Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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MERO0003

Meroth, 7th century CE. Bronze Amulet. Invocation, magical protection.
Transcription

דעל חסדך ועל אמתךבשם יהוה נעשה ונצליחאל חזק וגיבור ברוך שמךוברוכה מלכותך היך דכבשתימה בסוסיך ורקעת ארעהבמסנך והיך מה דאת מכבשאילנייה ביום סיתבה ועסבהדארעה ביום קייטה כדין יתכבשוןעלויתהקודם יוסי ברה דזינביה יהוויממרי ומשמעי עליהון הך מהדשמיה כבישין קודם אלהאוארעה כבישה קודם בניאנשה ובני אנשה כבישיןכבישין קודם מותהומותה כביש קודםאלהא כדין יהוון עמהדהדה קרתה כבישיןותבירין ונפיליןקודם יוסי ברה דזינביהבשם חטועע מלאכהדאשתלח קודם ישראלאנה עבד סימן צלחצלח אמןאמן סלההללויה

Translation

For your mercy and for your truth. In the name of YHWH we shall do and succeed. Strong and mighty God! May your name be blessed and may your kingdom be blessed. As you have suppressed the sea by your horses and stamped the earth with your shoe, and as you suppress trees in winter days and the herb of the earth in summer days, so may (there be suppressed) … before Yose son of Zenobia. May my word and my obedience be imposed on them. Just as the sky is suppressed before God, and the earth is suppressed before people, and people are suppressed before death, and death is suppressed before God, so may the inhabitants of this town be suppressed and broken and fallen before Yose son of Zenobia. In the name of Ḥṭwʿʿ, the angel who was sent before Israel, I make a (magic) sign. Success, Success, Amen, Amen, Selah, Hallelujah.

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
The first line is a quote of Psalms 115:1 and 138:2. The text can be broken down into three parts. An introduction addressing God, a greeting of sorts, and the magical invocations.

Languages

Hebrew

Dimensions

H: 13.8 cm; W: 4.8 cm; D: —

Date

600 CE to 699 CE

Current location

Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

Figures

No figures described.

Bibliography

Source of diplomatic

  • Naveh, Josef. “A Good Subduing. There is None Like It, An Ancient Amulet from the Galilee.” Tarbiz 54 (1985): 367–82.
    Zotero

Source of transcription

  • Naveh, Josef. “A Good Subduing. There is None Like It, An Ancient Amulet from the Galilee.” Tarbiz 54 (1985): 367–82.
    Zotero

Source of translation

  • Naveh, Josef. “A Good Subduing. There is None Like It, An Ancient Amulet from the Galilee.” Tarbiz 54 (1985): 367–82.
    Zotero

Other sources

  • Mucznik, Sonia, Asher Ovadiah, and Carla Gomez de Silva. “The Meroth Mosaic Reconsidered.” Journal of Jewish Studies 47 (1996): 286–93.
    Zotero
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The project can be cited as:

Satlow, Michael L., ed. 2002 - . “Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine.” Brown University. https://doi.org/10.26300/PZ1D-ST89

This inscription can be cited as:

"Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine," MERO0003, 9 September 2024. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89