Incantation bowls are a form ofprotective magic found in what is nowIraq andIran. Produced in the Middle East duringlate antiquity from the sixth to eighth centuries, particularly inUpper Mesopotamia andSyria,[1] the bowls were usually inscribed in a spiral, beginning from the rim and moving toward the center. Most are inscribed inJewish Babylonian Aramaic.
Scholar John Charles Arnold states thebowls were used as such: "When placed upside down under each corner of a house,demons would follow the inscribed charms that spiraled from the outer rim inward, only to be caught in the center."[2] They were commonly placed under the threshold, courtyards, in the corner of the homes of the recently deceased and incemeteries.[3]
The majority ofMesopotamia's population were eitherChristian,Manichaean,Mandaean,Jewish, or adherents of theancient Babylonian religion, all of whom spoke Aramaic dialects.[when?]Zoroastrians who spokePersian also lived here.Mandaeans andJews each used their own Aramaic variety, although very closely related. A subcategory of incantation bowls are those used in Jewish and Christian magical practice (seeJewish magical papyri for context). The majority of recovered incantation bowls were written in Jewish Aramaic. These are followed in frequency by theMandaic language and thenSyriac. A handful of bowls have been discovered that were written inArabic or Persian. An estimated 10% of incantation bowls were not written in any real language butpseudo-script. They are thought to be forgeries by illiterate “scribes” and sold to illiterate clients. The bowls are thought to have been regularly commissioned across religious lines.[4]
To date only around 2000 incantation bowls have been registered as archaeological finds, but since they are widely dug up in the Middle East, there may be tens of thousands in the hands of private collectors and traders. Aramaic incantation bowls fromSasanian Mesopotamia are an important source for studying the everyday beliefs of Jews, Christians, Mandaeans, Manichaeans, Zoroastrians, and pagans on the eve of theearly Muslim conquests.[5]
A subcategory of incantation bowls are those used in Jewish and Christian magical practice.[6][7] Aramaic incantation bowls are an important source of knowledge about Jewish magical practices, particularly the nearly eighty surviving Jewish incantation bowls fromBabylon during the rule by theSasanian Empire (226-636), primarily from the Jewish diaspora settlement inNippur. These bowls were used in magic to protect against evil influences such as theevil eye,Lilith, andBagdana.[8][9] These bowls could be used by any member of the community, and almost every house excavated in the Jewish settlement inNippur had such bowls buried in them.[10]
The inscriptions often include scriptural quotes and quotes fromrabbinic texts. The text on incantation bowls is the only written material documenting Jewish language and religion recovered from the period around the writing of the BabylonianTalmud. Scholars say that the use of rabbinic texts demonstrates that they were considered to have supernatural power comparable to that of biblical quotes. The bowls often refer to themselves as "amulets" and the Talmud discusses the use of amulets and magic to drive away demons.[11]
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InChristianity, during the same period and in the sameregion wheretraditional incantation bowls were prevalent,Christian incantation bowls emerged. Theseartifacts, often inscribed inSyriac, a dialect of theAramaic language, demonstrate a syncretism of Christian and local magical beliefs. The inscriptions on these bowls typically includeprayers,psalms, or invocations forprotection againstevil forces. Scholars interpret them as a unique manifestation of the blending of Christian and folk religious practices in the ancient Middle East. Further research may delve into specific examples,deciphering the content of the inscriptions and exploring the cultural significance of these Christian incantation bowls within their historical context.
In the Islamic medieval period, what is referred to in the literature as talismanic or magic bowls performed a similar function. They represent the syncretism of the Islamic tradition andoccult sciences. The bowls, most often made of metal rather than clay, were covered in Arabic script, most often verses from the Quran or a hadith, and occasionally withNumerology orAstrology. They were most often used for healing by drinking the water that was left in these bowls overnight.[12]
There are also many incantation bowls written inMandaic. Mandaic incantation bowls have been found in various archaeological sites in southern Mesopotamia, including bowls fromNippur that date to the early Islamic era.[13]
Many are kept in museums and private collections around the world, including theBritish Museum and theMoussaieff Collection.[14][15]
