A Jewish Aramaic Circus Curse Tablet from Antioch

In this contribution we publish a lead circus curse tablet written in Jewish Palestinian Aramaic (Princeton Art Museum excavation no. 3608-I57). The tablet was found in 1935 during excavations near the first turning-post at the hippodrome of Antioch on the Orontes (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). The u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aramaic studies
Authors: Folmer, Margaretha (Author) ; Elitzur-Leiman, Rivka (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2023
In: Aramaic studies
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Circus / Aramaic language / Antiochien / Greek language / Latin / Curse / History / Geschichte 5.-6.Jh. / Chariot
IxTheo Classification:BH Judaism
Further subjects:B Jewish Palestinian Aramaic
B chariot races
B curse tablet
B Incantation
B Antioch
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Description
Summary:In this contribution we publish a lead circus curse tablet written in Jewish Palestinian Aramaic (Princeton Art Museum excavation no. 3608-I57). The tablet was found in 1935 during excavations near the first turning-post at the hippodrome of Antioch on the Orontes (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). The use of Greek and Latin defixiones agonisticae (agonistic binding spells) in chariot races was a wide-spread phenomenon during the Roman Byzantine Period. Curse tablets were inscribed with aggressive incantations that aimed at the defeat of rivals in the chariot races. The tablet under discussion is a unique piece: It is the only known lead circus curse tablet that was written in a Jewish language and script. The tablet is datable to the fifth or sixth century CE.
ISSN:1745-5227
Contains:Enthalten in: Aramaic studies
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/17455227-bja10041