Various articles are under construction for this site, both as narrative pieces meant to stand alone and pieces meant to be continually built upon. Most of these works are under construction.

Stand-Alone Articles

The first stand-alone article presented here is a slightly cleaned up version of my 2001 article The Apotropaic Use of Iron.

Reviews and Commentaries

The site now also contains a section of reviews and commentaries, two of which have been finished and posted.

The first is a review of Ali G. Scotten's thesis: "Magic and Inter-Communal Relations in Sasanian Iraq: The Case of the Incantation Bowls", which bothered me enough to start a review section.

The second is a review of L. Mock's article "Oral Law, Oral Magic: Some Observations on Talmudic Magic" in Zutot 5:1, 2008.

Neither of these reviews are positive. I believe that other reviews will be more positive in the future. Unfortunately, one finds they have more to write on what they disagree with than what they agree with..

Works Under Constant Construction

Currently under construction and partially posted are the Amulet Indices, the purpose of which are to assign abbreviations to each of the published amulets containing substantial inscriptions that I am aware of, so that they may be easily referred to in other works or in conversations. It will also serve to identify as many usable sources for the study of inscribed amulets as possible. The first part of the Amulet Indices, dealing with the Aramaic Incantation Bowls, while still not complete regarding the information I have at hand, is posted. More sections of the Indices will be posted as they are expanded enough to be considered useful. Mandaic and Syriac bowls will be treated separately, as will amulets in those languages. Also included will be a section for rolled metal Aramaic amulets. Metal pendant amulets and amulets on other materials such as paper, parchment or leather will also be given separate sections. All of the amulets from each section will also be compiled into a master list which will give somewhat abbreviated listings of each item.

Also posted yet incomplete is a Bibliography of Incantation Bowls. This work is meant to accompany the incantation bowl sections of the Amulet Indices and is being built up as sources are being reviewed for the indices.