Jewish Amulets Amulet samples include gems, such as engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pe ndants, rings, plants

and animals; even words in the form of a magical spell or incantation to repel evil or bad luck. Many Jews follow traditions and customs t hat have deep historical roots, such as using amulets to ward off danger or to b ring good luck. Also examples of amulets are symbolic objects or lockets holding sacred writings. People wear or carry amulets to protect them against spiritual dangers. They can carry the amulets or wear them around different parts of thei r bodies, including their wrists and necks. The Jewish tallis, the prayer shawl with fringed corners and knotted tassels at each corner, is perhaps one of the w orld's oldest and most used talismanic objects. It was believed by some that it was intended to distinguish the Jews from pagans and to remind them of God and H eaven. An incorrect conjugation of the plural formtallisim, is very close to the term talisman; however, the word talisman has come to us through Arabic, althou gh ultimately derives from the Greek. Jews who follow Jewish law or Jewish custo ms place a mezuzzah, a small case with a scroll inside, on the doorpost of every doorway in their home, as well as on the main doorpost of the house. The scroll contains two Biblical passages from Deuteronomy. The Biblical commandment from God to the Jewish people to place the mezuzzah on the home's doorposts comes fro m the verse And you shall inscribe these words upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. Many Jewish people view the mezuzzah as a protection of the house and the people who live inside. According to some sources, Jewish homeown ers must check their mezuzzah scroll twice every seven years to ensure that the scroll remains "kosher" (that the writing hasn't cracked or become warped by the elements) and thereby continues to protect the home. Jews from Sephardic (North African and the Mediterranean) countries often wear or hang a Hamsa, a stylized hand, as a protective amulet. Sephardic Jews call the Hamsa the "hand of Miriam " referring to the protection that Moses and Aaron's sister grants. Jews and Ara bs both used the Hamsa as a symbol of protection against evil. Jewish Hamsa some times incorporates other Jewish symbols, including the Star of David, Hebrew pra yers or Hebrew words. The concept of the evil eye spans the Jewish world among b oth Ashkanazi (Eastern European) and Sephardic (Mediterranean and North African) Jews. Many Jews follow the belief that the evil eye waits for any opportunity t o create death or disaster. They believe that you must guard against this danger by the actions, sayings or amulets that distract or dissuade the evil eye from the approach. Some people follow the custom of wearing a red thread around their neck or wrist or attaching a red thread to a child's clothing to keep the evil eye away. The source, some scholars surmise, comes from the importance of the co lor in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. For more information, please visit: http: //moriahgalleries.com.