Page 279 - ירושלים: גיליון רפואי

Numerous and diverse archaeological finds from the second and third centuries CE confirm the
magical literature in Israel and among other nations, and demonstrate the use of Solomon’s
name and his image. In Babylonia, for example, hundreds of spells have been found written
on clay bowls. The spells are addressed to different demons and are meant to keep them away
from the home and those living in it. Some of the spells mention the name of King Solomon,
and especially his signet ring. Similar references have also been found on various items in Irbid,
Jordan, and el-Amarna in Egypt. To date, about sixty amulets from Israel and the surrounding
regions have been published, most of which are invocations in Aramaic and Greek engraved
on hammered metal plates. Hundreds of fragments of magical texts are also known, including
instructions for specialists in the occult concerning which form the magic should take, what
to recite, and what to write on the amulet. The spells are designed primarily to cure a person
from diseases that can be caused by spirits, pests, demons, and the evil eye, and to be loved
and favored by others. On the Jewish amulets, both those from Eretz-Israel and from Babylonia,
Bible verses are frequently quoted. The most common of these are the verses appearing in
Shema on the bed, a bedtime prayer which has its origins in the occult, including “Behold, it is
the litter of Solomon” (Song of Songs 3:7–8).

Not only was the name of Solomon used to banish demons in amulets, but also his image. He
appears as a horseman wielding a spear over a female figure lying on the ground. The figure
of the horseman is a recurrent motif on artifacts from the Roman-Byzantine period (sixth and
seventh centuries CE) revealed in many sites in the eastern Mediterranean basin, in Egypt,
Greece, and Asia Minor. Alongside this motif, Jewish magical motifs were incorporated, for
example the name of God and the names of the angels, and Byzantine amulets sometimes
added the figure of a panther or a roaring lion. The motif of the horseman was naturally
adopted in Christian depictions in the form of a saint defeating a demonic enemy, and the
image of Solomon was also interpreted by Christians as symbolizing the image of Christ.
The figure of the horseman spearing a female demon shows a combination of demonic
beliefs and folk tales, in particular reflecting a tradition about a female demon that harms
infants and pregnant women. At one point, the horseman was identified with St Georgius
of Cappadocia and with St George, the most popular saint in Christendom, who in the
Christian Orthodox tradition represents the victory of the forces of justice and faith over
the forces of evil and destruction.

Witchcraft, spells, and amulets were used not only among the common people, but also among
many of the educated classes. Man-made amulets are reflected in many folk beliefs, indicating
the worldviews of their creators and their users – pagans, Jews, Christians, or Samaritans.

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