pogn

Nnx come: 8:9; Af.

jriK

'DTr'N, 9: 7.
12.

|D5?

press?: 38:

arz midst: 6:

11.

tnnx place:
after

9:

8; inN nnxa one

other,

nu

within

:S3''^ n''3

30:

4.

the

38:

11;

Knv3 egg: Pogn B.

B'U evil: 8: 16,
etc.
7.

Kina

afterwards,

Schw

F; nna
1
:

in place of, after,

NniC"3 malady: 34:

Nnint?'3 ditto
s<ri''3

12,

28:

2.

?)

Schw

L.

house,

family:
6;

prrri'S

12:

2,

3, '3

in: passim;

'"lanQU,

2:7;

'3

]in'n3 6:
suffix,

Mand. with
38:
I,

KDcp, 2:

3;n3, in

that,

nri's,

nn^xs
38:

Schw
'3133

(?).

Lidz
II.

4;

plur.

trsn3

a class of deities: 19: 6 (cf.

Of

sorcerer's

Glossary A).
J33

school 8: II, 19: 17.

for divine
XDIE'

an interjectional
help,
in

call

K3-i

Pogn B
root
;

(cf.

the

p3, Syriac

(^3) rb3D, xnb30 class of demons: 2: 7, 7: 17, 10: 4.

etc.

(see p. 79).
11,

Pognon,
impv.

"maledic-

073 muzzle: 2:
ybz

Lidz

4.
:

diction").
rin3

swallow up, destroy, Etp. 3

7,

be

ashamed Pogn B.
in:
(

pi.

niiT'a,

9:6.
NJ'JU
building:

38:

3;

of

cattle

K13
Nf'3

come

l'K3
?)
:

Schw
5
:

G.

barn, 40: 4;
(abstract)

construction

plunder

3.

16: 6.

;;

S84

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
Lidz

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
Xpi3 lightning: 12:
8.

KnKD'a pillow
xnoiDa in

5.

'21...

snnbs, a goddess of

snSn3

virgin:

13:

i.

censing,

embalming
act. ppl.

(?),

Wohls

2417.

X8J D'N-yj proud:

3J,

Schw M. 2:4;
4.
3.

V2 ask: 4: 6; S"S3, f., Pogn B.

K^j?3

3U bend:

33"'3,

inf.

3S30,

Etpe., Etpa.,

Pogn

B., Pa.

husband: 8:

13, etc.

reply

tomb^va
p.

class of
:

80)

demons (see 3 in Pogn B,

;

S33 hack

8
:

K3U
b2:

lintel

pn'n313
5

,6:4.

knead: 12:

(of magical op-

NTV3, Syr. XT3

34:
N-IP3
8,

cattle:

Wohls
no.

2422,

eration). 133 be strong

:

37:

2.

Pa.

p333D

30
7,

5.

herd:

Pogn

B,

27

(so

N133

man:
12.

7: 17,

35:

40:

understand).
"13,

son,

passim; Heb.

13,

41

K133, S1313,

Mand. N1K33,
3: B.
2,

K1313
13,

plur. e. g.

N113 "33, i: 9;

Strong:

19:

plur. w. suffix

n33 ,11:

y,

Pogn A,
Nnii33

29:

6,

38:

4.
:

might: Schw F.
3,

Nm3

daughter

Ellis

const.

n3

passim,

m3

36:

bn3 great: 5:
2,

b^lin

ion Schw F.
:

nss ns Mand. 38:4, Pogn B (nN3, ri'S component of name Pogn B, ?)

plur.
5.

Kn''blT3
2.

woven headdress

Lidz

113

wall up (against demons)

8.

17:

133

3:

3,

nnn33
16:

3:
10.
7.
13

nhpn^
^5n33,

voice,

midst:

133

34:
6.

6,

13^

13: lO,

13

s-131
"13

demons, 29:

32:
113
tie,

apart in fD 13 19: 15,

^13

Pogn B.
3,

bind (of a spell)

'3

29:

10.

the open

country: 17:

s<ni3

eruption, noise:

bsp Pogn

29:
t<"i3

7.
:

B.

Pa. put outside

Pogn

B.

K313

color,

form:

I''3r3

7:

15

"K13 foreigner: 29:

1113
bright, of
I.

8.

I''313

Myhr.

angels:

Schw

NB13

body: Hal, Schw Q; nBl3, term for a man's inamorata,

N13 create: 2:

2, 3.
i
:

Myhr.
^13

13: 12.

N113
ni3

hail':

14:

rob:

Pogn B.
ban: 7:
13, 13.

flee

Ellis
:

8.

113

inhibit,

Pogn

B.

113 bless

25

(=

3 Pa. S313 '30?).

: ;
:

Pogn B

KnTT3 ban: 7:
t<3niT3

magical condemnation:

pia flash (lightning)

12:8.

Montg.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC
1,

INCANTATION TEXTS.

285

XD'J

(magic) divorce: 8: 7

(q. v.).

1 relative particle, passim; with

t<"X3iJ

Gukaean: Pogn B.

following
e.

half-vowel,

n,
T

no-:

great:
side:
spirit:

Schw
JDU

F.

g. T,

'JTl.

In Mand.
12,

pi.

34: 4;
12: 9.
':.

familiar

for

38:

14,

Pogn

6:2,

A,
7.

p. 13.

Used

to

resume
B, no.

b: b'hi

circuit:

oby

25:

a preposition,
12,
1.

Pogn

itbabl

rock (?): Pogn B (so Pognon; or of the magic

6 (For omission of
particle
in

the

genitive

circle?).
nSjIjJ

construction, see p. 39.).

Stiibe

circuit se'OB' '^J^J

nn

mine
part,
4-

nn^a

58,

Pogn
:

on

my own
his,

B.
f7:b:^

2:5;
7:

mn,
12;

30:

t<rh:bi spheres

niu 8:13.

N^JiJ ditto
N^J'J ditto:
Knijj,

O'SS? ifbl-\:

Pogn
6:11.

B.

'bn ditto:

n
4.
:

^nn,

in

K'Dt' '^rj,

order that, 28:

NHK^jy,

=
to

x^JsbJ:

Pogn B

N3T lurk, of demons

18:
6.

6,

4,

(from b:v?).
ab:, aiD'bi,
'li'J

=
:

so'b, Lidz

4.

P31 cling, haunt, of

demons

11:6,

engrave
?

f\''b:

TS

11:9.
131
see

Pogn
131.

B.

^OJ i^iaJK

Wohls 2422
7.

("good
131,

works"?).
103 engrave: 36:
I'OJ

n3n
25:
3-

bv

on

account

of:

completion: pr n'D3
F.

ij?

Schw

N"i3n

pasture land: Ellis

chariot-driver
:

3.

N3K1310
B.
K-'J'T

Pogn

Nrj

Jinn: Hyv, prob. 37: 10 (see

p.

80).

(angelic) cohorts: 8: 14.

KnjJ,

ijij

troop: 7: 17; species

6.

(tn)

Kjn
day: 4:

judgment, of
4,

the

last

of demons 37:
NX'XJ,

19:

8,

NnrvJ polished armor: 2:

27:
3.

in
i,

dwell: ;nn

Ellis

Wohls 2417. (?) 5, piTn

and
38:
its

Myhr.

K313

Kin
an
itching

dwelling-place
precincts: 32:
11,

disease:

Wohls
B.

2,

2422.
K'anj,

Lidz 4 (xiKH).
north:

K'3T3

Pogn
17.

Nn-n ditto: 29:

8.

XD1J bone, body: 7:

-"piJ

Nmn
A
(root

ditto: 8: 4, 29: 6. ditto: Schw E, Hal. down impv. ptm Lidz

:

Pa.,
^i'J

chain:
?).

Pogn

K-no

cm

tread

4.

Konj body:

Stiibe.

-iNnn

evil-doing: Lidz 4.

: ;

286

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
KH
see!

Km
^m

chase:
fear:

Pogn B.
i:
12,

here!:

7:

13,
5.

18:

8 in

Peal

and Pael,

nnesn, Lidz
KOnn limb
-\in

nicm

fearful,

Schw

F.

(the

248 members)

wiime
H^iaxn Kin

terrifying: 35: 7.

Schw
return: 18:
,

E, F, Stube 56.
9.

rfm/3oXo(:

35:

4.
5, etc.

devil: i: 7, 39:

(see p.

Kin

Heb.

n'r\

be

"in'n

2,

74).

ppl.
4.

4
3;

future,
prep.,

37:

K3T pure: 27:

Mand. w.
(sic)
9.

ni)'inn,

Knan
"I3T

place:

rnan

Schw G.
Ki5^^^
2,

38: 13; 'H",

Schw M.

record: 14: 6, 29:

nan,

mansion: 38: 2, Hyv, Pogn A, B, Lidz 2; heavenly

temple, 14:
3.

Mand.
39:

"i3T,

male: 6:

5, Ellis 5.

Vl^n thus: 17:

5.

10.

KJian name: 28:

ran ditto: 8:
n'-ihbn

8.

K^T draw up: Pogn B, Etpa.

Halleluia, magical term: 7:

17,

K'bno
K7K7T place

reliever,

epith.
7.

of Ra-

etc.;

misspelt, 20: 5,
8,
:

phael: 34:
in

24: 4, 31:
li'n

32: 12.
3.

Babylonia: Hal.

walk i^KFi'D 3
:

blood:

Schw M.
appear in disguise, of
K'on^ impf.
1
:

isn turn: J'ssno, of the angels

who

KDi, be

like,

revolve the planets, Stiibe

spirits:

Pogn

8; Etp.

ib.

1.

14,

36:

i.

B, Etpe.

12, etc.

nson, na'sn, n-sn, laan magical

KDIDT likeness

im

1BT3 ,6:4;
9 (see
p.

terms

for
3,

reversing

plur. KHKiDl, 39:

charms, Ellis
logical fate,

and

astro-

82).

Schw

(sun,

KOT sleep: Wohls 2417.

"lOT

earth,
tions).

stars,

constella-

be astounded: Stiibe 47. a disease

(

"ipOT

?)

34

10.

KD'assn a disease:

(mn) KHJiDeast: Wohls 2422 (so Frankel), KJIO, Pc^^ B.

N"i'2nDT ban-writ
:

Wohls 2422 (Frankel reads Kn'Bsn, see

conceptions:

below).
K'iKin

32

4, etc.

mental

Pogn

(ppn)

Kpm,

fem.-

Nnpi-n

child:

A.

11:6, KpBnn36:4;
Kpnn, KpiKT ditto: 18:
NJipTiT ditto.
6,

Knrn now:
Lid:
1

3: 11, 4:

i.

and,

passim:

n.

b. 6,

pa^
'KiKO'l

3:

3,

Pogn
i,

B. B.

K^Tl 14:

Pogn
30:
3,

K3m
KDi-in

healing: 37:

Pogn

B
'1

no. 24,

KnapjKi

south:

Wohls 2422.

K'niDKi 38: 12.

nom

true: 13: 8.

woe

! :

1:9.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
"i,

ARAMAIC
=

INCANTATION TEXTS.

387

ini glaucoma

KnE"3

Stube 44

NVT glory: 7:
NJ'KT

5,
:

Pogn B. Pogn B.
loss:
:

Wohls 2416
ni, D' in

(see p. 93).

weapon
KJ'T
'T

ni3K
3:
3

tike,
f\M

37: 10; nib apud,

n' }D

restraint,

34:

12;

from the
nib'D

body,
IT

Schw
of
: ;

ira

prison

Pogn

B,

3:3;
w.
^I't

Lidz

2.
5.

sign

accusative,

noun 3 4 w. pron. 7:13;

w. subject of passive ^yb^

honey: 12:

SOT victorious: 37: 11;

JS-'DNt

past

n^n,

ninn
to, 5
:

n^

Schw F

resuming

40:
5.

25,

Pogn
parallel

B,

3-

Lidz

xniat victory, etc.,

to

"ant K13T

flies

Wohls
sell

sniDS Pogn A, B.
2422.
^bt

marriage-portion: Pogn B.
:

pour: 12:

5.

Kno'T hair:
DT

Pogn A.
11.

pr buy, Pa.
"13T

Pogn

B.
indelOr

resound: 6:

see

Pogn

B, p. 38: "an

pendent root

Noro resonance: 6:

11.

(i) turn,

cherish"; but (2) the passages in his bowls can be explained by equation

Pa. designate (of setting apart the magic bowls)

31, etc.; invite:
:

I,

Pogn B.

with
K-ii3Dt

"I3n,

lead turn, order.

("lOT)

xmnt
"IIDTO

singing-girl

=
3.

harlot:

wasp: Pogn B.
this side: 13: 7.

Pogn

B, Lidz 2.

(nr)

nno on

psalm: 14:

inr

Pa. put on guard, Etpa. be on

SiOT a precious stone?: Hyv.

sn^Jt harlot
'B't
:

guard: Pogn B.
NJTit
3lt
(Jit)

Pogn

B, Lidz

2.

corner: 4:
:

2,

Pogn
I3ir

B.

hairs,

used in magic?:

7:

13

fly off
Kir.

nnw
success

Wohls

2414.

(see p. 153).

K1NT

spouse: 38: 13,

:

last
etc.

foul

Pogn A.
12:

(m)
nir,

Kp'r
'KTT

blast:

38

8;
14:

plur.
5,

blast-de-

13.
jinr

nnt depart:
(see
p.

nrn,

Ellis 3

mons Schw
nt

19:

3;

'pyt,

(see p. 80).
6,

130);

Pa.

in'no,
:

13:7; Etp. nmr 10 6, NntKnjj Pogn B. (cf. HTJ,

V1T;
if,

equip magically: 4:

31:
Nnnt,

4,

38: 38:

2,

Pogn
13,

19: 13, B.

