Lexical Peculiarities of the Syriac Magic Bowls

As is well known, the language of the Syriac magic bowls shows many phonological and grammatical features which distinguish it from Classical Syriac. This paper deals with the elements of the lexicon of these bowls which are not presently attested in Classical Syriac. Many of the terms are shared with the Jewish Babylonian Aramaic and/or Mandaic magic bowls, while a few are unique to the Syriac tradition. They include both native Aramaic lexemes and loan-words from Akkadian and Persian.

Website James Nathan Ford