Shelf 3. Persia

This type of so-called magical vessel was used primarily in Babylonia from the sixth through the eighth century. The bowls were placed upside down for the purpose of capturing demons and evil spirits. They were placed in cemeteries and in the home when someone died, for example, but could also be used in the home for protection.

On the inside of the vessel, a curse is written in the Mandaic language, and the words were translated into English in 1939 by the American researcher Cyrus H. Gordon. According to one such translation, these curses challenge demons, various kinds of spirits, and other evil creatures to get out of a home belonging to a man named Ziztaq. The curse also threatens those demons with the wrath of the angels Hibil and Ptahil, important figures in Mandaism.