London, BM 1971,0229.1

Incantation Bowl 135563

British Museum (London, United Kingdom)

On an object

Clay

Unidentified

Uncertain

No ruling

15.90cm

6.80cm

Height is diameter
Width is depth

6thC - 8thC

Iraq

Borsippa

Orient

Aramaic

Magic and Divination

(Other)

Incantation

(1) ʾbby ytbnʾ ʾnh gwšnzdwkt bt ʾḥt (2) lbblytʾ rmynʾ bʾswpy ytbnʾ ʾnh gwšnzdwkt bt (3) ʾḥt lbwrspytʾ rmynʾ bʾrʿh pt{t}ytʾ ʾnh dʾnyš lʾ (k)yply (4) hw šmy drmʾ ʾnh dʾnyš lʾ mṣyly ḥd zypʾ mrydtʾ ʾnh dʾnyš lʾ ʾkyly (5) myny nḥr mrdy ʾnh dʾnyš lʾ šty myny byty rḥys ʾysqwpty mrymʾ ʾtw ʾly (6) ḥršy byšy pgʿw pqw wmlltʾ ʾnh gwšnzdwkt bt ʾḥt lʾpyhw npqnʾ mllnʾ wʾmrnʾ lhw (7) lḥršy byšy pqw pgʿw pqw wmlltʾ (ʾ)tw ʾkwl myd ʾzlnʾ wtw ʾyštw my dšytnʾ wtw šwp myd šypnʾ (8) wmlyl ḥršy byšy pgʿ pgʿw pqw wmlltʾ hʾk(n) hyky ny(kw) myd ʾklt wnyšty mdšty wnyšwp mdšypt dʾrʿh (9) ptytʾ ʾt dʾnyš lʾ kypl(k) šmy drmʾ ʾt dʾnyš lʾ mṭylk ḥd zypʾ mrydtʾ ʾt dʾnyš lʾ lʾkymynk nḥr{m} (10) mrʾdy ʾt dʾnyš lʾ šty my(n)k bytyk rḥyṣ ʾysqwptyk mrymʾ ʾylʾtyk zydnʾ ʾbd nybw ʾmšdnybw ʿl ṭḥy qmḥykw (11) zylw wkwlw lh bslyh dnḥmʾ dnykw mynyh wnyḥbl bḥṣbyh dmyʾ dnyšty mynhw wnyḥbl bʾṣwtyh dmyšḥʾ dnyšwp mynyh wnyḥbl (12) bšwm tyqws yhwh ṣbʾwt ʾmn ʾmn slh

Inscription translation: (1) I sit at my gate, I, Gušnazdukht daughter of Ahat, (2) I look like the Babylonian. I sit at my vestibule, I, Gušnazdukht daughter (3) of Ahat, I look like the Borsippean. I am on the wide Earth, that no man can overpower me, (4) I am the high heavens, that no man can reach me. I am the bitter harzipa, that no man can eat me, (5) from me. I am the Merari River, that no man can drink from me. My house is secure, my threshold is raised. The evil sorcerers came to me, (6) Pag‘i, Paqi and Mallalta. I, Gušnazdukht daughter of Ahat go out to them, I speak and say to them, (7) To the evil sorcerers, Paga‘, Pag‘i, Paqi and Mallalta: ‘Go eat from what I eat, and go drink from what I drink, and go anoint from what I anoint. (8) The evil sorcerers, Paga‘, Pag‘i, Paqi and Mallalta, said thus: ‘How can we from what you eat and drink from what you drink and anoint from what you anoint? For (9) you are the wide Earth that no man can compel, and you are the high heavens, that no man can reach. You are the bitter Harzifa-herb from which no man can eat. You are the (10) Merari River that no man can drink. Your house is secure, your threshold raised!’ ‘If not, … to your practitioner, to your sender, to the grinder of your flour. (11) Go and put it in his breadbasket that he may eat from it and be sickened, in his water barrel that he may drink from it and be sickened, in his trough/flask of oil that he may anoint with it and be sickened’. (12) In the name of Tiqos YHWH Sebaoth Amen Amen Selah.

Inscription note: 12ll; a spell. Inscribed in concentric circles

Acquired 1971, Kermanshah (town), Iraq

Segal 2000a / Catalogue of the Aramaic and Mandaic Incantation Bowls in the British Museum (049A)
Muller-Kessler C & Kwasman T 2000a / A Unique Talmudic Aramaic Incantation Bowl
Müller-Kessler C 2001/02 / Die Zauberschalensammlung des British Museum (p.129)
Morgenstern M 2004a / Notes on a Recently Published Magic Bowl
Morgenstern M 2005a / Additional Notes to the Aramaic Magic Bowl BM 135563
Geller M J 2005a / Tablets and Magic Bowls (pp.57-61)