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'Nail down the tongue': The 1,700-year-old lead tablet inscribed with a curse written by a magician and discovered in Jerusalem
The 'magical tablet' was found in a huge Roman villa in Jerusalem that was probably destroyed by an earthquake in 363 AD Th curse, against a man called Iennys, is written in Greek and is intended to settle a legal dispute for a woman called Kyrilla, some 1,700 years ago An archaeologist from the University of Cologne believes a professional magician probably crafted the tablet
By Sarah Griffiths PUBLISHED: 18:08 GMT, 24 October 2013 | UPDATED: 10:02 GMT, 25 October 2013

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A 1,700-year-old lead tablet with a violent curse inscribed upon it has been discovered by archaeologists in Jerusalem. Found in a wrecked Roman villa, the 'magical tablet' is thought to have been created by a magician. The curse, written in Greek, which calls for help from six gods to punish a man called Iennys, is believed to play a role in a bitter legal dispute and was ordered by a woman named Kyrilla.

A 1,700-year-old lead 'magical tablet' (pictured) with a violent curse inscribed upon it, thought to the work of a magician, has been discovered by archaeologists in Jerusalem in a wrecked Roman villa

A translation of the ancient script reads: 'I strike and strike down and nail down the tongue, the eyes, the wrath, the ire, the anger, the procrastination, the opposition of Iennys.'

She asks the gods to make sure that Iennys is 'in no way oppose, so that he say or perform nothing adverse to Kyrilla...but rather that Iennys, whom the womb bore, be subject to her'. Robert Walter Daniel, of the Institut fr Altertumskunde at the University of Cologne said in a study, published in the journal Zeitschrift fr Papyrologie und Epigraphi, that a professional magician probably created the curse for Kyrilla, as the small script on the tablet is rapid and fluent, suggesting practice at inscribing leaden tablets.

A translation reads: 'I strike and strike down and nail down the tongue, the eyes, the wrath, the ire, the anger, the procrastination, the opposition of Iennys'

'While the words might be purely metaphorical, it seems more likely that Kyrilla actually used a hammer and nail(s) while carrying out a magical rite designed to enhance the efficacy of the curse,' the study said. Professor Daniel wrote: 'If she hammered and nailed several objects, they might have symbolised the seven items in the list of Iennys body parts and behaviours. 'If it was just a single object, then it probably symbolised the first item in that list - Iennys tongue - or more generally the person of Iennys. Whatever this object was, it was probably not the leaden sheet itself.' To judge from the tablet's physical condition, it was neither pounded with a hammer nor pierced with nails, but merely has the type of damage that occurs to leaden tablets while laying in the ground or during opening. Horizontal creases show that the tablet was folded from the bottom to the top between eight and ten times. The archaeologists believe both Iennys and Kyrilla were probably members of the Roman middle or upper class at war with each other over a legal matter, as the curse bears some resemblance to other tablets discovered in Cyprus that were also used in legal cases. The tablet was recovered from a ruined Roman mansion and suggests that the occupants of the building were wealthy, as several gems were found at the site alongside other decorative objects including the marble bust of a boxer.

The discovery of the mansion and its contents provides firsthand archaeological evidence of the southward expansion of the Roman occupation over the southern part of Jerusalem in the late third century AD, Professor Daniel wrote. The ancient Tower of David at the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem, is pictured

TRANSLATION OF THE CURSE:

Come to me, you who are in the earth, chthonic daemon, you who rule and bind, Abrasax; come, Hecate, three-form queen, Ereschigal; come to me, king Pluto, by your great name Yesemmigadon; come to me, chthonic Earth and chthonic Hermes and Pluto and queen Persephone. I strike and strike down and nail down the tongue, the eyes, the wrath, the ire, the anger, the procrastination, the opposition of Iennys, whom the womb bore, so that he in no way oppose, so that he say or perform nothing adverse to Kyrilla, whom the womb bore, but rather that Iennys, whom the womb bore, be subject to her. Lady Phersephoneia, fulfi ll this perfect spell. (magical signs and letters) The tablet was found in the northwest part of the building, which is believed to be around 2,000 square metres, along with pieces of mosaic and fragments of frescoes as well as a decorated box full of carved bone pieces.

The curse calls upon six gods (including Hermes - a statue is pictured) to help settle Kyrilla's legal score with Iennys

Archaeologists told LiveScience that a female figurine - possibly that of a goddess - was also recovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority and could have been used in a private cult of people living in the huge mansion. While they are unsure of the purpose of the room, on the first floor of the house, Professor Daniel said it could have been a place where Iennys lived or worked, so the curse was close to him, or the room was near to a courtroom. The house was a large peristyle building of the Late Roman period has been unearthed on the northern part of the hill in Jerusalem known as the City of David during excavations that started in 2007 and are still continuing. Archaeological evidence suggests that the structure came to a violent end, as the latest coins found under the collapse of different rooms are from the year 363 AD, suggesting that the building was ruined as a consequence of the earthquake that occurred in Palestine on May 18 of the same year. 'No single coin retrieved from secure loci inside the building is dated later than 363 AD,' the study said. The discovery of the mansion and its contents provides firsthand archaeological evidence of the southward expansion of the Roman occupation over the southern part of Jerusalem in the late third century, Professor Daniel wrote.

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Comments (10)
Share what you think Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all Report comment Clemmo, Doncaster, United Kingdom, 2 days ago I've seen a similar thing on a toilet wall.The wages of sin are the death and the curse.The wages here are worse.The Job Centre i think it was. 1 9 Click to rate

Report comment tadpole503, Canterbury, United Kingdom, 2 days ago but this curse may come in handy 1 3 Click to rate Report comment Big Nugget, London, United Kingdom, 2 days ago Jesus would not have said this. Terrible making up stories like this. BE=BEWARE 33 9 Click to rate

Report comment tadpole503, Canterbury, United Kingdom, 2 days ago Big Nugget - I am not going to mark you down today or in the future and I suggest that everyone else just ignores your comments as I have doubts as to the condition of your mental health 1 20 Click to rate Report comment TheDon, Cambs, United Kingdom, 1 day ago He's trolling.

1 7 Click to rate Report comment mypleasure, Brno - EU, 2 days ago Women. 7 16 Click to rate Report comment Steve F, Chelmsford, United Kingdom, 2 days ago Probably cheaper than hiring a lawyer 1 36 Click to rate

Report comment Ginistera, Eldorado, United Kingdom, 3 days ago Catchy, it ain't....... 5 10 Click to rate Report comment T-Totz, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 3 days ago Sarah Griffiths, do you proofread your articles? 3 22 Click to rate Report comment Jesuis, Reading, 3 days ago What is the point being made. 363 AD !! 18 5 Click to rate The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

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