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For Protective Purposes.

The use of the Bible for magic or superstitious purposes. The practise of employing sacred books, or words and verses thereof, for divination or for magic cures is universal alike among pagans and believers in God. What the Vedas were to the Hindus (Stenzler, "Abhandlungen für die Kunde des Morgenlandes," vol. , Leipsic, 1878), Homer to the Greeks (Heim, pp. 496, 514), and Ovid and Virgil to the Romans (Lampridius, "Alexander Severus," p. 14; "Sortes Virgiliauæ"), the Old Testament was to the Jews, the Old and New Testaments to the Christians (Kraus, s. "Loos," 2:344; "Sortes Sanctorum"; compare 1:153, "Evangeliorum"), and the Koran and Hafiz to the Mohammedans (Lane, "An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians," vol. ). The desire of man to discern the hidden future, or to obtain the mastery over nature in hours of great anxiety, by some superstitious resort to superhuman forces, is never altogether extinct in the multitude. Deuteronomy 6:8,9; 11:18; and Proverbs 3:22-26, 7:3, admonishing the people to bind them (the words of God) as a sign upon the hand, and have them as frontlets between the eyes, and to write them upon the posts of the house and upon the gate, certainly induced the Jews to use the Bible, or parts of it, for protective or talismanic purposes (Targ. to Song of Solomon 8:3; Ber. 23b; Yer. Peah 1:15d). Likewise are the sixty letters of the Priestly see see Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) called sixty guardian powers of Israel against the terrors of the night (Cant. R. to 3:7; Tan. Num. 16; compare Pesiḳ. R. 5 and Num. R. ), "a talisman against the evil eye." So was Psalms 91, perhaps originally composed as an incantation psalm (PSALMS) and known in rabbinical literature as "Shir shel Pega'im," or "Song against Demons," employed as a protective (Midr. Teh. to Psalms 91; Yer. Shab. 6:8b), found also in a tomb at Kertch, Crimea (Blau, "Das Alt. Jüdische Zauberwesen," p. 95). Psalms 3 was employed for that purpose (Shebu. 15b); Exodus 15:26 was used for healing purposes, according to Mishnah Sanh. 10:1; as was also Leviticus 1:1, according to Sanh. 101a. To ward off evil dreams, the Rabbis prescribe the recitation of corresponding Bible verses (Ber. 55b, 56b); in order to escape the danger befalling one who drinks uncovered water on Wednesday and Saturday nights, the recitation of Psalms 29 is prescribed (Pes. 112a). Tos., Shab. 13:4; Shab. 115b, writings containing Biblical matter used for amulets, are mentioned, which Blau (c. p. 96) compares with two magic papyri of the second or third century showing a Jewish origin; the one published by Deissmann (pp. 21-48), the other by Dieterich, "Abraxas," pp. 138 et seq., both of which prove the use of Biblical passages for magic purposes.

Good or Bad Omens.

