Paraliterary text: Yevr.-Arab. II 1727

Description

Magical fragment. In Judaeo-Arabic and Arabic script. Dating: Unknown. It says Wednesday, 16 Adar 5005 AM, which is 1245 CE, but the scribe might have given up before writing "hundred," which would place this in the 18th or 19th century. The handwriting and the jottings of eastern Arabic numerals are more consistent with the later date. Gives a spell for annulling other spells, warding off umm al-ṣibyān (infant colic or epilepsy), and exorcising the spirits of the jinn from one who is afflicted (muṣāb). It should be concealed from ignoramuses. The formula is copied out, following a basmala, in both unconnected Arabic script and in Judaeo-Arabic. The Judaeo-Arabic portion concludes with Q10:81, "Moses said, 'What you have brought is [only] magic. Indeed, Allah will expose its worthlessness. Indeed, Allah does not amend the work of corrupters.'"