A Magic Stele in Durban (original) (raw)

THE STELE OF BAKRENEF

The National Museum of Archaeology in Malta was established in 1903 and included a collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts donated by Lord Grenfell. Two of these artefacts are the stele of the priest Bakrenef and a 25/26th Dynasty sarcophagus with its mummy. For the first time an association between the two items is being proposed.

A history of amulets in ten objects

Science Museum Group Journal , 2019

What are amulets? How are they situated in the larger narrative of European healing? Varied and complex objects, amulets present both challenges and opportunities for historians and museums alike. Yet an examination of these often-overlooked items within a medical context can provide significant information about cure and protection over different times and geographies. This article analyses ten amulets from the Science Museum collections, and asks what we can learn from exploring these objects' material features and varying functions. It argues for a reconsideration of amulets from their categorisation by nineteenth-and twentieth-century collectors and classification by modern museums, to their recognition as a significant part of the history of healing.

"An Anatolian Funerary Stele in an Antique Shop in Seville (Spain)"

Epigraphica Anatolica, 2007

A well-preserved white marble stele coming from the West European antique trade is on display at "Antigüedades. Félix e hijo", a gallery devoted to classical archaeology, at 7 Fernando Street, right side. 1 The stele is 85 cms high, 50 cms wide and 14 cms thick. It is divided into three fields: a triangular pediment at the top, 13 cms high, crowned by a large central acroterion in the shape of a palmette and another two, in the shape of half palmettes, on the lateral vertices. Two birds in profile pecking at grapes on both sides of a vine are depicted in the pediment field. Beneath the pediment there is the central iconographic field, 35.8 cms high, formed by a square fianked by two pilasters with a base of ca. 4 cms height, Corinthian capitals of 5.3 cms height and decorations on the shaft consisting of tendrils with vine leaves and bunches of grapes alternating. An upper band that joins both capitals and is of the same height, decorated with a series of three zigzag lines frames the central field. In the upper centre there is a large wreath with infulae at the top, a hand mirror on the left and an open diptych on the right. Beneath the mirror two astragali can be seen and a circular object divided into four segments by two crossed lines; under the diptych there is a console with the name of the deceased in the genitive; under the pilaster and between the circular object and the console, a comb and to the right of it a spindle and a spinning wheel joined by a thread. In the lower field of the stele, 25 cms high and slightly wider (51.5 cms) than the rest, an easily legible six-line inscription occupies the whole width of the upper 16 cms.

LATE MIDDLE KINGDOM FUNERARY STELA OF intf iqr anxw AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM [EA563]

Journal of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists

This funerary stela belongs to , the seal bearer of the king of Lower Egypt, the king's intf iqr anxw secretary, and Dd-bAw treasury. It is now on display in the British Museum. According to Ahmed Fakhry and PM, it is dated to the 13 th year of Senusret III's reign and is from Wadi al-Hudi. Ilin-Tomich reports that the Htp di nsw formula could date this stela to the end of the twelfth dynasty. By comparing this stela with other stelae of the same period in terms of the writing style, titles of the owner, the form Htp di nsw Wsir nb AbDw, and general features of the painting, it seems evident that it is similar to the Middle Kingdom stelae found in Abydos.

Amulets

Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, vol. I (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2005), pp. 60-71., 2005

A comparison between references in the Greek Magical Papyri to lettered, semi-lettered, and unlettered amulets of stone, metal, and papyrus with the actual realia of such amulets from the archaeological record, with special attention paid to the categories of diseases addressed, especially fever, along with the malevolent spirits thought to engender such maladies.