It was common in Talmudical times to accept the verse selected at random and recited by the school-children as a good or a bad omen (Ḥag. 15a, b; Giṭ. 58a; Ḥul. 95b), and this was observed through the Middle Ages (Ṭur Yoreh De'ah, 179). This same custom was observed by the Christians at the close of the seventh century (Kayser, "Die Canones Jacob's von Edessa," 1886, pp. 22, 126, 136; and "Gebrauch von Psalmen zur Zauberei," in "Z. D. M. G." 42:456-462). In the last-named article a prescription of the use of the varịous Psalms for magic purposes, written in Syriac and taken from Sachau's collection of Syriac manuscripts, No. 218, is published and translated. Whether this served as a model for Jewish writers or followers of the "Shimmush Tehillim" (the magic use of the Psalms), or originated with the Jews, is rather difficult to say. Certain it is that both the authorities of the synagogue (Maimonides, "Yad," 'Akkum, 11:12; Ṭur Yoreh De'ah, 179, according to Shebu. 15b) and of the Church prohibited the use of the Bible either as a whole or in part for magical cures (Kayser, c., p. 126; Hefele, "Conciliengeschichte," 2:274); yet both failed to eradicate the custom. According to "Sefer Ḥasidim" (ed. Lemberg, 1870; Jitomir, 1879, §1140; not in the Berlin edition), the Book of Leviticus was placed under the head of a child when first put into the cradle. Sometimes the Torah-scroll was brought into the lying-in room in order to facilitatethe birth ("Pitḥe Teshubah" on Yoreh De'ah, 179), or laid upon the sick babe ("Yad," c.; Ṭur Yoreh De'ah, c.), or on the head of the new-born child, or during the eight days following the circumcision ("Mitteilungen," 1:83,85). Also in the curious womb-blessing, the Torah-scroll was used for protection, the words spelled being: "Baermutter [womb], lie down: with these words I adjure thee; with nine Torahs, with nine pure Sefer Torahs!" (Güdemann, in "Monatsschrift," 5:57).

Use of the Pentateuch.

When a person was dangerously ill, the Pentateuch was opened, and the name which first met the eye was added to the patient's name, in order to avert the evil destiny (SHINNUY HA-SHEM). The words found at the beginning of a page of the Bible when it was opened at random, or touched by the thumb at the opening, were also frequently used as an oracle (Berliner, "Aus dem Leben," p. 24). The Pentateuch in the form of a book, not a scroll, was employed also in the see FATE-BOOKS ("Loos Bücher"). Genesis was opened as a protection against thunder-and hail-storms (Kayser, c.).

Use of Bible Verses.

The following single verses may be mentioned as having been used both in the original Hebrew and in translation (pronounced over wounds, Rashi on Sanh. 101a; Shulḥan 'Aruk, Yoreh De'ah, 179, 8):

In addition to verses from the Pentateuch, the following from other books are cited as being efficient in the cases indicated:

Use of Psalms.

The Psalter especially was employed, an entire chapter at a time, for all manner of incidents, serious or trivial. An extract may here be given from the above-mentioned "Shimmush Tehillim" (frequently reprinted), which indicates the various uses made:

Use of Biblical Names.

For single words or names taken from the Bible and used for mantic purposes, GOD, NAMES OF, and ANGELOLOGY The names of the following individual personages of the Bible have been employed in bibliomancy:

• Adam and Eve: For use in amulets, see Amulets.
• The Serpent: Ofiel, Samael in Schwab. Concerning the human figure with serpentine feet, see "Sefer Ḥasidim," ed. Lemberg, § 1166, "the serpent went upon two feet and had partly a human form." On Samael together with Serafiel, M.V. 21; Targ. Yer. on Genesis 3:6 interprets the serpent as Samael, and "Yalḳut. Ḥadash" makes the serpent identical with Samael and Satan; see also Abraxas.
• Enoch: To Influence trade, S.Z. 22. See Steinschneider, "Zur Pseudepigraphischen Literatur," pp. 53 et seq.; Harkavy, "Responsen der Gaonim," p. 344.
• Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: In amulets for the lying-in room, M. V. 91.
• Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah: The same.
• Joseph: Against pollution, M.V. 62; against the evil eye, compare Berakot 55b; see Blau, p. 155; in the ceremony of "Tashliḥ," with reference to Genesis 49:22.
• Moses: Against fire (after Exodus 2:8), M.V. 58; for hard labor, M.V. 10; to awaken intellect ("Pseudepigrapha M.V. 66; against gangrene, M.V. 48.
• Korah: Korḥin=evil spirits, M.V. 17.
• Joshua: To arouse intelligence ("Pseudepigrapha"), M.V. 66.
• David: See David, Shield of.
• Doeg: See under Ahithophel (compare Mishnah, Sanh. 10:2).
• Ahithophel: Name of the author of a fate-book (Steinschneider, "Hebr. Bibl." 6:120). Regarded as a colleague, as it were, of Balaam, and as a species of Mephistopheles (idem, "Zur Pseudepigraphischen Literatur," p. 80).
• Absalom: In the preparation of divining-rods, M.V. 80. Solomon: In conjunction with Ashmedai, M.V. 56; concerning his shield and seal-rings, see M.V. 39.
• Queen of Sheba: See below, under Lilith, M.V. 11, 17, 29.
• Elijah: See MS. 1863, pp. 286, 288, 293; also S.Z. 22; M.V. 47.
• Job: Against tooth-ache ("Pseudepigrapha"), M.V. 47.
• Satan: For amulets in lying-in room, M. 71.
• Boaz: Against pollution, M.V. 62.
• Daniel: Against wild beasts, M.V. 33; Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; in a conjuration against fever, Shab. 67a.
• Lilith: Identical with the Queen of Sheba, MS. 1870, 187; also Kelifa, MS. 1880, p. 556; Klippe, M.V. 62. For a masculine Lili, and a plural Liliyot, see M.V. 62.
• The creatures around the throne (Ezekiel 1:15): To shorten one's journey, M.V. 24.
• Names of rivers: The rivers of Eden, M.V. 69; Kidron, Wohlstein, 17.

