External Factors That Affect the Fetus
Aramaic
A woman who has intercourse in a [public] mill will have epileptic children.
[A woman] who has intercourse on the ground will have children with dislocated legs.
[A woman] who treads on donkey’s blood will have children with scrapings [a skin disease].
[A woman] who eats mustard [seed] will have gluttonous children.
[A woman] who eats cress will have bleary-eyed children.
[A woman] who eats [fish] brine will have children with sparkling eyes.
[A woman] who eats clay will have ugly children.
[A woman] who drinks shikra1 will have dark-skinned children.
[A woman] who eats meat and drinks wine will have healthy children.
[A woman] who eats eggs will have children with big eyes.
[A woman] who eats fish will have graceful children.
[A woman] who eats parsley will have bright2 children.
[A woman] who eats coriander will have fleshy children.
[A woman] who eats citrons [etrog] will have fragrant children.
Notes
[Shikra is a grain-based, fermented, intoxicating beverage, the effects of which may be mild or strong.—Trans.]
[Possibly, “beautiful.”—Ed.]
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
