Lilith Amulet

18th/19th c. Persian Amulet: Text & Translation

(The Israel Museum, Jerusalem)
image: amulet #2 image: amulet #2 drawing

Surrounding Text:

    This is an 18th or 19th c. amulet from Persia. Lilith appears in the middle, hairless and bound in chains (the bubble looking things all over her body). On this page I have transcribed and translated what I was able to read (most of it) of the text surrounding her and inside her. Go here for technical banter about what the various colors mean and how to get the transcription to show up in Hebrew on your web page if it is not so already.

  Hebrew:

וידבר יוי אל משה לאמר דאאוב 1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons,.
   [ו] ו יוי פאוי יוי פא לכתאביאלי יוי 2 saying: Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them, The LORD bless you [and keep you;] the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you,
  ואני אברכם ולשואשעבי 3 and give you peace. So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them. [Num. 6.22-27 (NRSV)]
  חוה אדם 4 Eve Adam
  שרה אברהם 5 Sarah Abraham
  רבקה יצחק 6 Rebecca Isaac
  רחל לאה יעקב 7 Rachel Leah Jacob
  בתשבע דויד 8 Bathsheba David
  עאהמיעעמי שיר למעלות אשא 9 A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD,
  הליוישיהשהצע עשואילראיש 10 who made heaven and earth. He will not let you foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at
יאנה יצומוע יייהליובהימר 11 your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore. [Psalm 121 (NRSV)],

Under each of her arms:

לילית אסור בזיקים Bind Lilith in chains!

Inside her body:

For help both in transcription and translation of the following material I am greatly indebted to David Sandmel. Thanks, David.

  Vertically:

מצפץ The Divine Name written using atbash.

  Horizontally:

שומרי[-ה] L[O]RD , protect
וה לילד זה this boy
שנולר מכל who is (?a new)born from all
נזק harm
ומ[כל] and from [all]
רע evil.
אמן Amen

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