Amulets and Superstitions - E. A. Wallis Budge

A vulture tied to the neck of a mummy gave it the strength of the goddess Isis … Women in Central Africa ate a frog to have large families … A serpent head amulet could ward off venomous snakes … Ethiopians wore stones to keep the Evil Eye away … Abracdabra healed a man suffering from fever … Hebrew women wore stones to prevent miscarriage … Emeralds cured diseases of the eye … Garnets protected man from terrifying dreams and skin diseases … Melitites warded off infantile diseases … Moonstones protected men against epilepsy … Rubies protected men from witchcraft, plague, and famine … By far the most thorough, most fascinating coverage of amulets and superstitions is the present book by Dr. E. Wallis Budge. In it he presents a wealth of information on the origins of amulets and talismans of many cultures and traditions: Arab, Persian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Gnostic, Hebrew, Mandaean, Phoenician, Samaritan, and Syriac. He discusses ring amulets, terra cotta devil-traps; stones and their prophylactic and therapeutic qualities; the importance of color, shape, and form in amulets; the Swastika; the cross; the crucifix; the evil eye; the Kabbalah; astrology; the seven astrological planets; theories about numbers (good and bad luck numbers, sequences, magic squares); divination by water, earth, or sand; lucky and unlucky days; the hand of Fatimah; contracts with the devil and envoûtement. The text is profusely illustrated, with many reproductions of amulets, stones, prayers, crosses, numbers, seals, gods, rings, signs of the zodiac, and much more. Dr. Budge of the British Museum was one of the foremost Egyptologists of the twentieth century. Dover also published many of his other works: The Dwellers on the Nile, Egyptian Magic, The Egyptian Book of the Dead, and The Gods of the Egyptians. By Sir Budge, (1857-1934), curator of the Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum, who also translated the "Egyptian Book of the Dead." From the book's preface: "I have described the principal amulets which were used by the Semitic peoples of Western Asia, Egypt, Nambia and Ethiopia. I have added a series of short chapters in which I have tried to set forth the principal theories about the powers of 'working' amulets, and the meaning of the inscriptions and symbols inscribed on them, and to indicate the beliefs concerning them which were held by the ancient Babylonian and Egyptian magicians, and by the later Kabbalists, Gnostics, both pagan and Christian, and astrologers. And I have incorporated in the many of the views of the astrologers, makers of horoscopes, casters of nativities, diviners, crystal gazers, palmists and fortune-tellers with who I came in contact in Egypt, the Sudan and Mesopotamia." The author discusses: the Evil Eye, and amulets used by: Arabs, Persians, Babylonians, Coptics, Egyptians, Abyssinians, Gnostic, Hebrew, Mandaeen, Phoenician, Samaritan, Syriac; the Ring amulet; beliefs concerning Divination by water or animal's livers or sand; the Hand of Fatima; Babylonian demon Humbaba, god Khepera, Rd, Thoth; the Seven Seals; and much, much more. Many photographs and illustrations. Originally published in 1930. Here are the contents to this Amazing Unknown of our Age THE UNIVERSAL USE OF AMULETS DUE TO MAN’S PAGE BELIEF IN THE EXISTENCE OF DEMONS EVIL SPIRITS. AND 1 II. ARAB AND PERSIAN AMULETS AND TALISMANS 33 III. BABYLONIAN AND ASSYRIAN AMULETS ... 82 IV. COPTIC AMULETS . ... 127 V. EGYPTIAN AMULETS . ... 133 VI. ETHIOPIAN (ABYSSINIAN) AMULETS ... 177 VII. GNOSTIC AMULETS . ... 200 VIII. HEBREW AMULETS . ... 212 IX. MANDAEAN (MANDAITIC) AMULETS ... 239 X. PHOENICIAN AMULETS. 250 XI. SAMARITAN AMULETS . ... 258 XII. SYRIAC AMULETS . • • • 272 XIII. BABYLONIAN TERRA-COTTA DEVIL-TRAPS • • • 283 XIV. THE RING AMULET . • • • 291 XV. STONES AND THEIR PROPHYLACTIC AND THERA- PEUTIC QUALITIES . 306 XVI. THE IMPORTANCE OF COLOUR, SHAPE, AND FORM IN AMULETS . 326 XVII. THE SWASTIKA OR SVASTIKA. 331 XVIII. THE CROSS 336 XIX. THE CRUCIFIX . 350 IV CONTENTS PAGE THE EVIL EYE ... ... ... ... ... 354 XXI. KABBALAH... ... ... ... ... ... 366 XXII. ASTROLOGY ... ... ... ... ... 380 XXIII. THE KABBALISTIC NAMES AND SIGNS, AND MAGICAL FIGURES, AND SQUARES OF THE SEVEN ASTROLOGICAL STARS OR PLANETS... 390 XXIV. THE STARS OR SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC AND THEIR INFLUENCES, THE HOUSES OF HEAVEN AND THE DEKANS. ... ... 406 XXV. THE STONES OF THE PLANETS AND THEIR INFLUENCES . 