'Kit

see to 3: 2).
ditto
yr,
:

magical

equip-

W,

ment:
,

spr
ppls.
Kj?t,

40:

2,

pjrt'

rrt

7:

12,

=
5-

rvr,

Myhr;rinr7:
7,

Pogn B, Lidz 2. WIT seed: Schw I, Hyv.

Nn'jnr

posterity

1:8.

p''

impious, of charms: 2:
I,

4:

Pogn

B.
5.

an Pa. love

13:4.

KDUTt

impiety: 30:

K3n love:

'3n3, 13: 9.

288

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
Nitn

Nan hide: Etp. Schw

ban
Pa.
injure,

I.
:

apparition:
10,

pi.

N'JNlin 31:
5.

destroy

lo.

Pogn A, Lidz

Nl^ana the destroyer

travail,
II.

of

9:8; a woman, 13:

destruction:

Krrn
Ktan sin:
i

ditto: 30: 5.
:

3,

4 (of demons).
(?)

^5NDn sinner: D'yan

injury,

Schw
xii,

N^an,

'in

M.
xnstin sin
:

Schw

F, G, N.

Schw PSBA,
p.

i6tiin ditto: 7: 16.

299 (see
37: 11.
flt2n

86).
4.
2, 8,

N^'an ditto: 32:

8,

pluck away

Lidz

xnban

ditto:

16: 6.

Nn'SDn a demon: 8:
Nnsi'Dn,

12;

Nnibn

ditto: 32: 8.

17: 4.
14.

pan embrace, cherish,

of

angels

ion switch, plague: 30:

N'n live:

13:4"lan

enchant: 6:

6.
"iB'jjnn

im' 16: 4, ]vn: 36: 6; Af. 'nsn of mother, 24: 5.

7.

in one: xnn 4:1;

B.

n, Enis3.
:

N'n hving: 38:

life:

39:
13

8:

pi.

Ninn one another: 31

6,

Pogn

30:

I,

38:

(see

Glossary A),
6.

nn

Af. surround: 4:

xn'n animal: 7:

14.
pi.

Nixm (magic)
Nlirn
4,

circle: 39: 7.

Nnrn
6,

ditto

Hal

N'jsrn 39
3,

NnN'Jvn

38:

Pogn

precinct,

property: 40:

B.
n'n^a healing:

w. N"n, livestock,

mn
Kin

new: smn, N^nsn Pogn B; snmn 13: n.

Pa.

Schw H.
N^^nno,
?).
i,

f.

b'n

Pa.

make
31
:

strong: pb^no pass.

(

show

37

7,

Pogn A,

5.

n'b'nn",

B.

Schw F

(am) NTn guilty: Schw F.

N'ln

vh'n power: 2:

pi.

srb'n 2:
4.

serpent:
B.

plur.

NnsiS'n,

Pogn

2; xnb'o b'na 37:

(Tn) nanan a skin-disease: so

I.

read
'n

pn,

pnb, without: Schw

in

Wohls 2422
39

for

Nvno
Enn

precinct:

Schw
z'.;

P.

(Friinkel, Niian).

quick!
14:
cnn',

magical

interjection:
also n'cnns

KD'an
(bn)

sage, in sorcery

7.

4
tfn'

9.
jT?.;

ikb)br\

marriage chamber:

36:

nennx

Stiibe
7-

14;

Schw

(between

angel-names),
no.
Nrr'ntn
5,

Pogn

B,

'?n

sickness

Schw

F.

end;

cf. 'Dn.
:

Na^n milk: Pogn B.

2422.

a skin-disase 30:
4,

Wohls
9,

Nbn, "n dream: 6:

10, etc.

10,

31:

4,

39:

wn

see:

Pogn B; Etpe.
etc.

(see p. 82).

appear: jnn'n 6:

ybn arm: 19:

13.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
la.

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

289

vbn weak: Pogn B. Lidz

(but read

with a place mentioned in

no.

NOn father-in-law: Pogn B

'Sion

29

Jer.

Sheb.

viii,

5).

?).

hpn twist: Pogn B.

3,

Knnn mother-in-law:

Ellis

(snn) xn'jnns a

pungent

herb

?:

Schw

(curse of).
F.
:

28:

3.

Kcn wrath

Schw

3in Pa. lay waste: 38:

5
:

11,

Pogn

B.

^D^ name of a place Don do violence: 2:

1'Ds?n

4.

N3"in

sword: 37:

8.

10.

nin Pa. terrify: mi'n

inf.

8:
:

7.

leaven: 13: 12.

Nmins
25-

a kind of spell

Stiibe

N-ion

wine

Hyv, Pogn B.
4,

Tin a pungent herb Din ban: pass,

ppl.,

?:

28:
17.

3.

Ninn ass: 40:

14.
:

7:

Pogn

smoin pebble-charm
I'TDin,

19:

16, plur,
i,

B.
DK"in

N-imn. 4:
p.

30:

3.

curse: Montg.

38: II (see
po'DC'Dn
five

87).
4.

Konn anathema: Schw M.

of you: 8: 31. 17:

Nnmns

ditto

6 also snoin
;

snC'Dn
N3n Njn

fifth: 6: 8.

read by Frankel in

Wohls

womb:

36:
:

5.
?

2426:

2.
:

encamp

tvjn'j

Schw

I.

tlDTH

Hermon
2422

6.

Nson palate: Pogn B.

pjn throttle, of a Hlith: 18: 6, Lidz
5-

K Din an

eruptive
(

disease:

Wohls
)

read n for n

Dionn
suflferings:

ditto: 29: 9.

Knxon, KDOn
Q'Dn quickly

Schw M,
13:

flin

Pa. blaspheme: 8: 16.

f|'"in

sharp: 7:

17.

(see

to

enn)

9;

cin Pa. enchant, poison: 7: 13 of

water (see
p.
:

13

'Dn

out

upon

thee,

84).
5
:

Schw M.
KiD'n grace: 13:6.

ptnn black
etc.,
:

arts

2,

33

8,

Pogn B
n'cnn,

(see p. 84).
:

KJiDSn contumelious
bon cease:
J'b'on
:

30

4.

KB'in sorcerer

(harrds)

Pogn

Schw

I.

B,
4

Nnscnn, masc.
39
6.

Don jealous K'nODKn srs, Lidz

j'DDKn
(ein)xn''SDn a
?

and fem.
snciin empoisonment
:

Schw L
Wohls

skin-disease:

Kaitrn darkness

16:

6:

pi. X'Sltfn

2422, end.

Pogn
Dnn
:

B.
:

fan desire
S'Vin

Schw

F.

seal

(magically)

onnoi DTin
39: 11,
etc.

name

of a place

Hal,

Schw

passim; 31:

5,

(Hal. identifies with an

KDnn, xDH'n
38:
7-

seal: 7: 4, 19: 15,

Arabic place-name; Schw

290

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
KDinn besealment: 9:
j''Dinn(?)
ditto: 34:
i, I.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
N' interjection:
^\irinn

11.

nn
1.

S'

14:

7,

nn\

4.

Nnnnn
13,

ditto: 3:

30:

i,

38:

^3" bring:

nK^iK, Pogn B, no. 28.

:

Pogn
ditto:

NnoKDn.
B.

CD' dry

up

Pogn

B.

Nnomn
'3t3

Pogn

hand: 'niT 19: 14,

htk
8:

34: 13;

'TK bv on
gazelles:

side

of,

Schw
TT'nn

Wohls
F.

2414.

E; T3
"b^l

per,

13;

bt: dip:

Schw
seal

"T 7:
?,

12;

KHT

their

p:D

seal: Ellis i.

hand
3n' give:
ib.

Schw
Ellis

E, Q.
i.

nV3B a
"inta

36:

4,

Etpa. purified: 12:

7.

DV day: 4: 4 (of judgment).

(31t3)

20 good

29

KDC
:

day-time:
39:

3:
10;

3.

etc.;

9.

NBNO'X
12, etc.
ni^'

KTit3

mountain: 7:
?

XOKDV

Pogn
:

B.
:

Dt:D
K^'ts

Ellis
:

I.

bear (children)

8.

shade
'bt2'D

K^D
covers
:

'33

n'C 29
(used
I.

9.

Knb' child: 36: 6.

of

the

bowls)
I^7t30

sbsilB parturition: 39:

KD" sea: 7: 12, 8: 9, 14:
2,

11.

4:
in

Pogn

B.

herb
3.

a magic recipe:

28:

SO' adjure: SJvaB'Bi sroio 7: 16, cf.

KOD unclean: 34:

'OiD
n^ta

40:
10.
:

5, etc.

;n'ci88: e.Ti'OiK

17: 8; with bv 8: 12.

So

defilements
:

29

7.

understand

polO
5

eiica,

Pa. defile

Pogn A.
pi. Kmi?tD
ifc.

Schw
Wohls
2426.

I:

(not

"water

Nniyo false deity:

magic"!).

2422, snjro
K3Blt3

snoio exorcism:
TriNOiD Lidz
Kn-Dio ditto:

i:
5.

12;

pi.

the deluge: 10:

5.

Tib Af. frighten away: 7:

tilMO disturbing:
5't2

17.

Schw L
Pogn A.
Pogn

wtn

30:

WD'

right-hand: 6: 10,
N-DTi

south:

(with

niB trouble: Schw

1"IB

I.

s'aij ).

tear,

pluck:
lilith.

18:

ppl. of

-ID'

nos:

12.
:

sriB-iiB, ''B
pi.

talon, toe:

19: 19; B.

np\ np'K a disease Wohls 2422, Schw G (who reads npIN

N'B-iiB,

Pogn A,
:

the
=

preceding 'is'ss
for
this,

is

xnaiiB agitation
DaniB
etc.

Lidz

4.

misspelling
S, and).

plus

some part of the heart: 11:7 and parallels.

:

Tp' burning, of
Nip' glory
:

fire:
:

4:

7.

EHB stop up, of the ears

Lidz

4.

name 8

6.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
the

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

313 deceive: 32:
K3n3 so: 16:
8. 9,

291

TpK' glorious, of Lidz 5-

Name:
pierced

Pogn B.

ST throw:

KilD,

Lidz
cf.
:

4,
?,

snK3T3
TI3

'm!?

7:9?
parallel
to

with a lance
Lidz, and

but see

artificial

nn

11V.

Lidz

5.

Knmx

the

Law Hyv,
:

Michael

NTn pitcher: Pogn B.

K3313 star
:

prince of the L.

4 the 7 stars

34

sn'mo
tCTW
'-W

javelin

1 1

7 and parbl3
:

Hal,

Schw

E.
i.

allels.

hold: ^3'D inf. 4:

Jordan (mystical river)

113

arrange: 'nr3

ist pers.

15:

5.

Pogn B.

S33D residence: Pogn B.

B.
'':V2

KnT month 6 5, Pogn KpT greens: 18: 6.

: :

planets: Ellis 3 (see 3).

stone, as

KB''3

charm:

Ellis 3

(read

NnTT

howler
15: 6,

(class

of
2,

demons)

KD13 ?).

Myhr

Schw
5.

K33 tooth: Lidz

^3,
bi3 all: 7:

4.

(see p. 81.).
En' inherit:

nTicniD? ElHs
10.

6 (both forms), etc.; }Xobl3 everyone, Lidz 2.

,

(jC")Knrc sleep: 6:
an' sit:

sWs

garland: 13:

11.

13:
3'nv

7,

etc.;

impf. ist per.

snbs daughter-in-law:

Ellis

3,

Pogn B.
5.

Kin' bowstring: 2:

3, '3 like: '3

12: 8,

Kin '3 32: 4;

Schw G. Kn''3^3 bitch: Schw L. "i3 Etpa. return: Pogn B

p.

(see

him

'3. ..'3,

correlative,

13: 7;

20).
19: 10.

13
as

Pogn
I
;

B, Lidz 5;
:
;

N03
K^'t<3

s<ioi3 priest:

Ellis
if

?,

ni3K 37 10 Schw F.
:

'103 magic

?:

Wohls

2426.
:

snioSK magical practice

2.
['3

Stiibe

3K3 Af put
.

in pain

s<3'30,
2.

jKaysSD
so
:

Pogn B, Lidz
K3'3
pain,

11; I'sa therefore, 9

7,

sickness:
B.

Wohls
Pogn
B.

here,

25:

i.

2422,

Pogn

(K33)Knsi:3
8D33

associates: 19: 9.

133 prevail

bv 13=^ impf-

wing: Pogn B.
congregation:
'3

^33 press down (technical phrase for the bowl magic): 4:

I,

KnB":3

n'3

'ID'S

38:

12,

impv.
9.

pcan

Wohls 2422

(see p. 79).

Lidz 4; Etpe. 6:
^5E'^'3

D3 abridge, blame: Pogn B.

KDD, DK3, 013 (incantation) bowl:
7:
13,

term for the bowl: 6:1, 28: etc.; Koby ''E'3'3 (?)
2
;

31:

I,

Pogn

step of a throne 12

6.

(KD13), Lidz

5.

: :

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
fern.

ND3 Pa. cover: 13:

K'DS covering:

6,

Pogn B.
B.

Pogn
6.

17:
B,

10;
etc.

7:9, 10; K3b a^b to me,

In
6,

'3^,

Pogn

KniD3 ditto: 13:

composition,

pn^n'3, i:
ND'S, N'D-iis, throne: 8:
14,

14: 3.
?:

in

and passim Mandaic with verb and

suffix,
e.

(nya)^

tl-ij?3S

ugliness, a disease
10.
:

pronominal
r\b''P''2Z>

g.

