Amulet for Woman in Childbirth (Germany)
This early printed amulet from Germany, meant as protection for a woman in childbirth, is adorned with woodcuts illustrating the Hebrew months of the year. The main panel, framed by images of the zodiac, features an inscription banishing the demon Lilith, who, according to folklore, was Adam’s first wife.
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Credits
Courtesy GFC Trust / William L. Gross. Photo by Ardon bar Hama.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.
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The art of chiromancy (palmistry), which divines a person’s nature and often his or her future by examining the palm and fingers (and sometimes forehead), dates back to the ancient Near East and…
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