423 XXVI. THEORIES ABOUT NUMBERS AND THEIR MYSTIC AND SACRED CHARACTER 427 XXVII. DIVINATION . 443 XXVIII. DIVINATION BY WATER. 445 XXIX. DIVINATION BY MEANS OF THE LIVER OF AN ANIMAL ... ... ... ... 450 XXX. THE INSCRIBED BRONZE DIVINING DISK OF PERGAMON . 458 XXXI. DIVINATION BY EARTH OR SAND (GEOMANCY) 460 XXXII. LUCKY AND UNLUCKY DAYS. 464 XXXIII. THE HAND OF FATIMAII. 467 XXXIV. CONTRACTS WITH THE DEVIL. 472 XXXV. ENVOUTEMENT. 481 XXXVI. MISCELLANEOUS. 487 INDEX ... . ... 497 V LIST OF PLATES PLATE PAGE I.—1. Arabic amulet made of the skin of the unborn kid 35 2. Arabic amulet made of paper 35 II. Silver amulet case inscribed on both sides with a series of short texts from the Kur’an ... 37 III. Silver necklace with plaques and tubes to hold small amuletic rolls . 41 IV. Mirza Khan’s Kur’an amulet 57 V. Persian agate amulet inscribed with texts from the Kur’an . 63 VI. Persian agate amulet inscribed with texts from the Kur’an 65 VII.—1. Mother-of-pearl amulet, Christ baptized by John 2. Mother-of-pearl amulet for a girl. From the Falls of the Jordan ... ... ... 71 VIII.—1 & 2. Two silver Indian pregnancy amulets... 75 3. Brass amulet of a soldier 75 4. Silver Hebrew amulet with the hexagon of Solomon 75 5 & 6. Two silver pregnancy amulets inscribed in Arabic 75 IX.—1. Amulet armlet of a Turkish soldier. 77 2. Slate amulet inscribed with Arabic letters as numerals 77 X. Ten archaic Babylonian and Assyrian amulets 83 XI. Seven Babylonian cylinder-seal amulets ... VI LIST OF PLATES PLATE PAGE XII. Eight Babylonian and Assyrian amulets . 93 XIII. Three Babylonian amulets . 95 XIV. Bronze Pazuzu-Nergal plaque . 105 XV. Lamashtu plaque—obverse .107 XVI. Lamashtu plaque—reverse . Ill XVII. The amulet of’Absara Dengel 181 XVIII. Extract from a Mandaean amulet in the British Museum 243 XIX. Extract from a Mandaean amulet with magical drawings 245 XX. Extract from a Samaritan phylactery in the British Museum 263 XXL The metal case which held the same 265 XXII. A group of five crosses in gold, Limoges enamel and steel , LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Face of the Babylonian demon Humbaba... ... ... 2 The god Khepera in his phantom boat ... ... ... 7 Ra, the Sun-god ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 Thoth, the Word-god... ... ... ... ... ... 9 Specimens of Arabic magical writings ... ... ... 39 The Seven Seals and the Hexagram ... ... ... 40 Magical number squares ... ... ... ... 45 and 46 The Kur’an amulet and its case with a magnifying lens ... 53 The Ayat al-Kursi ... ... ... ... ... ... 54 The Ayat al-’Arsh ... ... ... ... ... ... 56 The Fatihat al-Kitab ... ... ... ... ... 59 The Surah of the Unity of God ... ... ... ... 61 The animal amulets inscribed on their bases ... ... 86 Cylinder-seal engraved with a figure of the naked goddess 92 A Babylonian house-amulet . ... ... ... 97 Two prophylactic figures ... ... ... ... ... 100 Two prophylactic figures ... ... ... ... ... 101 The Sirrush ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 102 Two men beating a drum ... ... ... ... ... 103 Fish amulet ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 103 Pazuzu, son of Hanpu, king of the air devils ... ... 110 Two Achaemenian seals ... ... ... ... ... 125 Six Pehlevi seals ... ... ... ... ... ... 126 Saint George of Lydda ... ... ... ... ... 131 The amulet of the Sun-god at sunrise and sunset. 134 The Prayer-spell of the Heart-scarab ... ... ... 139 The Baboon, the associate of Thoth " ... ... ... 141 The Cat slaughtering the Serpent of Darkness . 145 The Vulture-goddess Mut ... ' ... ... ... 150 The Divine Goose ... ... v ... ... ... ... 151 Amuletic figures of Egyptian gods and goddesses... 156-158 The Shabti Spell 159 The Metternich Stele—obverse .166 The Metternich Stele—reverse Egyptian Amulets The magical forms of the Cross in Ethiopia The Divine Face The Chariot of Elijah The Net in which Solomon caught devils ... AND THE REST FROM PAGE 190 ONWARD- Solomon and his wife... Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden The Cross with the Divine Face The Cross of’Abu Fara Chnoumis above a Bacchic altar Anubis and the goddess of Truth ... Horns the Child in the boat of Iao The god Abrasax The three-headed Hecate, the Queen of Hell A god in the form of Osiris as a mummy ... The Arch-demon Set, ass-headed Amulet from a magical papyrus Hebrew child-bed amulet Hexagram amulet from the Book of Raziel Two triangles amulet from the Book of Raziel Amulet to secure success in business Three amulets in the secret writing Portrait of Cornelius Agrippa Seven seal amulets inscribed in Hebrew, etc.

