Difference between revisions of "Template:POTD protected"

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|style="padding:0 0.9em 0 0;" | [[File:Incantation bowl Lilith.jpg|300px|thumb|]]
|style="padding:0 0.9em 0 0;" | [[File:Foreleg of Set Amulets.jpg|300px|thumb|]]
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An individual '''[[Lilith]]''', along with Bagdana "king of the lilits", is one of the demons to feature prominently in protective spells in the eighty surviving Jewish [[occult]] incantation bowls from Sassanid Empire Babylon (4th–6th century AD) with influence from Iranian culture. These bowls were buried upside down below the structure of the house or on the land of the house, in order to trap the demon. Almost every house was found to have such protective bowls against [[demon]]s.
'''[[Set]]''' is a god of deserts, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners in ancient [[Egyptian religion]]. In a legend in the [[Pyramid Texts]], as punishment for his rebellion and overthrow of Osiris, Set was transformed into a sacrificial red ox (some legends say a red goat). His foreleg (''xpS'') was cut off and thrown into the sky where it became Meskhetiu (''Msxtyw''), a group of seven stars in the northern sky (likely either Ursa Major or Ursa Minor).


The center of the inside of the bowl depicts Lilith, or the male form, Lilit. Surrounding the image is writing in spiral form; the writing often begins at the center and works its way to the edge. The writing is most commonly scripture or references to the Talmud. The incantation bowls which have been analysed, are inscribed in the following languages, Jewish Babylonian Aramaic, Syriac, Mandaic, Middle Persian, and Arabic. Some bowls are written in a false script which has no meaning.
The foreleg was not only a protective god, but it was also a lasting symbol of power and strength, especially of strength in the afterlife. Thousands of blue or red foreleg amulets have been found wrapped in the bandages of mummies across all periods of Egyptian history, and drawings of ''Msxtyw'' feature prominently alongside the [[Egyptian decans|decanal stars]] in the Middle Kingdom Period coffins.


<p><small>Photo Credit: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology</small></p>
<p><small>Photographer: [[Travis McHenry]]</small></p>
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Revision as of 02:37, 15 April 2024

Foreleg of Set Amulets.jpg

Set is a god of deserts, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners in ancient Egyptian religion. In a legend in the Pyramid Texts, as punishment for his rebellion and overthrow of Osiris, Set was transformed into a sacrificial red ox (some legends say a red goat). His foreleg (xpS) was cut off and thrown into the sky where it became Meskhetiu (Msxtyw), a group of seven stars in the northern sky (likely either Ursa Major or Ursa Minor).

The foreleg was not only a protective god, but it was also a lasting symbol of power and strength, especially of strength in the afterlife. Thousands of blue or red foreleg amulets have been found wrapped in the bandages of mummies across all periods of Egyptian history, and drawings of Msxtyw feature prominently alongside the decanal stars in the Middle Kingdom Period coffins.

Photographer: Travis McHenry

(More Images)