Obj. ID: 5703
Sacred and Ritual Objects  Amulet, Greece, 18??

The rectangular parchment is inscribed with amuletic formulas intended to protect the inhabitants of a certain house from the Evil Eye and bless them. The formulas are followed by two magical squares enclosing the names of God in various permutations.

The amulet is headed with two lines containing Hebrew initials written in square, linear letters. The first line calls for God's help: 

"בינ"ו (בעזרת השם נעשה ונצליח); עמ"י עש"ו ('עזרי מעם ה' עשה שמים וארץ'; תה' קכא:ב)."

"With Lord's help, we shall achieve and succeed; ‘My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth’ (Ps.121:2).  The second line includes six names, each containing three letters of the name "שדי” – Almighty, in various configurations.

The following fourteen lines are the main text that declares its aim:

"אנא אלהי הרחמים אב רחמן רחם נא בחסדיך

הרבים על יושבי הבית הזה ותשמרם מעין הרע

וממקרים רעים ותצילם מכל צער ונזק וכל מיני

שדין ושדתין ולילין וליליתין ורוחין בישין וכל

מיני מזיקין אנא יהוה צבאות יושב הכרובים

שומר ישראל שלח ברכה והצלחה שלום ושלוה

השקט ובטח בריאות וכל טוב ליושבי הבית

הזה ותטע ביניהם אהבה ואחוה וחן וחסד בזכות

שמך הגדול והקדוש ארגמן ותצוה למלאכיך

הקדושים הממונים על כל עסקי בני האדם שייהרסו

ויצילו ויגינו וירפאו וישמרו אותם מכל מיני

מאורעות קשות ורעות ויסירו וירחיקו מן הבית

הזה ומיושביו כל מיני כשוף וקשור וכל כחות

הטמאה בכח החותמות הקדושים האלה."

"Please, Lord of Mercy, Merciful Father, have compassion, while You grant your abundant graces upon the dwellers of this house. Keep them from the Evil Eye and from dreadful incidents, and save them from any agony and damage. (Keep them) from all kinds of demons and demonesses, Lilith (queen of evil spirits) and other evil spirits, and all kinds of harmful forces.

Please, Lord of hosts, thou that dwellest between the cherubim, that keepeth Israel, grant blessing and success, peace and restfulness, quiet and security, good health and all good things to the inhabitants of this house. And may You plant among them love and brotherhood, grace and loving-kindness, in favor of Your great and holy name Argaman (initial letters of five angels' names: Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Nuriel). And order your holy angels, who are appointed over all of mankind's activities: to destroy, to save, protect and cure and keep them (the dwellers) from all evil and bad events, and that they would take away and prevent any kind of sorcery and tying (see: Remarks) and distance any force of impure evil powers through the power of these sacred seals (the following magical squares):          

The square on the right encloses various Names of God, set in the middle and around the edges:

" שדי, יהוה, וכעה, כשי, נע."

The magical square on the left contains nine different letters that value from 1 to 9 placed in three rows of three letters. The sum of each line or column is 15 – that equal to the Digrammaton - the Two-letter Name of God – יה. The letter ה' (hei) that also represents God's name is set in the middle (See: Bibliography).

The following five lines conclude the inscription and read:

"ובכח עמנואל שלוטר שטניאל תפר עצת

כל המשטינים והמקטרגים כדי לתת ביניהם

קנאה ושנאה וישפיע עליהם ברכות של כל

טוב בכח השם הגדול והקדוש אבג יתץ אמן

נס"ו (נצח, סלע ועד)."

" …and with the power of Emanuel, Shluter (the sum of the letters are 545 that equals to 5 (5 4 5 =14; 1 4=5) – the name of the Lord—ה')  Sataniel, act against the advice of all the devils and the prosecutors, in order to place hate and envy between them. And (as a result) grant them (the inhabitants of the house) blessings of goodness, through the supremacy of the Great and Sacred name ABG YTZ (The Forty-two-letter name of God, composed of the initial letters of the liturgical hymn 'Annah Be-kho’ah' attributed to the first century mystic R. Nehunyah ben Hakana. The hymn is recited in Sabbath morning prayers), Amen Selah, Nezah, for eternity."