Incantation Bowl History

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The object pictured above belongs to a group of artifacts known as incantation bowls, demon bowls, devil-trap bowls, or simply magic bowls. They were crafted by the first millennia Anno Domini people of Mesopotamia and are found, perhaps exclusively, in modern day Iraq. They can be dated as early as 3rd century AD and as late as 8th century. The majority date between 400AD and 700AD. Known pieces in public collections number around 2000 with several times that number likely to exist in private collections. (Saar 2) This report will expand on these statements as well as explore incantation bowls’ production, their function, and what little is known (or provided) of the particular bowl from the Kelsey museum. First, however, we’ll look at the historical setting of the location and era.
Introduction
Mesopotamia, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was and is still an extremely important region for the water it provides. For this and its ability to support agriculture, it’s known also as the Fertile Crescent. It’s also been called the Cradle of Civilization for providing the earliest existence of a civilization.
In the first century after the death of Jesus of Nazareth, the Roman Empire was reaching the height of its power. It vied for control of the area of Mesopotamia, some of the east-most territory to ever come under their control.
In the several hundred years we’re concerned with from about 200AD – 700AD, Mesopotamia experienced control by three main empires: the Romans, Persians, and finally Muslims. The Romans seized control of the area in 198AD from the Persians, more specifically the Parthian Dynasty. In 226AD, the Parthian Persian dynasty was replaced by the Sassanid. This new Persian dynasty would fight cont...

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...s nonsense! In conclusion, what is true for the Aramaic-script bowls also applies to the pseudo-script ones.
Food for Thought
The most profound revelation from the incantation bowls is their widespread use despite a variety of religions and shifts of governing power throughout the 500 years that they are dated. Communication and dealing with the spirit realm wasn’t so much an aspect of a religion as it was a fact of life. As previously stated, the final disappearance of the incantation bowls seems to roughly coincide with the onset of the Muslim conquest around 630AD.
If we looked at the incantation bowl not as an aspect of religion (as it transcended them) but as a superstition, it may seem to the modern science goer a ridiculous one. However, when measured against today’s still prevalent black cats, ladders, and water dowsing we can hardly begin to pass judgment.

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