Geniza Lab

Recto/verso:

Section:

See join.

Recto/verso:

Section:

Two interesting spells for binding demons to obey you. The handwriting is similar to that of the cantor Abu Sahl (Levi), father of Yedutun and Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi (click on the "Abu Sahl Levi" tag for other documents for comparison). Recto: A spell for binding demons by the power of the seal of Solomon. Specific ones conjured include the Cloudy Maymun, the Black Persian Maymun, Shamhorash, and 'Abd al-Rahman. It continues, "O tribe of the Jinn... residents of the wind and the valleys and the deserts and the graves...." Verso: A spell for "tahayyuj." It is to be written Thursday morning in saffron on the parchment of a gazelle and hung up in the wind. "I bind you, o tribe of the Jinn, the Shaytan, the Iblis, the Faqtash, the Zawba'ah... from East and W[e]st and South (Qibliyyan) and North (Bahriyyan)... or from the earth...." Needs further examination together with the join. There is at least one missing line between the two fragments (T-S AS 145.71 + T-S Ar.30.81), but the subject matter of recto and verso are exact matches. Join: Alan Elbaum.