34:
NDE'a
"IB3

have

divorced
,

menstruation

29
B.

7.

her, 32: 9; for bv

19: 10;

disbelieve:
?

Pogn
,

with verb to denote pur2422.

11,

^'3

in

'3

"nn

Wohls
7:

pose,
23,
1.

D'jbn^,
45,

Pogn
(cf.

B, no.

KJmi3
TI3

sickness:

Wohls
iO
not,

46
in

bv).

2422.
avert,

passim;

Mand. comfollowing
8,

reverse,

Pe.
i

Pa. Etp.
a;

pounded
word,
(ss<S)"'bs3
e.

with
g.

Pogn

B, Lidz

Wohls

38:

nasb.
'3

2422 (?).
N3n3 sphere, orbit (astrological
N'sns sassTT 'tnn term) NVinsD N''Jmi Pogn B.
:

labor,
9.

asthma?:

nn
etc.;

16:
Nl'^,
Nal^''^

heart:

28:

5,

N3b'^

11:7 and
2,

parallels,

K3n3 Wohls 2422, see N3n3n.

''KlE'3

19: 18.

Chaldaeans

Hyv

(see ^K'tDS,

ca^ be clad: 2:

8: 3; Af. 13: 6,

Gloss A).
Nt3En3 honesty
1B'3
:

Pogn B.
B, Lidz
2.
i

Pogn
:

NCns^ garment: 2:
a

2,

13: 6.

Pa. bewitch
'Dt:'30
fllE"3

Pogn

B, Lidz
?

c:b see cpj.

^b

for 'Btrso

be attached

to:

pncj?
3, K''l^no

sorcery:
of a

i'B'3 decent,
7-

Schw L good demon

demons, 6:
:

P^ of Pogn

29
S'V^
etc.,

B.

company: Pogn B.
4.

3n3 write, of the charms: 9: 3

C\b curse: Stiibe

Pogn B, Lidz
i,

Pogn

B.
I.

2 S'losb. they cursed him.

Nntilb

san3, Nnans writing: Ellis

Nn3''n3 written

a curse: 5:

31:

4,

charm:
so

Ellis 3.

(ins)

"113

Pa.

remain,

under-

Pogn B; Ellis Schwab M pi.

p.

3:
TQ^b

Nnt3^;

(see

stand

NnNn3Dsb

Nmnsb,
5,

84).
ditto:
^!nx''t^^t3^b

of the demons not returning or remaining, Lidz

NDiLJN^

pi.

Pogn

B.

and

cf.

Noldeke, Gr. 45.

NJcb species of
3-

demons: 20;

to

and

sign

of

accusative
suff.
''3'^

Ci^i

Pa. soil:
:

tmb'tlsi^D,

Pogn A.

passim;

with

XDnb food

Schw

F.

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

KTrno ditto: snx'no Pogn

293

fro enchant: 5:1.

''^ob

B,

species of
5.

demons: 9:
5,

7,

32:
10;

KnN''n''D

Lidz

ic.

7-

33:

34:

9,

KTinsD city:

Pogn B

(see N313).
:

N3KD^ Montg.
H'h'b,
rt>b'b

Kn'NtinKO of

Mahoza
:

Pogn
;

B.

night: i: 13, etc.; H'bb

NCD chance

Pogn B.
"yb

male counterpart
21, etc.
NTl'^'b

to

lihth:

8:

Pogn B Af. bring, 25 In Pogn B 5. nroDJ (= nytDOJ), from KVO?

on, reach
:

lihth;

i:

8;
;

pi.

KiT'b'S

NniCD

in

'03,

pray: Wohls

and

XHN'W

n. b.

nnVb,
p.

2417.

nb'^, 13: 3,
ffpb

6 (see

75).

blCO, Mand. ^itJro, bltsros with T

impv. np, recipe, repeated term

in

and 4
:

verb,
3,

because
5
;

that:
'?

magical formula
13:

Hal.

Lidz

w.
:

and
(cf.

KJB"b tongue:

2;

tongue
etc.,

of

inf., in

order to

curses, charms,

4:1;
p.

^IDU )
N'D, 'D, 'O'O,
''K''3,

Pogn
88).

B,

Lidz 4

(see

Heb. D'O water:

a disease,
;

'12

Wohls 2422

(see p. 93) KIT'S 'CO 18: 6; 'CNnno "07: 13; 'K'nd

SO 100: stDnbn 38: 5:

200,

isa, priND,

my

w.,

Pogn B D'O of
;

the

Schw

E, F.
:

heavenly
7
Ki'O kind, species
:

sea,
i
:

8 8
5.
:
;

14.

vhio

sickle,

weapon of angels

species of

17-

magic, Ellis

Kin
t3lD

rotten:

Pogn
't30,

B.

730 eat (denominative)

fem.,
17.

37:
G.

9.

remove:
II.

imp.

70 Pa. speak
Kni)D

ppl.

Schw

po

suck: 18:

6.

Mand. Kn^v^o; pi. Mand. N'^JO, word,

cially of
12,

r^o,

espe-

niD die: "ni 'n'D ppl. VVohls 2417.

incantations:

6:
6,

KHiD death: 3:
in'D ditto:

12:

6.

9,

34:

5,

38:

Pogn
5.

B. (see p. 85).
9.
:

Wohls 2422.
fem.: 36:

Nn^bo ditto: 6:
K^So S^K^O ditto

Kn'JnoD

killer,

27:
7.

5,

38:

8.

(TD)Knr3 hair:

pTK'tJD Pogn B.
:

abn be

full:

pK^on' 12:

xnio brain, head

Schw

F.
K'!?"

flood:

Pogn
4:

B.
title

Kno

strike

ppl. pi. ino

6:4; pnoTi
5.

Etpe.

18: 7; Lidz

K3KbD angel, passim as

spirits,
I,

of evil

xnno

37:
16;

8,

38:

6,

stroke, plague: 16: 6.

8.

Wohls 2422
ties,

of

dei-

Knino ditto: 40:

36:

5.

294

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

Knaxbo female angel

dess:

god15

(nD)nnn

Pogn
;

B, no.

of

bitter: 2: 3, 4: 4, epithet of devils and charms.

:

Estera

in his no. i4"it<nD5;

K-isno bitterness

Pogn

B, and

'O N'aN^D, prob. fern,

form
his

plur. snK'iK-in.

(Pogn "queen").
XB'KiSd zodiac-.sign
constellation

(Kia)Kno lord: of

deity 19: 5; as
snoiT

19:

9(?),
(cf.

human
;

title,

id Schw
;

Glos-

sary A).

E of the sorcerer Lidz 4 Hyv, gen. construct "lO

,

K3bo king

34 8 of Solomon Hyv of Michael; ib. I^so of so (Arabism? God

:

no, 18:
12: 6;

'nnn
5.

his lord,

pi..

fn'SiKD

Pogn
our

B, jinmo 28:

Noldeke,
18: 4, k.

11 295) of demons.
p.
;

5,

smD

'=t'-e^s. la "v

^vn^

sna^D queen: 19:

desses.
Nfinl^O

6, q.

of god-

lady 19: 5; lady of dead and living Wohls 2417,

Pogn B
passim; 'DD (?,
'D

sriN-iKO.

kingdom: Wohls 2417.

niD rebel: Schw F.

p,

gen. fo from,

mo
1

rebel

11:9.

Schw F

Schw
6,
'i'^'O

w.

Kntyo oil:

Schw

F.

assimilated 13:

17:

i,

Vo
Lidz

17: 5;
5,

from me,
I'D

snn town:

Ellis 3,

opposed to
B, Etpa.

-i3

N'b'T

ditto,

nno

stretch out:

Pogn

Pogn B. lOETD = -\r2v2, Wohls 2426, and his note

V3J
p.

plague: 16:

4,

VJ^K

29:

9.

29.
:

KJD Pa. ordain

'n'2D

Schw
5.

F, arrange

13

move,

etc.: Stiibe 62.

15:

m:
in

snxJD
pi.

portion,
sriNlJD

marriage
B.

Pa. excommunicate, expel: Pu. Schw E, Hal ini:D

,

Pogn

s-iutD

Schw M;
on KiiO
2.

see Lidz's
vr,\Q ? in

note

NDD melt: 9: 6. noD denom. fr.

33:
8.

Lidz
-idx,

bind: 32:

7,

n'3

(?)
Ellis 3.

excommunication?:

N^'VO robe: XiD'n

'D 13: 6.

S'VVD intermediate (of of the three

the

middle
re-

KiTJ

vow, ban,
13,

in

magic

2,

32:

12,

Lidz 4

Kmyj

spatial

gions) B.

K^SSO
B, Lidz

S'nsi'V

Pogn
sin'J

(see p. 84).

he
Af.

is

?)

Hal.

IXD bind

Pogn
(so

2,

S'pnyn
cf.

'O

-inj

make
9-

clear,

name
6,

?)

'

Pogn,

and

Ass.

masaru,

but

see

Nold.

KTin: light:

16:

also Ninj

Mand. Gram.

84, n. 2).

Pogn

B.

: :

: ;

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
,

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

295

ni3

tremble:

Pogn B; p'SD

Pael

DJ Af. afflict: pD'Dn, 17: 6.

pass, ppl.,

Halevy (see

NDi Pa. prove, try: riK'DJ she has

proved, Pogn B.

3).
N113
niJ rest:

commotion

Pogn
6.

B.

sri'DSJ trial

Pogn
6,

B.
3,

Etpe. nan'K, 2:
rest:

no: take up: 4:

28:

Pogn B;
(see
p.

Nnnj

Pogn

B.
ID'J

impv.

f.

pi.

a'D 17: 9.

Kni3("3?) in

'Jinoin?. Schw

Nisan: Wohls 2422

55)-

R.
Kn'J
rest:

16:

7,

Schw

E.

nsJ blow with the breath:

Schw

F,

KniJ fire: 8: 13, 14:

fire

3; charms of

of demons blowing on the

brain.
tS3

15:

7,

34: II
fire,
I
:

Gabriel
light,
fall:

prince of
in
'3

Hyv;
3.

impv.

I^IS

Wohls

2414,

'n

9.

Pogn
vhsi^3
':'-\2

B.

K'nu pepper: 28:

a disease: 29:

7.

nn depart:
(^tJ)

ntrn. 5:1. K^tD constellations:

6, Ellis 3,

pSJ go out
2,

pIB'

3:11; impv.
8:
7;
10,

piS

36
PS

'pia 6.

ips,

^bm,

34:
PpTJ

Schw

17:

Af.
sap'SD
8,

Njp'SJno
7:
12;
suff.

G.

Myhr
inf.

class

of
2.

evil

spirits:

21:

upsitb 9:

w.

23:
PP'TD
II,

32:8.
:

class of evil spirits

"IS3

Af. put to

flight

msjK Schw
7:
13;

14:
p.

6,

I'ptJD

23:

4
ttZ's:

F(?), see
Hfe,

3.

(see

75).
:

person:

2:

i,

KETiJ bronze: 4: 6, 6: 11, 15

7.

Pogn, OT of one's own.

KV3 wrangle: Pogn B, Lidz
nv3 be victorious
:

nnj come

down 8
:

7,

12:5; Af. 2
(of
angels,

la.

6,

27:

Hal, of
'3,

curses).
it33

star

Pa. guard: 7: 9, 35: 10: 3, 32: II.

KiBJ,
'KJ

6;

Etpe.

Schw I. viitorious: Schw I. Kjnv:

SDC
Dien
(Npj)
(apj)

guardian:

Wohls
35:
i,

xnipj
5lp3

libation: 36: 7.
:

2417,

Pogn

B.

Pa. perforate
distinct

Pogn
:

B.
'J

smn:,
38:

'ndj
13,

guarding:

Dp3

'onunciation
6.

Pogn A.

D'npj

lino 9:

Nmt3D

ditto: 7: 13.

Knapj woman, female: 30:

na(')p3
Ellis
3,
I.

4,

ni3J before

KnmcJD wardship: Schw F.

:

35:

6.

Schw M;
sing,

unypz 30:

xnap': (most

common
B. B.

form,

and
plur.
6,

D33

Pa. butcher:

Pogn

plur.) 6: 3, 8: 2, 37: 10;

K-^senaw
tfaj

stranger:

Pogn

Knap'J

8:8;
Lidz

Knapij
4,

bite:

Schw

L,

02:.

KnsopiJ,

39:

UNIVBRSITY MUSEUM.
snsapj Pogn A.
Knap'O curse
tapa,

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
Kino magic art: snnD 39: 4, Pogn A, B, possibly in Nnoa KTD

?:

Schw

I.

Mand. Qib grasp: 4: 6, 7: 17, 16: 8, Pogn B Pe. and

Etpe.

=
Xt2D

'noa
:

NTHD
i
:

Lidz

4.

go astray

9.
?
:

N^DD, N^iiDD Lat. situla

bis.

Schw
3,

F,

H2^: trap: Wohls 2414.

NnnB"3
spirit,

of

man:
2.
:

Schw
12
:

G,

XJtOD a satan,
etc.;

Satan

4,

KnCB^J 39:
ItfJ
1T]3

KJNDD 19:

3,

40: 8;

blow, of windblasts

8.

Plur. 35: 3.

Hif. permit

Hof. pniD, Schw

N1DD writ: 'aaiTn

Niti'D

'D

26:

6.

G.

side: 6:

10.

3KD Pa. make unclean sasDD KTV3 Wohls 2422.

:

NB^D sword: 37: 8. N3D, NStf look at: Pogn

A, of the demon's glance; Schw I.

offence:
;

JND pass. ppl. soiled, foul

sriKrsD

730 Af. commit

(inf.

