New – Page 2 – The Archaeology of Ancient Magic & Ritual Practice

Knucklebone depicting the deities Baubo, Eros, and Kronos (or Ganymedes), gabbro, late Ptolemaic to the 1st century AD, Egypt. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, O.C.428

Erotic knucklebone dice for the search for love, sex and fertility?

This rare knucklebone made of gabbro depicts figures of the deities Baubo, Eros, and Kronos (or Ganymedes) in association with Harpocrates. It is interpreted as…

The “Great Paris Papyrus” or “Grand Papyrus Magique” (PGM IV), 4th century, 30,5 x 12 cm, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, P.suppl.grec. 574. Source: gallica.bnf.fr / BnF

The beginning of the famous “Mithras Liturgy” in PGM IV

This is the beginning of the famous “Mithras Liturgy”, a unique ritual instruction for gaining temporary immortality to receive a divination: “Be merciful to me,…

Miniature Naos as Amulet, British Museum London, museum number EA11015

A miniature temple as an amulet

This is a miniature naos (temple) which was crafted as an amulet with a removeable figure of Amun-Ra. The two sides of the naos are…

Gold Amulet of the Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet

The ancient Egyptian goddess Sekhmet is depicted with a lion head and the sun disc on top of her head. She is flanked by two…

Gold foil pendant amulet of the Egyptian goddess Maat, around 600 BC, Egypt. British Museum, London, EA48998

Gold pendant amulet of the Egyptian goddess Maat

The goddess is seated on a pedestal with the ostrich feather symbol on her head. The ancient Egyptian term Maat reflects a complex concept that…

Twelve painted wooden shabtis of Henutmehyt in a box, ca. 1250 BC, Egypt (Thebes?), Largest shabty: 22.13 cm, 2 kg. British Museum, London, EA41548 © The Trustees of the British Museum

12 Ushabties of the Priestess Henutmehyt

Twelve painted wooden shabtis of Henutmehyt were placed in a box and deposited in her tomb in Thebes. The largest shabty measures 22.13 cm and…

Set of Magical Bricks from the Tomb of the Priestess Henutmehyt

The four magic bricks guarded the four directions.The shabty guarded North, the djed amulet West, a reed torch South, and a figure of Anubis East.…

Papyrus of Ani, “Book of the Dead”, Egypt, ca. 1.250 BC. EA10470,3 © The Trustees of the British Museum

Book of the Dead – Hall of Judgment

From the papyrus of Ani Centrally placed is a balance, holding in its two pans Ani’s heart on the left and a feather on the…

Ephesia Grammata

According to Pausanias, a sequence of mystic letters which was inscribed on the famous statue of Artemis of Ephesos was used in rituals for protection.…

The third leaf of the “Eighth Book of Moses”, 4th century, Egypt, 26,5 x 15 cm AMS 76 © Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden, Niederlande

A Tent with the Depictions of 365 Deities for Initiation – From PGM XIII

In the “EIghth Book of Moses” the practitioner has to create a tent with the depictions of 365 deities for the initiation. The insteruction reads:…