Aramaic Magic Bowl: The Protection of the Family

Greco-Roman Period
In this magic bowl we see how the bowls were used to protect all members of the family from a wide variety of forces which would bring about misfortune and disease.

Salvation from the heavens for Dadbeh the son of ‘Asmanduk and for Sharqoi the
daughter of Dada, his wife, and for their sons and their daughters and their house and
their possessions, that they may have sons, that they may live and be established and
be protected from demons, from devils, from bands (of spirits), from satans, from
curses, from liliths, and from monsters which appear to them. I adjure you, O angel
which comes down from heaven—as it is kneaded in the shape of a horn on which
honey is poured—the angel which does the will of his lord and which walks upon the
steps of his lord, Sa’u, even the one praised in heaven, Sa’u, and his praise is in the
earth, Semu.

They are filled with glory who endu[re] and remain pure from the days of eternity.
Their feet do not appear in the dances for the entire world. They sit, they stand in their
place, they blow like the blast, they flash like the lightning. These will frustrate and
ban all familiars, counter-charms, necklace-charms, curses, invocations, knockings,
rites, words, demons, devils, bands (of spirits), liliths, idols, monsters, and everything
bad, that they may depart and go away from Dadbeh the son of ‘Asmanduk and from
Sharqoi the daughter of Dada, his wife and from Honiq and from Yasmin and from
Kufitai and from Mahduk and from Abraham and from Pannoi and from Shili, the
children of Sharqoi, and from their house, from their possessions, and from all their
dwelling in which they dwell, from this day and forever, In the name of Y-H-W-H of
hosts. Amen, Amen. Selah. May Y-H-W-H guard you from all evil, may He guard
your life. 250

[The exterior reads;] For the inner room of the hall. 251

249. Isbell, bowl 23, pp. 71-2.

250. Ps. 121-7.

251. Indicating where the bowl is to be buried.