4:

2,

39:

ID,

K'rND

m.

nl.,

''^30N)

Etpa.

be-

Pogn A,
(cf. K3D).

xriKi'D

Pogn B

come wise
Lidz
4, as
;

Stiibe 48.

(t3D)Nnir3D''0 poverty:

34:

12,

30 turn away: 8:
NJD Af. walk: 12:
'JD

13.
6,

object of exor-

Pogn B.
J'JD
pi.

cism

16: ID, genius of p.

i.

numerous:
Qfor
the

Schw
39
:

"130 close

up: 13:

Pa. Lidz 4.

N130
feet
:

astrological

term

=
:

NID

stocks,

4,

pole? Montg.

Pogn

A KmsD.
(p.

K'JNTD, 'ND bases, of the world:

nPO Selah, magic word, 5 nbso 20 etc.

;
:

7,
5,

36 24

8,

Pogn
DID, Dt3D

77).

(see p. 63).

close up:

38:

10,

XDDNDDI KOHD NDTDO 40: 21.

xn'^'D cage-work: 19: 10.

pbo

go up:

p'^D

3d

pers.

32:

8.

DHD Sodom.

D'p'bo
7,

ist pers. 9: 7.

Nno

row: 2:
p.

27:

II.
:

KD'taiD

seducing
80).
:

spirits

35

4 (see

NnpNDD ascent: Pogn B. NOO (?) poison: Schw F. 100 descend upon Pogn B.
:

Wohls 2414. 11D in 'DT NOV Red Sea: 34: 4. KS1D end: Schw F, fO^j; 11D^. tiriD seize Pogn B, Lidz la.
NODID mare
:

NijNOO left hand

10.

Pogn

s^oc, 6

'poo

place
I2ia,

in
'0
:

Babylonia
'03N),

{Yeb.
of a

home
2417.
:

f\nD put a cover

on

pass. ppl. ns^d

17,

demon
XJD hate,
in

Wohls
only
'>N30

38: 12; Pa. 7: B.

Pogn

ppls.

act.

'JO

2:1

27: 6; pass.

; :

: ; ;

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
Pogn B
4.

ARAMAIC
(cf.

INCANTATION TEXTS.
IV unto:

297

5: 2, 39: 6,

4:4
inf.

=
'b
:

KDlJ? KDij;
as,

19: 19;

with

34: 11
Hal.

Knro hatred: Lidz

e|3D

"\

"W as long

Pa. gird

Pogn

B.

Npnj? lock of hair

Pogn

B, Lidz

2.

N1VD hair: 8:
NriB'D lip:

3.

nj? Pa. help:

4.
tib)V

Schw L
3,

Lidz
'ID

embryo: 39:
bird: 7: 14.
distress:

Pogn

B.

'ID

stench:

nn, 16:

9.

NB1J?
plj?

K31D species of demons: 7:11.

Niri'D destruction: 16: 6. K"i<nD loosening: 16: 6.

be in

ppl.

pi.

snxpK.
''n''P''j;K

Pogn B; Af.
13:
3-

press,

"ino hide, protect

Nifal 25

ppy so
:

Hyv

in
:

1.

4; read
4.

fP'T.

2.

xmno
nav

pi.

secret arts? Ellis 3.

"111?

t<npK distress

Lidz

Pa.

blind:

pass.

ppl.

kiino

Pogn
make: 12: 6; of a magical work 9 2, 32 3 Pa. use as a servant, Pogn B.
: :

B, perh. in NniD Lidz

4-

(rv)xriK strength: 6:

11.

Hliv servant

srty strong:
:

fem.,
5,

epithet

of

34

7.
:

Dilbat 28:

xnav

magical

practice

Schw

7,

of spirits
B.

of deity 38: and witches

(for this and following

Pogn A,

terms, see p. 51).

N113V ditto
:

NMJJ sheep: 40: 4,

14.

32

3.
etc.,
;

Kl3iy ditto: 9:1,

Pogn
of

NtV Etpa. persist: 34:

10.

B,
the
snanj? in
'yn

Lidz 4 Nnsoij? Jewish cult 29:

noin
:

Schw R.
the
I,

12.

snpt'V seal-ring

of

sorcerer

Nnayo ditto: 34:

F,
"iDJf

13, Ellis 3,

Schw
:

17: 12, Ellis

of

Solo-

M,
9.

Stiibe 10.

mon
"ICIV
?

pass over,
1
:

transgress
7:
3.

32
12':.

34: 8, of ring of fire 15

God
:

8: II,

7.

6: II
:

32: 10

=
4,

33: 12.
:

13V, I3'y

across

kd'

-in'r JO

rv

eye, the evil eye

Knt5"3
,

'V

4,

9
^U"'J?

lavD 17:

10.

grain: Hyv.

Ellis 5 njn 1" various possessors of the

evil

Lidz

NmnosD
IV

passage: Pogn B.

eye 30: 3 (see

p.

89).

h:v in 'V3, soon:

eternity, with

Schw M.
obiy: 2: 15.

KinV

temple:

Pogn B;
38:
8,

class

of
19,

evil spirits,

40:

Pogn
72).
bv enter:
jibv'J

B,

Lidz 4

(see p.

XTV time:
HIV go away

pi.

K'Ty 26:
6,

5.

Njny ditto: 6:
:

Pogn B.
:

29: 20
r^'N

p^^yj 30:

Af. 7

17.

10; ppl.

38: 14.

: :

298

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
w.
out upon thee:
1.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
nnjf stand: 8: 14.

b''bv

"Thv,

Pogn

B. no. 28,
r\b'bn

i,

sprsiv
ii-\my

depth

Pogn
:

B.
:

Heb. bv
than w.
fr.

(so better
scn^T,

Gomorrha
a

6.

Schwally,

NB'O'B' '33y

herb used in magic

3.

Ass. elelu lament, Or.

ii,

28:

Lit-Zeit.

f.).

Knp:y, 'X necklace 7:

II,

charm or

spirit

{bv) bv

Mand. bn
:

unto, upon, to

(freq.

for ^. cf. pa-bv

3, 9,

and

29: 7, NDpJX. 16: 9, masc.

"pjn
,

Myhr

6;

plur.

rn^. 8
ally

in

and Mand.),

in gener-

passim;
snss; dust:
6,

12: 9 (see p. 88).

sisxa.

"n abn. by Life! 40:

18, cf.
fern.,

Wohls 2417;
as
class

=
of
p.

40: 5; w.

suflF.,

2d
xnp'j;

Heb. may, Montg.

magical
88).
-ipj?

sing,

I^V

F)

36 3d

'ybv Schw F. 3 ( urt^bv ? Schw

pers. in'i)v
;

knots,

('emons:

34:

10

(see

Schw
plur.

F, 'ni^y Stiibe 32

2d

uproot: p'pj?, Hal; Pa. 8: 15;

Etpa. 9:
6.

pa'S^V

Pogn B
,

3d, yabti,

pn'sSs

Lidz

la

HKibv

xmpv
(aips?)

barrenness,

spirit

of:

(upon
until

him ? Schw G) Pogn B, why Schw

'ixSj?

11:3.
X''3pix(i)

scorpions:

Pogn
2422,

alternating with

B. no. 27 (Noldeke).
(315/)

Pogn B, no. 28; how, why: Pogn

b^)lb

insc^j?,

xmyo
Pogn

west:
B.

Wohls

B.
(2iv)

above: 19:
against:

10.

any sweet:
a kind of

Ellis 5.

'iW

myv
8,

against

him, 37:
B.

pn^isSy,

Pc^
ce-

NOny

disease:

Schw G
5.
;

(see p. 93).
XD-iy, 'S

bel: 7:
:

17.

Lidz

K'K^J? superior, epithet

lestial

of
B.

gods
'JJT

Pogn

s'l'Sny

darkness

Pogn B
pn-r
Ellis

plur.

Montg.
p-\y

iT^V height:
obv,
D^IJ?

K'^Dis
in i:

Hal.
flee:

pny
impv.

3:

7,

3:
i,

11;
P^'^\V

eternity,

formulas
15,

ipn'y
(cf.

nW
3:
X07J?

D^)V
5.

-iV

D^yb
F.

Lidz 5

mp).
magical
prac-

pobv

eiiob

Schw

ncy make: 9:
2422
tice).

i.

Schw Q, Wohls

kind of

injury:

Schw G
3,

(of

(see p. 93).
DV,
D'jr

with:
'1

i:

13.

6:

35: 6;

DCy oppress
"IW ten
Xp'ny,
'y

ppl.

D'yi,

and

also (?) 1:3.

i,

class of
:

kocy 34 demons.

9,

of a

soy people: n'Doy 13:

tribes of angels.

of

in
:

Ellis 3.

'n

old

Pogn

B.

: :

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
:

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

299

Siniy a

Mand. genius Pogn

3 Uthras.

B, the

KmpB command:
(w. suff.)
ib.

38:

6,

pnpKB

NnpiB
s

ward,
6.

imprisonment

and:

'taoB

17:

11

(see

t2in),

34:

na'KB, see under np' (see

p.

ypB burst open: spa'J 6: ^B Af. break, annul:

11.

105).
:

inf. "iB'ts Stiibe

DJS Pa. mutilate

yJB

10.

I,

44,

p'BO

Ellis 3.
16.
5,

encounter 12:2.
KV:a
plague,
class

TIB scatter, bewilder: 7:

of
evil

K^na iron: 2:

i,

15:

7,

38:

Schw
Stiibe

spirits: 7: 14,
p.

15: 6 (see
n-iB

L
flee:

92).
fern,

KnvJB, Nn'y:a

of

above:

Schw N, Hyv 49 also prob. in

;

14,

pma ma
:

Wohls
"iJB

2426, 16: 10.

i
:

ID.

Pa. break:

11.

CIS determine, of a decree

19:
15,

Lidz
40:

.[.

tnis body: 7:6,

9"Its

38:

sa'iB

shrine-spirit:

38:

8,

19

(see p. 72).

scatter:

8:

2,

in

magical

DIB scatter: 28:

KB1V1B person
P"iB
:

3, 4.

phrase.

Pogn A, of demons.

KiKns potter: Pogn B.

KilB
potter's
vessel,
I,

separate: TPTB, 17: 13, ist per.

of

the
1.

plur?

bowl: 9:
"it3B

32:

3,

33:

KJpiB

deliverance: 4:
ppl. of the

5.

banish,
etc.;

divorce: 9:

9,

15:8,

tna Af.-Hof.
ed

Af. Lidz 5 (see to 8:

Name:
,

B'niBDn
Dtr

pronouncnoc,
II
:

7).

Kmt3S exemption: 17:

12.

Hal; BHiBD scnao HDW

59;

9
;

=
of

Lidz 5

KniB'B divorce-writ: 8: 7, etc.

angels rJDinoi j'BnBO Stiibe

las Pe. and Pa. bind

ibs

Pogn B.
:

Af.

in

Schwab
G.

warn?

divide inheritance

Pogn

B.

ma
"iCB

Euphrates

Schw
:

Nibs half:
DIB,

Pogn
i,

B.
ccra Pa. stretch

27

7.

na mouth: 13:
nin'

Lidz 4; 'B Sy 5:5; 'KKK 'Ba 20 5.

:

break,

annul

(charms,

etc)

D'JB face:
K':a

'Jan,
in
'B

Schw
naiy;

F.

pmCfBDl pm'tf'B Pogn of the magic divorce

7-

B,
1 1

Wohls

2414.

DB break
pDB cut
:

7: 17.
:

Kitra,

smsE'B annulment

Pogn

28

Etp. spB-av

Pogn

B.

B.

^pB command: 36: 3; Af. Lidz 4;

Etpe. 35
:

SDSJn'B word

37

7.

6.

Nnn'B doorway: 6:

6.

300

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
2
4,

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
xnp
in

'lana image-spirits
7,

2, '"i3ns

Lidz

5,

but see

mp.

38: npriB

8,

Pogn B, Lidz
(see p. 72).

DTp, DNip, Dlip before, in sing,

plur.:

Schw Q, pa-ns

fem.

pi.

Ellis 3

3:

7,

and mpjD, n'CKip, 'nionp 9; Syr. nDnp34: 7.

nioip
2,

snnanB

idolatry: 37: 6.

tin^Dip, 36: 5,

8;
(NKV)sn"'V filth:
'V

Dtlp

25:

37: DSlip

'CD 18:
(?).

6.

Pogn

B.
:

yas dip:

Schw F
eillSD,

DP, 'Dp ditto

'Dpb Ellis
:

i,

nop

JD

xyas'S finger:
eilV "ilV

Schw
JBXD
:

F.

from him, 13
F. 7
:

2.

mutter:

Schw
6
:

HKDlp
2,

pristine

33

11;

Adam KadMand. Life

B.

mon
K'^^pnip
(

bind, with a spell

10: 3; of

6,

and Nebat, Pogn B.

?)

29:
"iiv

5-

draw, depict: 11: 9

tresses

Pogn

Ellis

i.

xmis
tnv

figure,
f.

on a

seal: 15: 7.
10.

trmp holiness: Schw M.

niv obey: 'niv

stink:

impv. 8:

cmp

holy,

the

Holy

One:

Pogn A.

T)S ray of light: 7: 5 plur.

n^VV glory: 12:

1?V

Schw L 7: 15KCnp ditto, particularly epithet of demons: 4:1, Pogn A.

Dip arise, stand
:

7.

scourge

10,

Lidz

ppl. act. TD'p 2

7,

4.

