[Collection of amulets, charms, remedies, and magic bowls].
[קמעות, קמעות, תרופות וקערות קסם].

Format:

• Book
• Manuscript

Contributor:

• Elis & Ruth Douer Endowed Fund.
• Gross, William L., former owner.

Language:

• Aramaic
• Hebrew

Subjects (All):

• Occultism--Religious aspects--Judaism.
• Cabala.
• Incantation bowls.
• Amulets.
• Jews--Turkey--18th century--History--Sources.

Genre:

• codices (bound manuscripts)
• incantations

Penn Provenance:

• Formerly owned by Tel Aviv collector William L. Gross (Kedem); former call number The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, OT.011.021.
• Sold by Kedem Auctions (Jerusalem), Auction 93 part 1, lot 80 (as part of selections from the Gross Family Collection).

Physical Description:

105 leaves : paper, illustrations ; 170 x 130 mm bound to 180 x 145 mm.

Place of Publication:

• [Turkey], [1700-1799].
• [טורקיה], [1700-1799].

Language Note:

Hebrew and Aramaic (many amulets and texts of incantations in Aramaic).

Summary:

This is a manuscript of cabalistic remedies and charms, illustrated with goralot tables (a game of lots predicting the future), mystical pseudo-scripts (כתב מלאכים, so-called scripts of the angels) and magical incantation bowls; parts of the manuscript are medical as well. The instructions on creating a magic bowl include the creation of a glass bowl with a handle, with a precise vocalized incantation text to be read through the top circularly (f. 21r); instructions on writing and reading the angelic pseudo-scripts (such as f. 26r-29r, f. 66r), creation of amulets and amuletic texts (f. 29v-30r), cipher as amuletic text (such as f. 47r), and protection amulets (against assassins, f. 11r; against robbers, f. 102r; against migraines, f. 104r-105v).

Notes:

• Ms. composite codex.
• Title supplied by cataloger.
• Layout: Written in single columns, with captions above column; illustrations built-in to text column (such as f. 76r); mantras written in three tapered columns (f. 105v); some catchwords, some blind-ruling.
• Script: Written in Turkish cursive and semicursive scripts, in multiple hands; some amuletic and incantations vocalized (such as f. 98v).
• Decoration: Magic bowl illustration (f. 21r), illustrations of amulets (such as f. 29v, f. 98v), pseudo-scripts, goralot tables (such as f. 60r, f. 55r), olivewood talismans (f. 29v).
• Origin: Written in Turkey during the 18th century (original manuscripts), possibly bound as two composite manuscripts (based on older foliation), circa 1800.
• Binding: Bound in a modern red linen binding; spine title "כתב יד סגולות ורפואות".
• Foliation: Paper, 105; contemporary foliation in Hebrew characters, קי"ו-קע"ז, [כ"ז]-קי"ג in ink, upper left recto; modern foliation in pencil, 1-105, lower left recto (references in this record to modern foliation only).

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Elis & Ruth Douer Endowed Fund.

Related Collections:

Another manuscript of charms and amuletic texts is UPenn CAJS Rar Ms 519; that manuscript dating from the 19th century, originating in Morocco.

Cited as:

Collection of amulets, charms, remedies, and magic bowls (UPenn CAJS Rar Ms 658). Library at the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania.

OCLC:

1407068157

Online:

The Elis & Ruth Douer Endowed Fund Home Page