T. Emelyanenko

Russian Museum of Ethnography, St. Petersburg, Russia

E-mail: rem.tatyana@mail.ru

A. Ostrovskii

Russian Museum of Ethnography, St. Petersburg, Russia

E-mail: ost-alex@yandex.ru

AMULETS OF BUKHARAN JEWS FOR WOMEN IN CHILDBIRTH AND THEIR NEWBORNS IN THE COLLECTION OF RUSSIAN MUSEUM OF ETHNOGRAPHY

Abstract. The article discusses amulets stored in Russian Museum of Ethnography, which were purchased in 1926 from the Bukharan Jews of Samarkand. The amulets date back to 1860, they were made in Palestine. All of these amulets have the function of protection of the mother and baby from Lilith. The article gives characteristics of apotropaic methods of construction of such amulets, and also describes and deciphers their notarikons (acronyms of Bible verses or fragments thereof), especially the names of God encoded by them.

Keywords: Bukharan Jews, Judaica, amulets for a woman in childbirth, notarikon, apotropaic techniques, Russian Museum of Ethnography

References

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Received by the Editorial Board: 17.10.2017