D'p

13:

8;

pn-'D'p

Peil

K31S''S

north:

Wohls 2422.
5.

form,

Wohls 2417
;

(of

"IBV

morning: 26:

the resurrection) 10;

etc.;

Pa. 29:

KiV cleave: snss cloven (hoofs),

Etpa.

16:

4,

8:

17,

Pogn B; Etpe. 6:
K311V side:

11.

Af.

pb'D'psD,

Pogn
\vtimp

Schw

G.

B.

KDip

Stature,

person:

Np emphatic part,
17: 12.

in

xpBN, 7:

Pogn
14,

B.
I,

NHDip ditto: 2:
4.
7,

19: 3,

Pogn

K3p

collect:

37:

B.

bap receive: 6: 11, 37:

Pogn B;
I,

DipD place

Schw M.
Hal (of
:

impv. lb'3p Ellis

^J'as'p

SDlp'D ditto:
Ijdp,

cattle).
4,

Lidz

5.

bui

kill,

of

demons 3:2,

36
(cf.

K^aV counter-charm: 6:
8 (see
n'?3lp7
p.

2,

32:

4, etc;

sbaw

Lidz 5

86).

Glossary A).
:

against

him

sinp,

Kiaip

tomb:
B.

Schw E. Wohls 2422,

B, no.
5.

"iDp bind,

of magic:

Schw L
28:
:

S-IO'P spell: 7: 13,

5,

Hy/.

Pogn

NTp
Pogn
(bp)

pi.

wax

figures
:

39
3.

7.

Ntiap ditto:

bbp

curse

; :

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
7.

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

301

vhp, K^Kp voice: 13

:

11,

of the client

pp horn: Pogn

B,

Lidz

2.;

of a

9,

of the witches Lidz

16:

magical figure 12:

Npnip link of a chain
:

5.

la; Nbpna the magical invocation,

Montg.

ID

(see

p.

Nnapip head: 2:1.

(t5'p)E"E'p

84).

old: 19: 9.

synp amulet:
KnDip vault

2:

i,

10: 17, 29:

5,

'B'p

hard,

painful:

pi.

Ellis 5 (see p. 44).

^'Vp 7

ir,

Wohls
NDE'p

2422.
4.

of

heaven?:
see
col.

Pogn B
Payne-

bow: 2:

(zodiac?,

Smith,

3650).
:

Knop
xrjp,

= SDOp
'"p

contortion

34
5.

10.

NtrNi,

NE^T,

NtTNT
B, 4:
:

head: 19:
5.

19,

Pogn
34: 3
for
in

possessions: 2:
(the

Mandaic
not
'p

use

rrCNT beginning

Lidz

creation

"cattle"

assured,

11:9, 18: 12.

21 great
:

34: 8
cattle).

may mean

small

4
'-I

4, etc.
,

fem.

T\2'\

,4:5

snVE'
'-I

38
'DN

10,

Wohls
title

'DJp person(?): 'DJp 'TDS

Schvv

2417
I.

grandmother,
fai
B, so

NTisai Pogn B;3-i, '31

(np)NT-ip

cold:

Pogn

B.
4,
)^p''b

8
inscrip

8, etc.

plur.

Schw
'aian

Nip

call,

name: 16: 5, 36: demons read the

tion,

L xnxain Pogn
masters
39:
7:

16:

8.

N'ain

EHis
:

(see

3)

Etpe. 3

2,

Pogn B snpn.
invocation
:

Nnai
NJian
(j?3t)

usury
( ?
)

Lidz
:

2.

snnp magical
II,

master

Hal.
N'3-in

16: 10,

Pogn
p.

B, Lidz

vaix four: 4:

i,

Pogn

4 snnpx (see

84).

B;

pD'npa-is

the four of

Nnnp
NJNnp
N"ip

ditto: 35: 4. ditto:

you, 8: 13.
B.

Pogn

PV31X forty: Schw E.

sn'SJ'a-i

chance upon: 18:

10, Ellis 3.

fourth, fem.
3,

6
8,

8.

np mishap,
G,
1.

pollution:

Schw
p.

NHn
t6:-\

wrath: 16:

37:

39:

7,

8 (so possibly, see

Wohl
N-irb

2422.

92).

foot: 19: 19.

ditto: 38: 12. ditto:

3ip approach: 6: 10,

aip,

etc.

Tip
3.

near, neighbor: Ellis

N^rj
N-i3'J

Schw L

Hal, fem. snanp,

Schw

ditto: 12: 8.

G.
N3N-1P battle: Lidz la.

b'Jt

hobbled: 38:

10,

40: 21,

Lidz
5

4.

mp, Nnp

flee:

18: 9

Nnp Lidz
pij?).

son

stone(?): Pogn B, D^n Lidz

2.

(metathesis of

302

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
shake
34:

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
crop
?:

^i-i

?)

Lidz

4.

^5V'|
313-1

Hyv.

yi?
nn,

5-

chariot: 8: 13.

xnn

spirit,

NnDB":i
K'm-i

man: snn siJS Pogn B, plur. Lidz la, Pogn A;

of

xnaano

ditto:

14:

2,

25:

2,

Pogn
6:
4,

B.
i,

SD1 cast down: 9:

'cn

)DT

act. ppl.

gen. of evil spirits, 8: 16,

etc.,

pass.

7:

17;

plur.

ninn
etc.,

Schw
nyn

F,

Etpe. lioin

14:

7.

'nn
30:

16: 8,

as masc.

3, cf. Ellis 5

nn
3,

xron (the divine) beck: 19:

STNDT one
evil

8.

napjiiat;
bus

ttrfb'b

n
9

30:
(see

no

'1

16:

endowed with the eye ?: Pogn B.

i
:

p. DO"i

74).

trample

10.
:

xnn perfume
B.

Pogn
14:

B.
4,

XDOn
Pogn
6.

reptiles

14.
6.

(on) DT. DN1 high:

TBI prick, bruise: 18:

NtTDl evening: 26:
5.

Nnon, NnoKi height: plur 9:

34:
5-

Onnon name
yi evil
Nnijji
"iB"i
:

of a place or sanctu-

ary: 19: 12.

KOOn

ditto:

Schw G.
KOiKnoPogn
of

Ellis 5.

N01-1D ditto: 32: 8,

will,

pleasure

12:6.

B.

sn,

STK1

mystery,

magical
3.

encamp: 2: 7 (but cf. 27: 11). X1B1D camp: 2: 7, 27: 11.

lift,

rites:

6: 11, 7: 13, 28:

etc.

VST

37:
85).

4,

(and

see

p.

Arab.)

remove (Noldeke eft. rvs^n, Hyv (who

:

supposes
sanctu-

Nsn)

bxam name
ary

of a place or
:

Kpn spn

"le crachet a ete crache" ?

19

ID.

Pogn
13:

B.
8.

Dm

Pa. have

compassion:

4;
ppl.

XTpi dance, of angels: 12:

D''3nn''n(?)

Dm
'om

loving

Schw L; Schw I.
i,

love of

God: 3:
'I

11:

2,

srpi firmament: 8: 9, Stiibe 61; Mand. xn^pi, X'vpn, pi. the seven N'nvpi, Pogn B.
xniEn authority: Stiibe 61; men in center of bowl No. 20.
Dien signing,

Schw

E. 'n love
rites,

Nnom
DJm name
pni be far
:

love:
3.

28:

of
I.

name

KDC

'"i,

of a place or sanctuary:

Schw
C Heb.

19: II.
ppls.

spm Schw
8:
17,

G, p''m

relative:

NV't^e',

UNtr,

Schw
see

Hal; Pa. 14: 2

Etpe.
pKnx-iny.

Lidz 4; Lidz 4
bxK' ask
:

M
p.

magical
60.

element,

n'b'z>

6.

: :

: ;

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY
?

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TBXTS.

6

303

ijINK*

hell

blKC V^C seventh hell

nJC

disturbing: 24: 4.

12.

STC
28:
i.

plur.

2r burn:
Ka^B* class

33nC'3

demons Pogn B,
(read

7,

14,

etc.;

of amulet-spirits: 15: 6

pt^aic?)

rDTB-? Schw G,

(see p. 88).

etc.

(see p. 73).

(nac)

snann

praise: 29: 12.

plur.
4,

sn'JTB' she-demon: 7: 14.

Ktsac, KnaiK' plague,

class

of

Kltf

demons: 12:
35:
K^-ar road
paB'
:

10,

15: 6,

throw down Pogn B, so nB' Stiibe 50?

:

in

3.

Hyv
:

(see p. 92).

nc

Pa. send: 36:

3,

Pogn B

(also

4.

Peil forms).

Af. adjure, in exorcism: ri'vaCK

I'by
1
:

Kmic a
86).

form of magic (see

p.

8,

rraCK,

3 adjure,
:

Mand.
40:
5,

KJmtJ'D sender:

Pogn B.

Pogn B (assigned wrongly by him to satf).

vac, sya'c, nvac, nyac seven:
6:
7,

Xir be equal: in ppl.

niCK, like;

Pa. set: 37: 11,

Pogn

B.

nsmr
f\^v

lust:

28:

4.

19:

4,

4:

4,

etc.;

Mand. K'aKC,
B.

vaiC,

Pogn

(Die) D'C
crawl,

eye-tumor: 34:
of

10.

witches
ib.

Pogn B
14.

rub(?)

fpac seventy: 7: 17 of angels,

Hyv
snjriaK'

of
:

spells.

lie leap forth: ppl.

S^Nl{^'
I.
:

TCig:

oath

Schw

leaper,

ephialtes:

Pogn

A
6
:

(see p. 82).

Nn'raEJ' seventh, fem.

8. 2,
I

Nilc wall

6,

pac dismiss, divorce:

32:
9,

34

4.
:

np'aE' 17:

have

40: 22 divorced

nb'p'ac

we

Pa.

overthrow

inf.

K'EnSB',

Pogn
NiniB'
nine'

B.

her;

Pa.
bribe
:

Pogn
9:
5-

B.

Pogn

B, Lidz 4.
14.
i.

pia'C divorcement: 8: 13, plur.

worship: 8:

]rw burn, with love: inTiB"3 28:

lac Pa. break: Schw G.

Kiair "nid"
:

Knsinc consumption
P}tn''n''aK'

Schw G

(see

Schw

F.

93)-

nac cease r^'ae' Schw E, Wohls 2426.

KnniaE' residence?:
iJtS'

a'pne* the ether: 29: 11.

Nmntr slumber: 7:
I.
:

16,

8: 11.

Schw
water
i.

xiiriB" black,

of a kind of

demons

Etpe.
II

dissolve
;

like

Schw

G
:

(see p. 80).

burn, 28:
i: 11.

Tine' emancipate

demons who are

CJC Pa. disturb:

KE'JK',

not I'mncD

Schw
:

nme'D
:

KCJIC commotion: Pogn

Schw R.

B.

vrw

song,

charm

32

9,

33

4.

304

UNIVBRSITY MUSEUM.
sexually of demons,

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
Die, Noes'

23C

lie:

13,
:

name, passim
9:
6, iin'DC

plur. niD'E'
6,

11:8; Af
spell

set

down 34

5.

14:

inot?

lay a ghost 16: 11; lay a

Ellis 3. NnnoiE*

34:

5.

K33e"0 (n3) bedchamber

8:
5,

."].].

NniDCNnsot? Schw G, Nnnoif 16: 8; Mand. NDic 38: 7. plur.

19:

3.

naty find: Etpe. 8: 7.

IVXCC 40 name of
sorcerer,

i; D)V2, in the
(deity,

angel,

or

the

NJa'C? haunter,

species

of demon,

charme.

so Noldeke to Hyv,
ii

ZKP

words following,
7), passim;
I,

g.

6:

n.

296, perhaps better read

b-n'ocb 28:
DIcbsT
i
:

nOB'O

95;

of

whatever name

13.

NDrac Shekina: 14: 3, snxjac N'nai Pogn B. NJOCD abode, of demons Ellis
:

HKit'

lay waste?:

none" Schw L

N'DB'

heaven: 9:6, 11:2

etc.
;

(=

God),
N'O'DB*

'ODB-

3 (Halevy, ntro).

Schw L
VOC'

Schw Q,
2.

N'DIB'

Pogn

B.

xn:nB'a dwelling: 34:

xn'blC'

PDB' hear

10, \'3'bv

8:3:

foetus:

Pogn
7.
:

B,

Lidz

ib

Mand. ITOIC
I

heard Lidz
lioncn,
8:
7.

(Noldeke, exortion).

'NDitr
ib.,

Pogn B. 'NOic
Etpe.
tiD'yiD'C'!?

Nnain^C flame: 14:

npET send,

impv.
8
:

send away

3,
,

Hofal
Etpe.

j'Z?.,

Pa. inf.
:

8:

13; Mand.

\r\v
,

IDE' guard, keep

3.

N^ne'j;, ii^nnt'vJ

Af n^CN
.

^m>

Pa. serve: Stiibe 60.

inf.

K'W: Pogn
Pogn
:

B.
B.

NfOC sun
(cf.

28

3.B"'OSB'

30

8<3S^L"0 sender:

Glossary A).
:

xhv

rule

JiD^'CTi 6

10, Peil tin'O'^E"

nnc

Pa. ban

Hal, Lidz
of
lilith

4.

NnnOE'D
34:
13,

Stube
XCS'^C ruler

51.
:

epithet
5.

11:

19: 12, 17,

35

II,

Etpa.

Wohls 2426.

Lidz

4.

ibc send forth: D^C Af deliver

.

Schw
:

F.
4.

NnDf ban: 8: 6; plur. JsnOE' Schw I, KnriDtr Stiibe 12.

