Inscribed with magic texts, these bowls were
used to ward off evil spirits and protect family
and property. Unearthed at relatively high levels
of excavation, they were neglected by the
nineteenth century pioneers of Mesopotamian
archaeology who were more interested in
discovering palace foundations and large-scale
sculpture. In more recent years however their
importance has been recognised and they have
been studied in-depth.
The incantations were written in a variety of
Aramaic dialects including Jewish Aramaic,
Mandaic and Syriac. There are also examples
written in Pseudo-script, presumably by less
literate scribes. Although the texts are not dated
they are generally assigned to the late
Sassanian/ early Islamic period (6th-8th century
A.D.). Their main function was to trap evil spirits
and they were often placed upside down at the
corners of rooms, or built into foundations or
cemeteries. The texts sometimes instruct them
to be placed ‘at the four corners (of the room)’
for extra protection. The names of the clients for
whom the bowls were made can be divided into
two main categories- Semitic and Persian.
However this is not always a reliable guide to
their ethnicity. Jewish influence on the Mandaic
inscriptions was minimal but is pronounced in
the Aramaic incantations. Many of the scribes
may have been Jewish or trained by Jews, and the
Hebrew Bible is frequently quoted.
The adversaries are rarely named but they are
sometimes depicted in fantastic line drawings,
applied to the surface of the clay with a reed pen
and black ink. These demons are often depicted
fettered in chains with splayed legs and long
dishevelled hair. Men and women are both
portrayed although the sex is frequently
ambiguous. The bowls themselves are all wheel-
made and their form derives from the repertoire
of Sassanian household vessels. They were not
however recycled but made specifically to receive
incantations as there are rarely signs of daily
wear and tear. The shape was important as they
had to have wide-open orifices to receive the
maximum amount of text and a relatively smooth
surface for its application. The patterns created
by the writing are remarkable; the most common
arrangement was in concentric spirals, radiating
outwards from the centre, but there were many
other varieties. On very rare instances the text
continued onto the exterior of the bowl.
These bowls are fascinating for the insight they
provide into popular magic and belief. In
addition to the heartland of ancient Mesopotamia
they have been discovered in Jordan, Syria,
Lebanon and even Egypt and Uzbekistan-
attesting to their widespread popularity. Ink
drawings/inscriptions rarely survive from such
and early date and thus these bowls give us a
rare glimpse of the work of the ancient scribes.
References:
J. B. Segal, ‘Catalogue of the Aramaic and
Mandaic Incantation Bowls in the British
Museum,’ (London, 2000) (AM)
