Gaster Amulet 112 (Gaster Amulet 112)
Paper amulet for healing.
Information about this document
- Physical Location: The John Rylands Library
- Classmark: Gaster Amulet 112
- Subject(s): Amulets; Magic squares
- Origin Place: Place of origin is unknown.
- Date of Creation: 19th-20th century?
- Language(s): Arabic in Samaritan script, Hebrew in Samaritan script, Arabic in Arabic script
- Former Owner(s): Gaster, Moses 1856-1939
- Format: Sheet
- Acquisition: Acquired by The John Rylands Library from the heirs of Moses Gaster in 1954.
- Date of Acquisition: 1954
- Data Source(s): Catalogue description is by Dóra Zsom (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest); edited by Zsófia Buda.
Section shown in images 1 to 4
- Title: Gaster Amulet 112A
- Dimensions: height: 342 mm, width: 62 mm.
- Format: Sheet
- Script:
Samaritan script
Arabic naskh script
Section shown in images 1 to 4
- Title: Amulet for healing
- Language(s): Arabic in Samaritan script, Hebrew in Samaritan script, Arabic in Arabic script
- Mode: Carried on the person in an amulet case. Gaster Amulet 112B corresponds in size to the one-third part of 112A (when the amulet folded in thirds), therefore Gaster Amulet 112B was possibly inserted into Gaster Amulet 112A.
- Function: Protection and healing.
- Note(s):
Three magic squares with the combination of letter ‘alef’ plus one of the letters of the alphabet (mainly in alphabetical order) in each cell. Praise of God (Allāh laṭīf, Allāh shāfī; “God is generous, God is healing”) in Arabic, in Samaritan script. Biblical verse (Psalms 118:14) in Samaritan script. Pious formula in Arabic (in Arabic script) at the bottom of the sheet: ḥasbī Allāh wa-ʿalyhi tawakkulī (“God is enough for me and I rely on Him”).
Section shown in images 1 to 4
- Title: Gaster Amulet 112B
- Dimensions: height: 119 mm, width: 62 mm.
- Format: Sheet
- Condition: The lower part of the sheet is torn.
- Script:
Arabic ruqʿah script.
- Decoration: The bottom of the sheet is torn; the remaining part has a fragment of a design that might have been a magic square originally.
Section shown in images 1 to 4
- Title: Fragment of an amulet for protection
- Language(s): Arabic
- Mode: Carried on the person in an amulet case. Gaster Amulet 112B corresponds in size to the one-third part of 112A (when the amulet folded in thirds), therefore Gaster Amulet 112B was possibly inserted into Gaster Amulet 112A.
- Function: Protection.
- Note(s):
The amulet begins with the basmalah (the Islamic phrase “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), but continues with quotes from the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) declaring the might of God. The Biblical quotations include the phrase “I am uttering the name of God”. Thus, the amulet is supposed to utter constantly the powerful name of God, to which the amulet’s effectiveness is attributed. The text ends with a blessing in Hebrew (“Blessed be our God forever, and blessed be His name forever, amen, amen”).
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- Physical Location: The John Rylands Library
- Classmark: Gaster Amulet 112
- Subject(s): Amulets; Magic squares
- Origin Place: Place of origin is unknown.
- Date of Creation: 19th-20th century?
- Language(s): Arabic in Samaritan script, Hebrew in Samaritan script, Arabic in Arabic script
- Former Owner(s): Gaster, Moses 1856-1939
- Format: Sheet
- Acquisition: Acquired by The John Rylands Library from the heirs of Moses Gaster in 1954.
- Date of Acquisition: 1954
- Data Source(s): Catalogue description is by Dóra Zsom (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest); edited by Zsófia Buda.
- Title: Gaster Amulet 112A
- Dimensions: height: 342 mm, width: 62 mm.
- Format: Sheet
- Script:
Samaritan script
Arabic naskh script
- Title: Amulet for healing
- Language(s): Arabic in Samaritan script, Hebrew in Samaritan script, Arabic in Arabic script
- Mode: Carried on the person in an amulet case. Gaster Amulet 112B corresponds in size to the one-third part of 112A (when the amulet folded in thirds), therefore Gaster Amulet 112B was possibly inserted into Gaster Amulet 112A.
- Function: Protection and healing.
- Note(s):
Three magic squares with the combination of letter ‘alef’ plus one of the letters of the alphabet (mainly in alphabetical order) in each cell. Praise of God (Allāh laṭīf, Allāh shāfī; “God is generous, God is healing”) in Arabic, in Samaritan script. Biblical verse (Psalms 118:14) in Samaritan script. Pious formula in Arabic (in Arabic script) at the bottom of the sheet: ḥasbī Allāh wa-ʿalyhi tawakkulī (“God is enough for me and I rely on Him”).
- Title: Gaster Amulet 112B
- Dimensions: height: 119 mm, width: 62 mm.
- Format: Sheet
- Condition: The lower part of the sheet is torn.
- Script:
Arabic ruqʿah script.
- Decoration: The bottom of the sheet is torn; the remaining part has a fragment of a design that might have been a magic square originally.
- Title: Fragment of an amulet for protection
- Language(s): Arabic
- Mode: Carried on the person in an amulet case. Gaster Amulet 112B corresponds in size to the one-third part of 112A (when the amulet folded in thirds), therefore Gaster Amulet 112B was possibly inserted into Gaster Amulet 112A.
- Function: Protection.
- Note(s):
The amulet begins with the basmalah (the Islamic phrase “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), but continues with quotes from the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) declaring the might of God. The Biblical quotations include the phrase “I am uttering the name of God”. Thus, the amulet is supposed to utter constantly the powerful name of God, to which the amulet’s effectiveness is attributed. The text ends with a blessing in Hebrew (“Blessed be our God forever, and blessed be His name forever, amen, amen”).
