New Acquisitions by the Penn Libraries

Arthur Kiron, Schottenstein-Jesselson Curator of Judaica Collections, acquired a wealth of new collection items over the summer. Eager to announce this news and determined to give each acquisition the attention it deserves, we included only a few new items in the fall newsletter—a Yiddish translation of Romeo and Juliette, a collection of stories for children written by Anne Frank, and a Tsarist government edict. Now, here is another selection with the theme and events of the Katz Center’s fellowship year in mind.

All three of these items were acquired thanks to the generous support of the Elis and Ruth Douer Endowment for Sephardic Studies.

A collection of amulets, charms, remedies, and magic bowls, produced in Turkey (eighteenth century)

This manuscript of kabalistic remedies and charms is illustrated with goralot tables (a game of lots predicting the future), mystical pseudoscripts (כתב מלאכים, so-called scripts of the angels), and magical incantation bowls; parts of the manuscript are medical as well. Its magic-bowl instructions involve the creation of a glass bowl with a handle, and a precise vocalized incantation text to be read circularly. There are also instructions on writing and reading the angelic pseudoscripts, the creation of amulets and amuletic texts, cipher as amuletic text, and protection amulets (such as: against assassins, against robbers, and against migraines). Find the full catalog description of UPenn CAJS Rar Ms 658 here.

Hear performance artist Victoria Hanna’s interpretation of incantation bowls here.

Ketubah: Damascus, Syria (July 5, 1898)

This illuminated ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) forms a welcome addition to the Penn Libraries’ already rich collection. It is written on paper and was signed in Damascus, Syria, 15 Tamuz 5658 (July 5, 1898). The groom’s name was Yaʻaḳov ben Ḥai Shelomoh Romano, the bride’s was Ḥosen bat Yitsḥak Aharon Matlon, and the two witness signatures name Yaʻaḳov Yosef Harari and Meʼir Eliyahu ha-kohen Ṭarab (טראב; died 1899). The marriage contract is written over twenty-three lines, including the Damascus additional stipulation in the ketubah text that the groom was not to take another wife unless the couple was childless after ten years of marriage. The ketubah text is a Syrian-Oriental cursive script and the frame and highlights preserve an Oriental square script. Several elements are colorfully illuminated with gouache and gold leaf, among them flowers, vases, border designs of floral vines, imitation appliqué. This ketubah may have originated as a distinct leaf, attached to the illuminated portion of a manuscript. Find the full catalog description of UPenn CAJS Rar Ms 664 here.

Protective dagger with engraved angelic names

Not all text is on paper or parchment. In this case, the text is engraved on a ceremonial dagger dating from the eighteenth–nineteenth centuries, likely originating from Iraq or Persia. It was used as an amulet for the protection of infants and homes from evil spirits and harm (similar to the athamé, a blade with illustrations and glyphs for occultic use). You can see two central carved names—recto שדי שמריאל, and verso שדי דהביאל—vocalized and carved in a ritual square script, as well as amuletic names (angels, angelic scripts) carved above, below, and inside central names, ending with a six-pointed star on each side. The point has קרע שטן  on both sides, written down into the point. The dagger’s original handle is missing. Find the full catalog description of UPenn CAJS Rar Ms 718 here.

If you would like to learn more about Jewish magic practices, check out our Do You Believe in Magic playlist.

Keep an eye on the blog for more library news.