Obj. ID: 53853
Sacred and Ritual Objects  Shmirah le-Magefah ve-Sreifah, Jerusalem, circa 1895

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

This printed amulet uses the typical Jerusalem magic imagery of the hand, both as in the "wisdom" of the hand and as the symbol of the hamsah.  Most of these types of amulets were made as birth amulets.  This one is unusual in that it is to be used as protection against plague and fire, two scourges that were prevalent in the 19th century Jerusalem in which this amulet was printed. 

The text mentions that the amulet is based on the tradition of the Eliyahu Ba'al Shem Tov. The images are exactly the same size as those used by Yitzhak Nachum Levi in most of his amulets, and this is probably an early version by that printer.

Printer:                             Yitzhak Nachum Levi