Ca. 600-800 AD. A rounded bottomed terracotta bowl with written incantations in Aramaic, radiating around the basin. The use of incantation bowls by Jewish communities living in the Middle East was a way to protect themselves and their families from supernatural forces and the dangers of daily life. The use of the bowls was also a way to bring spiritual protection and blessings to the households and communities in which they were buried. By burying the bowls underground, it was believed that they would bring good luck and divine protection to the area. Cf. The British Museum, Registration number 1908,1010.4.Size: L:70mm / W:165mm ; 270gProvenance: From the collection of a London gentleman; formerly acquired in Tokyo, Japan in 2003; formerly in old Japanese collection since the 1970s.