Rare Magic Inscription on Human Skull

Biblical Archaeology Review 35:02 ^ | Mar/Apr 2009 | Dan Levene

[SunkenCiv]

Only five skulls inscribed with Jewish Aramaic magic incantation texts have come to light, none from professional excavations. Like the others before it, this skull, acquired by collector Shlomo Moussaieff, raises more questions than it answers. Its relationship to the more common genre of incantation bowls and its use in a rite of magic seem clear enough. But until more information emerges, basic questions -- how this skull was used, for whom, by whom and for what reason -- remain unanswered. [Ardon Bar Hama]
The Moussaieff incantation skull arrived in two earthenware bowls that form a container. The bowls themselves are not inscribed. It appears that the skull and bowls constituted a single ritual object, with the inscribed skull as the magical focal point. [Ardon Bar Hama]	"By Means Of A Skull." It is difficult to write on the idiosyncratic surface of a skull; reading a skull inscription can be equally difficult. Like the inscriptions on incantation bowls, the skull text is surrounded by a squiggly line. Although the inscription on the Moussaieff skull is very hard to decipher, one thing is clear: It contains names of people for whom the incantation was made. One of the names, Shilta, is derived from an Aramaic word meaning "after-birth." The skull itself was probably that of a woman. The exact manner in which this skull was used, however, remains a mystery. A contemporaneous source, the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 65b, offers a possible clue: "There are two kinds of necromancy: the one where the dead is raised by naming him, the other where he is invoked by means of a skull." [Andy Vowles]

[SunkenCiv]

Daylight come before I get off the ‘net.

[potlatch]

It’s CYRILLIC. It says something but you’ll never know what!

[devolve]

.

LOL!

Cyrillic!

[mikrofon]

[Andy Vowles]

Was he able to decipher the other letters?

[Kackikat]

OOOOOKKAAAYYY!

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

It’s CYRILLIC. It says something but you’ll never know what!

I have Sister Rosetta Stone 2.0 (obscure Cheech/Chong reference) and it translates to: Folly Calls. (say it fast). (Apparently Cy was bald.)

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[potlatch]

Folly Calls, lol plugs Biden might like that!

devolve posted a graphic with cyrillic text on it the other day and I thought he had messed up. He kept telling me it said “change” and I knew it sure didn’t look like change, lol.

There was a little lack of clear communication there, snicker.

[devolve]

C H A N G E

[potlatch]

You STINKER!! sneaky, sneaky, you made a 'change' but I won't let you off that easy as I have the proof, lol!

Cyrillic Change

[devolve]

.

LOL!

I gotcha with that one!

[potlatch]

Gotcha back too!

[devolve]

[SunkenCiv]

I consonant any more.

[SunkenCiv]

;’)

[SunkenCiv]

Maybe not, but it probably has some roots in common.

[Sensei Ern]

It says, “THis guy is a dork!” and is signed by the barber.

[potlatch]

[It says, “THis guy is a dork!”]

LOL!