NJC Pa. change one's place: 36: 2;
10,

Lidz

vxh^ peace: 13: 12, 37: lbs 'C Wohls 2417. KDDX'N 'K" initiatory rites,
magic: 12:9, 16:
4,

bewilder,
16.

make mad
5,

in

NriE'year: 6:

plur.

'JE'

10,

35:

(see also NDE'n).

(NVE')NnyE' hour: 4:
5-

Hal,

Schw

E,

M,

Stiibe

TUi

'E',

26:

2; Nnobe' 85).

Pogn B
8

(see p.

Nnii;B'

mocking mischief of de:

^Pfh^

ghost, or

demon

2. 8, 12,

mons

Schw

G,

cf.

Ii.TyB',

17:4.

EHis 3 (see 3).

: :

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
of

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

305

Tyc

satyr,

species

demons:

3
4,

D'Tyc

5:4
?)
:

(see p. 80).

Etpe. be loosened, 19 KiKC'D, Hyv, Pogn B

Kmj/C a fever (
j'CB'K'
N^ES't?

11:3.

Hyv, read

J'tsaiB'.
:

SIC diarrhoea: 34:

F.
12
tntr Pa.

10.

abasement(?)

Schw

KnailC

tribe,

of demoniac species:

ma'C excommunication
(see p. 53).

Stiibe

7: 17, 38: 6,

40:

17

the

360 species

(cf. p. 80).

'V'C destroy: inf. n'VB' 7: 17;

come

uproot:
impv.
?

N'triB'

fem.

pi.

forth
Np'S? pi. the
5-

S'VB'

Schw M.

(but see Lidz,

p.

93, n. 9,

root NIB').
5.

Arabic it^-demon: 15:

NnN^tntr chains: 39:

NJ^B'^B'

Kpcto water: Pogn B, Etpe. 37:

ypc
deposit,

enchainment: 34:
inf.

11.

9.

of

the

bowl-practice:
3,

NHB' drink:

nTiB^'O
:

Schw
7.

F,

srpB' 32:

impv. 'Nnt^N 36
33:
I.

(ntr)

take off: 11
.

8,

Lidz
5.

ncc
ITT'E',

six: 11:9.
t'e^C 60, in

5.

fipc strike

11:6, Lidz
blow,
practice
Stiibe
2,

enumeration
:

of demons,

etc.

19

8,

38

snDip'E'

affliction,

a
5,

method or
cal
5,

result of
:

magi-

Lidz

4,

Hyv.

12:9, Ellis Wohls 2426,

Lidz 4 (see

"lan

break: 40: 12;

Etpe.

40:

12,

2414

sniB'pc'

Lidz la; Pa.

2.

"laKn,

Lidz

p. 86).

Nnaipne"S ditto: 16:

NXp'E'

10.

nuTi

(Noah's) ark: 10:

5.

vermin: 7:

14.

N3Kn crown:

NVP WSn Pogn

:

B.

nc Pa. bind,
G, 31:

magically : nC''

Schw
F, ppl.

inf., nnt:'
5,

Schw

NOjn military division plur. n'OOJn 13: I, of demons.

NOinn, SDin abyss, always
in

IT-

4i,

plur:

TIE' firm, of charms: 3:

8,

13:

Schw

Lidz

5.

Kmitf, authority:

Schw L
G, with
Cl^.

Pogn B N'in N"nnn (Pogn as though Nomn, black).

F, G,
:

nmr

spell:

Schw

3in, Din again

II,

i,

Ellis

mn

39:

snUTienD? Schw

end.

Lidz

5.
:

NIC prince: Schw L

Iin in lino, out of

2,

9:

5.

tnc

loose,

dwell:

12:

34:

11, ib,

Klin

bull 40: 4.

piB*

impv.
suff.

pi.

Lidz
2,

with
fem.
no.

Lidz

ditto
e.

'KiC Pogn B,

g.

nnn.n'nn, etc. under :i'nnn Schw F, n'nn under the hand 7: 12 ninn 16:6; Mand. S'nin

15; Af. to lodge, 14:

38:

12,

isn^n Pogn B.

3oe

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION
'Jon 80: 19: 9, w. suff. ]S3son

'tcnnn inferior

Pogn B,

see to

NDinn.

Lidz

4.

(nn)lOin

loss,

damage: 34:

(see

Kr:n monster, of Leviathan: 2:

6.

4,

p.

94).
:

Kn^an abortion
^n hang(
?)
:

11:4.

Ipn
fl'pn

Pa.

make
arts
etc.,

fast: 19: 10, 29: 11.

mighty,
:

epithet

of
;

magical

nbbn'K

Schw

F.

Hal,

Hyv
2.

of deities,

rhn three

nsbn Pogn B, Konbn 300

;i3'nbn,
113'"''^"

34:

9,

40: 19; of the

38: 5;
4,

17:

sorcerer 34:

8:

3-

pn
fem.
:

two: 4:

4,

Pogn B;
6

pn^nn
4.
:

sriTi'^n third,

6:

8.

two of them, 34:

Nni'^'n

pn

there: 14:

7,

19: 14.

second

fem.
3.

8.

Din see 3in.

Tin Pa. divorce: 17:

19: 4,

K'JOn eight: 8

spirits, seals,

N3n'n divorcement: 26:

(Njr-in)

6.

Schw

E, F,

Pc^

B.

NTn gate:'Pogn

B.

PRONOMINAL FORMS
1st per.

K3K: 2:
:

i, 5,

4:
"JK
i
:

6, etc.;
:

k:k:

7:16, Stiibe 43 (these forms

stereotyped phrases,
16:
cf.

in

II

I,

Pogn B;
NJnjs
:

14:

i.

K3n(3)

1st pers. pi.

14.

8);

pn:

3:

6,

TKnn 28:

2d per.

f. "nJK: 26: 3, 8: 8, 15 (or plur.? q. v.), ns3S 38: 4.

(Syr.) 4, pun: Pogn A; KJn F; soKt Schw I, 2; 31:

:

2d

pers. pi.

m. and fem.
"nJS:

JiniK

19:

KT (?): 18:

5.
:

13;

mJK: Schw F; IinK:4:7;

8:
8,

Demonstrative fem. sin

6,

1:4, 35

rnas: 8: 8;
3(?)-

17:

STNn Lidz
pi.

5.

Demonstrative
:

T^n
36:

7,

xo

3,

3d

pers.

(also demonstrative)

sin

31:
8:
7, etc.,

32: 4; in: 39: 8; as

Kin;

5.

35:

9,

5.

Pogn B;

copula

rb'N:

Hal 2;

n^'N, '^'N, ni)N:

^?1^

9:

i,

32: 3; 25:
3.

Ninn

Schw F;

X'n: Ellis

2, 5.

3d pers.
7.

pi.

prn: Pogn B;

P'^^n:

32:

Indefinite

(l)!^: 2:
;

2,

ISO

27:

>

33: 7; ni'K.
;

njs: 13:4. 35:

J,

Pogn B NO,
"'T'S

in soa, SD3, Sonj>,

rrn

Schw

Pogn B

in

insD^V(see these prepositions).

those

Schw Q.
Demonstrative,
10:
I,

masc.

8
:

16,

DifiJ'O:

who( ?) Wohls 2414. 5: 2, DyT0,2: 3, 12:

:

Ellis 5,

Hal;

pn

3:

5-

10,

29

8,

mo

Ellis 5.

hoi

GENERAL INDEX

GENERAL INDEX
Abraxas
57, 99, 151

barbarous words 59
baskania 68, 78 Bel 239
beasts exorcised 44
f.

Abatur. 71, 96, 261

Adam

166

Aeon 198
amulets as objects of exorcism 87
angel of death 79
angels

Berlin

Museum

19

f.,

21

heth-el 72

=
=

charm words 86
79 gods

Bibliotheque Nationale 18, 19, 21

evil

binding in magic 52, 85

79, 97, 99, 241
f.

black arts 84
blanket formulas 82, 120

invocation of 57
mystical

names of

97, 197,

208

blast spirits

80

Arabisms

24, 85, 102, 105

Borsippa, 21

Arabic magic and demonology 44.

80, 187

bowls and bowl magic

age of
14,

102

f.,

116

archangels, Michael, etc. 96.

Arabic

14, 21,

44
f.

ardat

lili

76

description of 13

armament, magical 137

forged 14
origin 50, 57
f.

Armasa

99, 123

f.,

68, 100, 106

f.,

ascent of the soul 227

116
f.

assonance, magical 61, 185

praxis, 40

f.,

Asshur 21
Athbash

51, S3,

162
30,

Mandaic
60, 184

15,

20,

21,

37

f.

attestation to magical texts

244
48

f.

as objects of exorcism

88

Babelon, E. 18

paleography of 27
f.,

f.

Babylonian magic 42
58, 59, 62, 64, 69,

47, 55 82,

f.,

provenance of

14,

16,

43
f.,

7T,>

85.

Syriac 15, 16, 21, 32

brass in magic 137, 187
British

223

f.

87, 91, 109

f.,

152, 187

Bagdana

171,

198

Museum

13,

16,

17,

18,

21

(309)

310

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
murderous 238
240, 261
81,

Casanowicz,
cattle in

I.

M.

21
f.,

f.,

magic 49
f-

234, 242, 246,

names of
262

68,

yj,

158,

171,

253

Charles, B. B. 44

number of

71

charms, etc 86

f.

threatening of 131
s.

children in magic,

women
demonolog)'
(s.

devils

(dewin) 73

f.

Christian
67,

magic
f.,

and

Dilbat 217
diseases as objects of exorcism 89
189, 205, 219, 234, 235
f.,

90

99, 107, 115

New

Testament)
Christian names 50

171,

Chwolson, M.
circle in

17,

18,

27
152,
13,

female 94

magic 42, 88,

250
15,
f.

s.

eye, fevers, skin

f.,

Constantinople
constellations,

Museum
zodiacal

21

divorce, magical 158

172

135

dreams

82,

206
145
f.,

countermagic
cultns 51
curses,

53, 83, 137

duplicate texts 42,

167

f.,

203

f.

magical 84
eclectic

magic

58, 64, 106

f.,

f.,

115
59,

dastabira (Persian) 228, 52

Egyptian magic 53
62, 64, 91, 114

55,

58,

date of bowls,

s.

bowls

David 184

ckurru 72
El-shaddai 191
78,

Day

of Judgment 135, 235

in

demonology
91
f.

New

Testament

Elija 259
Ellis,
Ellis,

f.

T.

16,

18,

23

f.

demons and demonology

W.

T. 21

= = =

she din 73
depotentized gods 70
f.

cmpusa 78
enmity exorcised 87

divorce of 158
ghosts 75
76, 151
s.

Enoch

124, 134

cpesu 51
ephialtes 80, 82

good

haunts of,

haunts

epic in
evil

magic 62, 65

idols

72

eye 88, 89, 222, 257

insanity caused by 153

evil angels

79 74
in

king of 74
legions of 80

evil

spirits

excommunication
exorcism 51
f.,

magic 53
f.,

metamorphosis of 153

55,

68

83

f.,

89

f.

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
bowls,

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.
loi, 123,
J.

311

(s.

amulets,

diseases,

Harran
Halevy,

239

enmity, poverty, sin)

exorcists 46
f.,

17,

18
f.

233

haunts of demons 76
in

eye diseases 93 facere 51

familiar (spirit)

deserts 78

in

house 76, 143

142

in shrines 71

fevers 93, 171, 205

figures, use of in
fire in hell

heart in magic 216

magic 53

Hecate 58
f.

f.

hell,

131
122, 187, 235
f.,

131,

144

fire in

magic

herbs, magical 182, 216

formulas, 61, 85, 185 Fraenkel, S. 20

Gabriel 96
gallu 262

Hermes
199

99, 113, 123

f.,

150,

208

Hermon

126

Hillah 16, 17, 21

f.,

234

Hilprecht, H. V. 41

house magic 42

f.,

49

f.,

177

garment, magical 123 gcllo 68, 78, 262

gematria 61, 261
ghosts 43, 72, 75, 82
207, 251

hydromancy 40
Hyvernat, H.
idols as
f.,

f.

19, 21,

41

157,

201,
inciibi

demons 72
139

incantations 51, 52, 56,

ghul 81, 157

Gnostic terms 151

and succubae 78, 82

insanity caused by devils 153

invocation

God, gods 56

f.

of gods, angels,

etc.

gods depotentized 70
Gottheil, R. 20, 258

57,

95

f.,

197
in black
f.

graveyard magic 43

magic 84

Greek magic 43

iron in magic 53, 122

f.,

53, 55

f.,

58, 59,

61, 62, 64, 69,

82,

Ishtar 70, 245

85,

87,

91,
istarati 71

107,

III,

113,

197,

214

Greek names 50
Griinbaum, M. 19

Jackson, A. V.

W.

22

Jesus Christ 227

Gula (goddess) 129

gylo 262

Jewish magic
149

50.

106

f.,

108,

112,

jinn 80, 105, 157

hair in magic 153

Joshua (Jesus)

b.

Perahia 226

f.,

Halleluia 63, 202

46, 159, 161,

225

312

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYEONIAN SECTION.
rites

kabbalism 65, 114

of 52, 85, 216

Khuabir 20
king of demons 74
King, L.
kiru 250
knots, magical 88

personality in 48, 66, 112

praxis of 51

f. f.

W.

21

propitious days for 55

reciprocal

47

and

religion 57, 65,

in
f.

Scripture quotations in 62
labartu 68
sealing in 53, 130, 191
s.

lamia 78, 81

Arabic, Babylonian, Christian,

Layard,

W.

16

Egyptian, Greek, Jewish,

New

lead in magic 187, 249

legions of
letters,

Testament, Persian

demons

80, 179,

244

mam

it

52,

84
239

magical, 59, 163

Mandaic

religion 39, 71, 96,

f.,

Leviathan 125
Levy,

texts 20, 21, 37

17,

244

f.

