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The aim of this workshop is to offer a broad survey of the history of Jewish amulets and a hands-on experience of studying specific amulets from different periods.
The course will be arranged chronologically, from late antiquity to the twentieth century. In each session, we shall offer a brief introduction to the types of Jewish amulets known from this period, and then focus on one or two specific amulets. We shall examine every aspect of these amulets, including their physical features (writing materials, layout, mode of production, etc.), the texts they contain (languages involved, the use Jewish or non-Jewish sources, the history of textual traditions, etc.), their social contexts (the identities of the producers and of their clients, the social location of amulet-production, etc.), and their potential contribution to the study of Jewish magic and of Jewish history as a whole. In each session, we shall make use of high quality digital images, as well as transcriptions and translations of specific amulets. Before each session, the students will read the amulets in question, and some background reading materials.
