Syriac Spells for a Mill and Their Historical Context

Abstract This article considers a text-unit known in five Syriac codices and consisting of up to three magical recipes. The target all these recipes is mill: two them are curses ( ˀassārā ‘binding spell’) intend stop the mill, while third one counter-spell šeryānā ‘loosening spell’), which aims annul curse. One binding spells includes rare example an Arabic incantation written Garshuni . main purpose this make texts available via critical editions. In addition, light shed on broader context practices, by drawing attention for oven their Jewish parallels, presenting parallels related Judaeo-Arabic text from Cairo Genizah spell Byzantine manuscript. We offer reconsideration interpretation text, as our reading differs that Editio Priceps