Kyprianos Update (22 December 2021)

Kyprianos Update (22 December 2021)

An illustration of a bird-like being from P. Heid. Inv. Kopt. 685 p. 10, intended to be used as an amulet against demons, disease, and hostile magic.

We’ve just posted our latest update to the Kyprianos Database of Ancient Ritual Texts and Objects.

The update includes:

• 24 new manuscript entries, bringing the total to 1012.
  • These contain Greek and/or Coptic magical and liturgical texts from Egypt and other parts of the Roman Empire, as well as Aramaic incantation bowls from the Prosopographic Database of Magical Bowls produced by Ortal-Paz Saar.
• 2 new text entries, bringing the total to 169. The two texts we chose for this update are
  • P. Heid. Inv. Kopt. 685 p. 10 ll. 1-18, the instructions for creating an amulet empowered by Nassklnē, a being who protected King Solomon.
  • P. Palau Rib. Inv. 412R, an amulet for protecting animals, containing the incipits (first lines) of the four canonical gospels, Psalm LXX 90, and the Letter of Jesus to Abgar.
• 1 new archive entry, bringing the total to 18, consisting of 7 Aramaic incantation bowls intended to protect a man named Mahperoz son of Hindu, and his wife, Panoi.