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:

בואאד רמאל השמ לא יוי רבדיו
אפ יוי יואפ יוי ו [ו]
םכרבא ינאו
הוח
הרש
הקבר
האל לחר
עבשתב
 ימעעימהאע
עצהשהישיוילה
עומוציהנאי 		[image] יוי ילאיבאתכל
יבעשאושלו
םדא
םהובא
קחצי
בקעי
דיוד
 אשא תולעמל ריש
שיארליאושע
רמיהבוילהייי
1 
2 
3 
4 
5  
6  
7  
8  
9 
10 
11 

  English Translation:

1 
 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons,
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,
3 
 and give you peace. So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them. [Num. 6.22-27 (NRSV)]
4 
 Eve Adam
5 
 Sarah Abraham
6 
 Rebecca [Image] Isaac
7 
 Rachel Leah Jacob
8 
 Bathsheba David
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,
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
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; 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:

םיקיזב רוסא תיליל 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:

ץפצמ The Divine Name written using atbash.

  Horizontally:

[-ה]י רמוש L[O]RD, protect
הז דליל הו this boy
לכמ רלונש who is (?a new)born from all
קזנ harm
[לכ]מו and from [all]
ער evil.
ןמא Amen

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© Copyright 1998 Alan Humm.
Comments and corrections to: humm@ccat.sas.upenn.edu.