M. A.
68, 75

27

Manichean

script

34

Lidzbarski,
lilith

M. 20
f., f.,

Markaug, B. 19
f.,

no, 117

156
f.

f.,

marriage charm, 238

f.

158,

209

235, 245, 259

(s.

witch)

Mazzikin 75 Metatron 98, 113, 208

Michael 96
f.,

Logos 123

f.

98
A. 21

losses exorcised

94
f.

Moon

222, 239
J.

love charms 178

Montgomery,

love of

God
18,

in

magic 129
178
f.,

love magic 44,

213

f.,

238

Moses 47, 107, 233 murderous demons, s. demons

museums,
s.

Louvre

19, 20,

21
19,

Berlin,

British,

ConPenn-

Lycklama museum
magic
assonance
18s
clients
f.

21

stantinople,

Lycklama,

sylvania,

Washington,

Win-

terthur

and

rhyme

in

61,

mustalu 152

Myhrman, D.
f.

20, 145

of 49

myrtle 181

epic in 62
figures in 53
fire in
f.

mystery

rites in

magic

52, 85,

243
f.,

mystical words and meanings 59

122, 187,

235
131

176
mythical and apocryphal allusions

Great

Name

in

invocation as form of 84

64

J.

A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.
f.,

313

names
personal 49
f.

Rabbinic texts 27

117
13

f.

Randall-Mad ver, D.
Ranke, H. 21
f.,

of demons 59, 261 of gods, angels 56

as charms 85
f.,

58

f.

Raphael 96

f.,

234
f.

11

rhyme

61,

185

Nannai 240
necklaces as charms 87
f.,

resurrection,

charm

for 160

186
75,

f.

reversal of

charm 63

New
91

Testament
f.,

magic

78,

Rodwell,

J.

M.

17, 18,

24

107
16, 21,

rubric for magical rite 175, 182

103, 113, 129

Nippur
Nirig

13,

Nergal 171, 239

Samhiza
sappu 88

198, 271

Noah 166
Noldeke, T.
19, 20,

no

Satan, Satans 79
satyrs 80,

140
18,

Okeanos 200
orthoepy 61, 222

Schwab, M.

24

f.
f.,

Scripture quotations 62
sea,

109

spell of

125

Pahlavi

14, 20,

22

sealing 53, 64, 130, 191

Palestinian dialect 29, 131

Sebaoth 149, 151, 164

sedu 73,
Selah 63
f.,

parakku, pairika, 73
patkara 72
Pennsylvania, University of 13

no

Seth 166
seven in magic 75, 79, 139

20
Persian magic and demonology 55,
70,

Seven

spirits
f.,

79

116

Shema 62
89
f.,

209
60,

personification in magic 58,

sibilants in
si'lat

magic

220

94

f.,

99, III

157
in

Peters, J. P. 13

simulacrum

magic

176, 216,

250

planets as evil spirits 71, 135

sin exorcised 86,

in
71

Pognon, H.

20, 41

sipHi 51,

109

poisoning exorcised 84, 153

sixty as sacred

number
256

poverty exorcised 94

skin diseases 93
skull in

praeparatum 182
praxis

magic

21,

f.

of

bowl

magic,

s.

bowl

sleep exposed to

magic 143, 153

173

magic
punctuation 29, 32

Solomon

53, 64, 80,

sons of light 119

314

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
250

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

sorcerers, evil 83,

spirits
evil

umra

51

utukki 54, 68, 73, 75,

(ruhin) 74
f.

no

vampire 81, 157

vows, magical 84

familiar 142

seducing 80
Stube, R.
19

Washington National Mseuum 21

water
in

magic 235
magic 250

Sulzberger,

M. 44

wax

in

Sun

222, 239

Winterthur

Museum
J.

19
f.

syllables,

magical 60
f..

witches, witchcraft 78, 235, 261

Syriac texts 16, 21, 32

223

f.

W'ohlstein,

19,

25
objects

women and
tabi'u 142

children,

of

charms 49,
in

77, 238, 240, 249,

Talmud, magic and demonology

40
f.,

259

f-

43,
f.,

46,

49,

61-64,
f.,

71.

words, magical 51, 57

tions)

(s.

incanta-

77, 85

108, 119

139, 143,

173, 189, 214, 219,

257

Yhvh

56, 60,

150, 210,

224

threatening of demons 131

three hundred and sixty 71
tin in

zakiku 80

Zeus 200

magic 249
S.

Zimmern, H.

no
135
f.

Tonks, O.

22

zodiacal constellations

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.

315

GREEK WORDS
oyyfAof 79, 91,
aXKeTjtvia
ifitjv

198

tw<"'

250
51,

63,

202

^(iyoc iepof

84

63

bpKOi

84
1^2

avd^efia

84
1

irapeSpo^

PaatXeic

76

irara^pa

72
ej

Saiiwvtq, 6ai/i6viaaai

74

vpayfia, npa^iq
<Ta/la

ielva

261

63 73

iid^oh>i

80
72

iT^ua

elSuXov
tif

arpayyaXla

24O
c^^

TO bvojia

215

aul^eiVj

auTi/pia, aoiri/p

12Q

iKK^t/aia

79
52,

raxh 60,

181, 184

7rt/cA7/CT(f

84
reAfioi

86
81, 85
f.

C7rwf5ai

62
Telerii

i^iaXxJic:

80,

82

ijiapftaKOTroila

jtarodeii',

defigere 52
defixio 44, 53, 54, 85, III
)cdro;fof

84

Karadea/io^,
/coTe;|;(5/ZVOf,

^vXaKTriprnv

44

79

;i:pE''

51

3n

PLATES

Prefatory Note
The concave
spherical surface

on which the bowl texts are inscribed

precluded their reproduction by photography.

At

the best only a half of the

text can be obtained satisfactorily by the camera, as the pair of photographs

at the

end of the Plates

will

show.

Accordingly the texts had to be copied

by hand.

Soon

after the bowls

came

to the

Museum, Professor Jastrow,

their

of the

University, and Professor Gottheil, of Columbia, undertook

tion.

publica-

They

secured the services of Mr. Horace Frank, Architect, for autoplates, a considerable

graphing the
expense.

sum

of

money being

raised to meet this

Subsequently Drs. Jastrow and Gottheil gave up their plan of

publication,

and when Professor Hilprecht, then Curator, put the bowls

fell

into

my
75

hands, I

heir to

Mr. Frank's

labors.

found he had prepared about

plates, but of these I

16,

have been able to use only 23, covering

my Numbers

2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9,

17, 24, 28, 31, 36, 37, 38, 40.

His other plates were

copies of broken and mutilated bowls which

were not worth publishing (see

all

Introduction,
in his

i )

It

appears also that not

the

good texts were placed

all.

hands, or else that he did not complete them

is

There
cine

only one drawback

in

Mr. Frank's excellent reproductions,

which however does not impair

their accuracy.

Working without much

at
I

direction

and knowing nothing of the language, he often broke a word

it

the end of the line and carried

over to the next.

have seen no reason to

it

repair this technical error in his copies, but have guarded against

in

the

work of

the later copyists.

texts

There thus remained of the

publication twenty-five which
this tedious

which came to be included

in

this

still

required autographing.

Shrinking from

mechanical labor, especially after an expert hand had preceded

avail myself of the kind

me,

was very glad to

cooperation of

Professor

(319)

320

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYLONIAN SECTION.

Gordon, Director of the Museum, who offered

staff.

me
the
i,

the expert services of his

Consequently,

under
C.

my

direction,

remaining copies were

7,

prepared by Mr.

WiUiam

Orchard (Nos.

5.

10-15, ^9- 21-23, 25,

20. 26, 30, 33.

27, 29, 32, 34, 35).

and by Miss M. Louise Baker (Nos.

39)-

The
made

style

of

Mr. Frank's copies conditioned those for which

spiral

am

responsible.

He

had abandoned the

arrangement of the originals and

This method

his reproductions in straight lines.

may
is

be

faulted as

not giving the exact form of the original, but this demerit

small as com-

pared with the advantage to the scholar of having the whole text lying
before him at one glance without his being under the necessity of turning
a bulky volume around and around to follow the spiral career of the text.
I

was therefore
It

quite satisfied to retain this

method of reproduction.

may

be remarked that
;

the originals

only after

all my decipherment was made entirely from my own work was finished did I compare Mr.

Frank's copies.

In a few cases

was

able to improve his

facsimiles, in

several cases his copies,

which were made when the texts were fresher and

more

legible (they

have manifestly faded under exposure to light), have

helped

me

correct or enlarge

my

readings.

The other

copyists also

worked

independently, and then

tion

we compared our

respective results.

The coopera-

of others, expert copyists, with the author has thus tended to a full

control of the accuracy of the facsimiles and transliterations.

I

have

finally to

speak

in the highest

terms of the

artistic

and

pain.s-

taking labors of these two gentleman and Miss Baker, whose assistance has
afforded

me

so great relief.

CATALOGUE
TEXT

PLATE

CATALOGUE

SIZE
ID ceDttmetres,

DESCRIPTION

NUMBER

heicbt by diameter

8693

6.5

17

Broken and mended,

holes.

with

two
in

Written inside and out

.5

large coarse script,

cm. average

height, rude spiral design in center.

2945

7.2

17.4

Broken
large

and

mended.

Fair,

characters. .4

cm. in height.

In center two large figures, one in

reverse position to other; one of

which appears to be making a sign

with his hand (as against the
eye?),
evil

probably the sorcerer, the

feet

other with

hobbled,

the

de-

mon.
3-4

2963

10.3

+ 20.5

Broken
segment
boss.

and

mended,

with

6+12
edge.

cm. missing. Flat

The rim

of the bowl has a

double
.3

Fair

characters,

cm. high.

In the center figure of

a demon, armed with helmet and a

sabre and spear in either hand, and
his feet

manacled.

4-5

2923

7.5

+ 17.3

Broken and mended, small seg-

ment missing.
high.

Characters

.4

cm.

In the center figure of the

sorcerer waving a magic bough.

321

322
TEXT

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
rUTE CATALOGUE
NUMBER
in

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
DESCRIPTION

SIZE
ctntimctrM,
height by diameter

2952

7+18

Slightly

broken

and

mended,
missing.

with

small
.4

fragment
cm. high.

Characters

In center

rude figure of a demon with four

arms and one

6
7

leg.

2916

6+15.8

Perfect bowl but for a fracture

which does not touch

Small
.3

the

text.

circle in center.

Characters

cm. high, rather crabbed.

16007

5-6

157

Broken
square

and

mended,

with

fragment of text missing.

.2

Fine, clear characters,

cm. high.

In center circle with cross.

8-9

9013

8.5

16.6

Broken and mended, with two

small fragments missing.
ters .2

Charac-

cm. high.
lilith

In center obscene

picture of a
feet

with hands and

bound.
Characters

10

9010

17.7

Perfect bowl.

much
short

obliterated, .4 cm. high.

Circle in

center.
lines in

On

exterior

four

Hebrew.
seg-

10

II

16014

6.9+14.2

Broken and mended with

ment missing.
high.

Characters

.4

cm.

In center

monstrous figure

with owl-like head and apparently

several breasts, presumably a
II
lilith.

12

16022

6.3

16.1

Broken and mended, with three

fragments
of
the
text

missing.
.3

Characters carelessly written,

.4

cr

cm. high.

In center rude design,

lilith.

probably of a

J. A.

MONTGOMERY

ARAMAIC

INCANTATION TEXTS.
DESCRIPnON

323

TEXT

PUTE CATALOGUE
NUMBER

SIZE
ia cratimitrei,

keif ht bj dtamcttr

12

13

9009

7.2

17-7

Perfect bowl.

Characters

.4

cm.

high, coarse but distinctly formed.

In center a demon,
face

with beastlike
feet

and arms and

bound.

Endorsement on
13 14

exterior.

8694

16.2

Broken and mended, with small

piece

missing.
.6

Coarse,

clumsy
In
the

characters,

cm.

high.

center a clumsy figure of a

demon
Text

with

caterpillar-like

arms.

continued
lines.

on the exterior for 6

14

15

16017

6.8+18.7

Broken and mended, with missing

segment.

Characters

.4

cm.

high, in a
lilith

good hand.

In center a

with hands and feet manacled.

15

16

16087

7.3

+ +

17.2
.4

Broken and mended.

cm. high.

Characters

In center figure of a
its tail

serpent with

in its

mouth.

16

17

2920

6.8

16.3

Broken and mended.

coarse,
.3

Characters
circle

cm. high.

Rough

in center.

17

18

2922

-}-

15.7

Broken and mended, with a seg-

ment missing.
.4

Characters coarse,
In the center the cir-

cm. high.

cle

and

cross,

formed

in a peculiar

way.
18
19

8695

7.2

-f-

16.

Broken and mended, with frag-

ment of about
ing.

cm. square miss.4

Coarse
In

characters,

cm.
faded

high.

center

rude and

design

of

demon?

324
TEXT

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
PUTE CATALOGUE
NUMBER
SIZE
io c*Btinetret,

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
DESCRIPTION

heifkt br diameter

19

20

6.6+

17.6

Broken and mended.

Characters

crabbed and obscure, closely written, .3

cm. high.

Circle

and cross

in center.

20

21

16023

7+^7
.6

Broken
missing.

and mended, fragment

Large, coarse characters,

cm. high.

Large figure of a dein his

mon
the
see

manacled, with a circle

breast bisected by

two

lines.

For

magical

words accompanying

commentary.