The Stela of Hori-Sheri at the Egyptian Museum (Cairo JE 59858

SAK, 2016

This paper deals with a rectangular limestone stela of the royal scribe @ri-Sri, son of the priest and the writer of the necropolis 1mn nxt, son of 1pwy. @ri-Sri bears the same titles as his father. So he was also the royal scribe of the necropolis of Xn xni, which probably refers to the west bank of Thebes. Hori-Sheri then inherited this position from his father, the name of @ri-Sri was also written on a rock behind Medinat Habu at the reign of Ramses III. The stela is in the style of stelae of 20th dynasty. It bears no royal name, but from the name of the owner and his father we can infer that he lived during the reign of the Ramses III. He was the royal scribe of the necropolis of Thebes, as indicated by Papyrus Abbott 5, and a rock engraving behind Medinet Habu. The present paper deals with a rectangular limestone stela of the royal scribe @ri-Sri 1 , son of the priest and the scribe of the necropolis 1mn nxt, son of 1pwy 2. @ri-Sri bears the same titles as his father. So he was also the royal scribe of the necropolis of Xn xni 3 , which probably refers to the west bank of Thebes 4. Hori-Sheri then inherited this position from his father, the name of @ri-Sri was also written on a rock behind Medinat Habu 5 at the reign of Ramses III 6. This stela was found at Medinat Habu 7 and is currently housed in Cairo Museum, measures 36cm  35cm. It is broken and restored on its left side. A large part of its top is lost, particularly the part that includes the name of the god, most of the name of the goddess , and part of the body of the god, it was probably a dedication to Ptah, PtH n tA (st) nfrw, which means Ptah of the Valley of the Queens 8. The hieroglyphs and the scenes are in raised relief. The main inscription consists of seven columns of hieroglyphs and one line. The columns are in the upper part of the stela over the representations of the god and the goddess and the deceased and his father. These columns contain the names of the gods which read from right to left. On the left upper part of stela, the names of the deceased as well as of his father appear, oriented left to right at the right upper part of the stela. Each column of text is separated from the next by a vertical thick line. Under