O | Ornamentation: | Full page framed
O | Ornamentation: | Title, framed
O | Ornamentation: | Ornament
A | Angel | Angel, multi-winged
J | Jerusalem | Zion, Holy City עיה'ק ציון
H | Holy and other places in the Land of Israel | Holy Tombs | Rachel's Tomb
H | Holy and other places in the Land of Israel | Holy Tombs | Cave of Machpelah (Tomb of the Patriarchs/Matriarchs)
J | Jerusalem | Sites in Jerusalem: | Western Wall (Kotel) הכותל המערבי
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The following description was prepared by William Gross:
From earliest times, man has tried to protect himself from misfortune by the use of objects that he considered holy or otherwise (e.g., magically) potent. Amulets and talismans are items generally worn around the neck or wrist, carried in a pocket or purse or hung on a wall. They are meant to protect or aid those who carried or wore them. The Hebrew word for amulet, kame‘a, has the root meaning "to bind". Jewish amulets are usually comprised of texts (either letters or graphic symbols) that are inscribed on some sort of material; some may also contain plant matter or precious stones. The texts of amulets usually include holy names that are believed to have the ability to affect reality, along with incantations summoning angels or other magical powers. For the most part, an amulet has a specific purpose: to ease childbirth, facilitate recovery from illness, improve one’s livelihood, and so on, but in the modern world many are also made for general protection.
This printed page is an early version of what became the standard form of birth amulet in Jerusalem. Part of the imagery presents a protective angel with texts that was the defining image of a great many amulets printed in Jerusalem. The image originated in Eastern Europe but was copied in the Holy Land and became exceedingly popular as an amuletic device on publications in Jerusalem. The second part of the imagery is a hand, represented by the traditional form of the "wisdom of the hand", a form of Kabbalistic hand that may hint at the protective hamsa as well. This version of the amulet contains the Shir LeMa'alot, a "Lachash" against the evil eye by the Chida and the story of Eliyahu meeting Lilith. A number of versions of this amulet were printed by Yitzhak Nachum Levi, who was one of the first to use the images in this manner.
Y. N. Levi opened a press in 1889 with his brother and continued printing until his death in 1908. There are several examples of this design in the Gross Family Collection, each with minor variations. Even though it does not carry the name of a printer, it is identical to that amulet printed by Yitzhak Nachum Levi.