Other single names or words are rarely employed. Only the following can be mentioned: ("the bush"), Exodus 3:2 et seq. For a magical cure of a burning fever, the bush is mentioned in Shab. 67a, and is addressed as the tree "upon which God allowed His Shekinah to dwell."

Single Biblical Words.

The words ("shield") and ("so may it be") are sometimes found interwoven with other words or with each other so that each of their three letters is made the initial of a magic word; thus (M. V. 50), , (ib.; compare 38). The last letter, "N," serves as the last letter in the name of the good angels (M. V. 61). "Ezel" ( ="the stone Ezel"), 1 Samuel 20:19, is interpreted as consisting of the initials of the words ("light is sown for the righteous," Psalms 97:11) and is sometimes found; see M. V. 55.

Concerning the mode of application of these Bible passages and words, it is only necessary to state here that they were written in various places and on numerous objects; e.g., paper (M. V. 40, 64); clean ("kosher") parchment (M. V. 28, 31, 35, 57, 60 et seq.); stag parchment (S. ); the wall (M. V. 30); walking-cane (B. B. 73a); on bread (M. V. 43); a human skull (M. V. 49); cheese (M. V. 28); an apple (M. V. 25); clay (Sh. 2 M. V. 56, 60); [see "Sefer Raziel," in Wohlstein, 132]); especially on new clay vessels (M. V. 24, 25); an egg (Sh. 119, S. Z. 30b, M. V. 43); and on a cake (S. Z. 30b).

In addition, they were pronounced or whispered (Sh. 10, 29, 31; compare M. V. 56, 59) over olive-oil (Sh. 3, 5, 33, 45, 89), dust (Sh. 7 et seq.), especially over well-water (Sh. 7, 10, 20, 37, 69, 119), water upon which the sun had never shone (Sh. 29, 84), on plucking vegetables or herbs (Sh. 13), over oil of sesame (Sh. 51), oil of roses (Sh. 20, 21), salt (ib.), willow branches (Sh. 29), leaves of a palm-tree that had not yet blossomed (Sh. 29), wine (Sh. 111); and over all of these only at certain fixed times (Sh. 29, 62, 119; M. V. 80). Sometimes they were not uttered at all, but were dwelt on in thought (M. V. 37).

The formulas are recited once only, or several times in succession (M. V. 23, 31, 32, 34, 65, 80); at times backward, at times forward (M. V. 65, 68); in combinations or in permutations (M. V. 30); sometimes in gematria (compare Kircher, "Arithmologia," Rome, 1665; M. V. 628); sometimes abbreviated (M. V. 23); on other occasions with one letter left off at a time.