21

22

16054

6.5

-f-

17

Broken and mended, with two

fragments missing, a small one in
the text. Script large, .8 cm. high,

and rude.

In center a rectangjular
into

figure divided
in

three

squares,

one of those at the end two large

like letters.

markings
22
22-23

16006

6.5

16

Broken and mended, with two

fragments
missing.
as

From
in

the

same hand
same

No. 21 and with the

markings
the

design, the

square suggesting a face.

23

22

16090

17.2

Broken and mended.

same hand
as Nos. 21, 22,

From

the

and with

similar design.

24

23

2926

+ 16.8

Broken and mended, small frag-

ment

missing.

Coarse

script,

.7

cm. high.

In the center a figure of

circles

rude concentric
lines.

with

radial

J. A.

MONTGOMERY
SIZE

ARAMAIC INCANTATION TEXTS.

DESCRIFTION

325

TEXT

PUTE CATALOGUE
NUMBER

IB ceDtimetres,

heixM bj diameter

25

24

16009

6.94-17-2

Broken and mended, with four

fragments missing.
.5

Coarse

script,

cm. high.

26

24

3997

6.9

-(-

15.5
.4

Broken
cm. high.

and

mended.

Script

In the center a rough

circle bisected

by two Hnes,

in

each

segment a magical word.

27

25

16041

5.6

-|-

16.6

Broken and mended with two

considerable
Script
fine

fragments

missing.

and

fair, .2

cm. high.

In the center a circle with cross.

28

25

2972

6.5

16.5

Broken and mended, four fragments

blurred
script,.3

missing,

the

text

much

or

obliterated.

fair

cm. high.
frag-

29

26

16055

6.8

17

Broken and mended, one

ment

missing.

Bold
.5

and

well

formed characters
30
26
16096
6.5

cm. high.

16.S

Broken and mended, small frag-

ment missing.
high.
lilith

Script

.3

to .4 cm.

In center rude figure of a

with tresses flying and hands

feet

and
31

bound.
Syriac
center
script,
.3

27

9008

6.6

16

Perfect.
high.

cm.

In

circle

divided

into four squares each with a cross

in
it.

32

28

16086

6.9^-17

Broken and mended, one large

and one small
fragment
missing.

Same
31-

script

and design

as in

No.

326
TEXT

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.
PUTE CATALOGUE
NUMBER
ii

BABYLONIAN SECTION.
DESCRIPTION

SIZE ctntbMtnt,
hcifbt by dimatttr

33

29

16019

6.2

+ 15.5
+ +

Broken and mended, with two

considerable fragments missing. In
center cross with circle.

34

30

9012

7.5

17.5
in

Broken and mended.

Nos. 31, 32.

Design as

35

31

16097

6.5

16.1

Broken and mended, two small

fragments missing.

Design as

in

No.
36
32

33.

2933

6.3

+ 15.4 +

Broken and mended, with about

half of the

two

lines

on the margin

missing.

37

33

2943

6.5

17

Broken and frequently repaired,

much
The

of the margin missing and a

large part of the text obliterated.

script

the
.2

smallest
.3

in

the

Syriac bowls,

to

cm. high.
cross,

In

the center circle

and

each

segment

containing

presumably

letters of the

Tetragrammaton.

38

34

2941

7+17
al

Broken and mended, with seversmall

holes.

Mandaic
about
in
.2

script

average
high.

character
circle

cm.

Small

center.

brief phrase written

radially

near

the margin on the exterior.

39

35

9005

6.8

17.2

Broken and mended, some fragments missing.

Script
larger
.3

and

coarser than in No. 38,

cm. high.

40

36-38

2972

7.3

+ 17.2

Broken and mended, some large

lacunae.

Script as in No. 39.

The

text covers also

terior.

most of the ex-

Circles in the center.

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

1

III.

PLATE

I.

y7n{ )n>-^^

H-i3o -nnv

)n^ /<*inK

R-^-bi^)

ni^\lyti

yitr^v n^3-)A<
Kj\^\y
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Kth^K
*t>>)

>J?>JJ1N,^

QlV/^!>')

cij>3> 3>x,

V^

y^^ P^i)Vi /^X^J-O

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

ill.

PLATE

II.

'^yy^^n'^'^ hf^'<v>^7>r>'infs.> ^^r-'U^ i*i5i>>^

^^aA^

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE

III.

jii*j

^ rtnjs*^ nt^*^ *^^Y>* im'^>i1*n/i v-j^t p^iN>J*' A'/>bii;i5/<-^>*'

3;^^ j^^^\y

vw \S'vn-iAj*'>>5'<' ^o> t^vj**^ Wi itji>^ *\'N^

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE

IV.

FIGURE FOR TEXT

3.

FIGURE FOR TEXT

4.

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE

V.

M^V

^ V^M>V>^w^>>>>^ *TI^^ ^*V))

V^^'^t^

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL,

III.

PLATE

VI.

D>>J^y^>nl \V)rrl/ v^>o>f)T3^)

\i'^\ji))

>'0)n^

n"7/)A{^

&

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

P'-*"''^

V"-

7 !7/rS>>'vn7)vn>;T?>;^>Vv t; vw^^viiTOJiwt ^

5
6

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

7

III.

PLATE

VIII.

,^,

IS

.^/a

FIGURE FOR TEXT

8.

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

8

III.

PLATE

IX.

_Vi(iipin'jiv-,\j^^\,,j#^*)jS '>l*^v^ Vi!*'M)"nH>>> vS.Vi;;:;.i.y;^

N\[i<lpn 'T1J*J

"i/hv^

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

1.

PLATE X

>*<'^Hv'"^yi"^''^^^^ ^>V>^

>V'^)

<l>^1^

H*^^^ TN;^%tV

EXTERIOR

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE

XI.

10

\MN Win

r>n.^\ J-r>^:7

^'^)'^3^r>

0^u> ^p^:!^

>l\-5t>iV)

7)%/^;?g?r^>;\

IPSVS^

\\V'*\^

-vfei^n

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYU SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE

XII.

II

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE

XIII.

12

,N^'^ >fc?io

"^nn^

'\v-:j'p/V>^/5iM-^-7/y/5)-s^-T'r't^

V) p^a//^

EXTEBIOR

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

II I.

PLATE XIV.

13

n"'^>^;\-n

n'>>>>v j')n^')bv j-in^b^ji

;

>'j^o

Ki 3

">':..

>>

KV > o i> A< i>:>

VK

^n

* i

-Kjio-^n

jj^>^

n^^or
nii*7

x^^-*^'^^^^^

tn>hV'iv
o-r

>

Rjjn*f\

-noi*,*/

r^y*^ nr *^>^)
EXTERIOR

ir^K n-!i ^V7n ^>oA^

oJ>A>4

n)n,
f:>

vss^>
a^^
X

N.Jtjn^>V K-n^i-n^ ^h^-h^a^V

n9>>v
>A{>
n'-nt?

^'?'^'^i" ^^K-> ^>>Ai i}5i,>^

'^^^^^

*^)At ^ws^x/
^I^'r^bnijH
^l>^l^t>

^^j^j^c^P,

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XV.

14

\A^'n-\ySx'' )TO-) V^->>^6r7 ^^<^"^<^^-^ 'nA^'O':^

K^^*>

\'>'^r.

Kity^7

^it^^^W

*lt?*1l>^**^ \^^<-^''3

\''V^1^^-';

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

1.

PLATE XVI.

15

y;j3Mi>j

y)ri>-7

p:>i\;# ^y.ijr)>

,/Y> r)^^^3>1V

^r>^n ^^ni^}i^

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE

XVII.

16

<^r^x\->i-r^>^) ^^rf5''5>^<'>^^ ;5/^>on>>^:r

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE

XVIII.

17

)-"*%>ip y^'^n^^^i 9^j^^^'a>if yip^p^n^'^^

tl^S^

iT)iJ>

^d)^^*? )>^>^ >'^^^ V'''^''*

dp

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XIX

18

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XX.

19

ivy^>\\tftitnt^y\^ ^^^Hfty^-^t-n-i^ft'^^ftM, Kni^if^

-n1f^'Jf*iK'^^

<9i^^

vftv-iri

pynTip'ft*

t^\S^^W

\ifV -l-lVwS f^V)i

*>t^%f >NM?jnp'>*JrtJ;'^D>*>T>'Vi^

M*

'^jii O^i^/*^ /*/^i)

S^*>^ <^ inf -j-j^^rH*^ > Tr5c^nY'*5i( rjpi'n^^^ i** ^^'' K-j i>yai

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XXI.

20

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYL. SECTION VOL.

21

III.

PLATE XXII.

iha^tdffitH

p lb i/am ^3Wi\^p)^ iWA^-fTJ

IP/

ffl\piito/6/;#i V^/J/fa/f/nJ^i^b />}/

23

UlNlVtKSIIY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

24

III.

PLATE

XXIII.

FIGURE FOR TEXT

24.

FIGURE FOR TEXT

22.

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYL. SECTION VOL.

25

III.

PLATE XXIV.

^>^|\:toM

\N^^i>i H\^v;\H VJv^S3)^'

/ivn

^\vr^3^j .v';.V/S

26

j>tn\flA^V;*?)Nnt>*'n '0>Vi")>5^^ r)lJ3T)7a>>1> >**^A>lli>Pn1'a

'Vv--.

^^- ;/^n)t!

>>>3\sD>*>>A'/;

> X X
111

I-

<

C C A

*^

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t^

A
ri*

'^

*"

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-r .^

t;

i^

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^ r r f^ r^ r r

r
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ii

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r-

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p
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in

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UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

Ill

PLATE XXVI.

29

yA3>M^-)^?'-)r^ y*^n/

/n^ r^Y> vh.^ ^ K^*3 ^N-^^ivS ^~n>\^ ^ T'^l ^ j \v5ir^D) ih^^ 'yy:s -^n^ v> a<-3\:> > iso^^ ^SV> v>^

r\N>^>>> Kan Nn

yr\r\/>t

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yV ^V? ^

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30

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XXVII.

31

VIS.:X^ x'^^iaKf ^\>lW>*^

'S:!S>t^

H^^< -<-WUJ

nJ!I^^^ AVSs-N* l^S'^**

x^i^ *<G^

'4Ma\>iJ9A -<^iC*-A.>^ ^A.*:-<*^

<'C<Oi^A

^<*.^

'9^'\
8

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'A-a*: t^ '^^^

4.

--.

A^^j*

>A:^

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><rj^ wiA>^^

!\

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XXVIII.

32

xTT

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYL. SECTION VOL.

33

III.

PLATE XXIX.

e
I

7^\,iK!.\ri^

tV^6^*v

H.l^b-i\

H5^^#V

I*AC*\ '^Os*

\;:^H'^'^i

aW^'v^mV V*'^**

^'^^^^^

-J*^^^

MJtfl^SS-^

-<^a\^

J^C-i.^ f(XS^
53<**^';

--<XSiV;5a'

,^A

^^-<jyV'J^'WSo=JftM<a

/^^i-<w -(^>3^f<i^

c^o^
jtr*\jk#\t^

cJ3*cuWr'\ Ci*^4A H*j^> j?.x>o^ ""lis***

'

->f.jcjM-Cuo.r^^^^*\,

X**<

XX

*<><

X.

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

34

111.

PLATE XXX.

-j3 At* xV^49^V^^^.JOi^><V^a..Xi^i>^^*:o'i3^><-^*"*

-^k^

ri^^*^^

llVi ;^ i<f*^j>t*s^ 'K^Aj>

-X*<

>^f^^ *xr/4

m <V^<Vj3^v^

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

35

III.

PLATE XXXI.

''V

io

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XXXII.

36

*X5.V\tSr
StA/ A r?

Ap AT /p tivV^-^

'

\^A^^n

r-A /^A <\ * j^s<^ v!^ V'SfTi \

<i\"3l -fcr'^

^V^
*

<HA!> ^ JO

<i:*7?

f/is eA><

yJI

///::5

jC>h. i^^^ c^

A ^^s?^^^

77\rriYJgA)MJ,*

^>^!^-h -< ^ JV <

-^

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

37

III.

PLATE XXXIII.

r
^6
"_V
>
s-

J^

';^NJaJ5:v^^-^^

.\*i

\o

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

38

III.

PLATE XXXIV.

0-/0

{Cfsts,^.^

Q^J;!f

-'Xs^ <i>N

o-X.^****^^ o.Ot^ >J

J'

,^

EXTERIOR

i:^'..

ALT>jiy^

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XXXV.

39

^' .-i
I

<J

ffJ

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UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XXXVI.

40

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UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XXXVII.

40 CONTINUED

EXTERIOR

^~-

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UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XXXVI II.

I
.22

40 CONTINUED

FRAGMENTS

INSIDE

OUTSIDE

r:->

~'W

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XXXIX.

ALPHABETIC TABLES.
I

Square Script.
16 19

II

Mandaic
39

Script.

21-23

26

25

Text Xumbera

38

40

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tt

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UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

BABYL. SECTION VOL.

II

PLATE XL.

III.

COMPARATIVE TABLE FOR SYRIAO SCRIPT.

Estrsnghelo
Syriao.

Bowl Texts.

^^n
Turkish.

Mani^'4^*!'^' Sy"'"-

BowlTexta.

cbeean Turkish.

r<

A/

N
JJ

-^
J
ditto

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fimal

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J"

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TV

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^
^^
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UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. BABYL. SECTION VOL.

III.

PLATE XLI.

INTERIOR OF INSCRIBED BOWL PHOTOGRAPHED

rtOM OPPOSITE POINTS.

~-i.^ D^.-^T. APR 1

1956

pj 5208 A2 1913

Montgomery, James Alan fed

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