Incantation Bowl with Inscription

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AD 5th Century, Israel

Incantation bowls are known from Late Antiquity (5th-8th centuries after Christ) in the Middle East. The bowls contain inscriptions on their inner surface, usually written so that the text spirals outward from the center. Most, like the one shown here, contain texts written in Aramaic.

The bowls probably performed a protective function and were meant to ward off evil spirits. They are often found upside-down under the floor in the corners of houses or under the threshold of the house. Their upside-down positioning may have been intended to serve as a trap for the evil spirits, and their location under thresholds would have prevented the demons from entering through the doorway.

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