A SHORT VERSION OF THE

‘SWORD OF MOSES’

Translated by J. P. Feliciano
_________________________________________________________________

Introduction

resented here is the first English translation of a short version of the Sword of
P Moses, a famous Jewish magical handbook from the Geonic period. The two larger
recensions of this work have been published by Moses Gaster (the prodigious MS
Hebr. Gaster, 178, and the smaller MS. Oxford, 1531, 6)1. Another translation of the larger
one, based on another manuscript, was made by Yuval Harari in 20122.

The present work is found in MS. N8128, published in P. Schäfer’s Synopse zur Hekhalot
Literatur, 640 - 6503. It is written in Aramaic, and unfortunately the text is very corrupted in
places, an unfortunate consequence of frequent hand copying over centuries.

Like the other versions of the book, the central part of the present work is centered on a
string of names of power, referred to as the ‘Sword’, which can then be used for various
purposes. Our work seems primarily dependent on MS. Heb. Gaster 178, judging by the
many names which are found in both works, but is minute in size compared to it, and lacks
the complex preliminary rituals, prayers, and invocations that characterize the largest
manuscript. The names themselves, like the ones in the other versions of the Sword, range
from Hebrew divine and angelic names, to barbarous formulas of unknown origin, all the
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way to Greco-Egyptian names like Abrasax .

The ‘Sword’ itself is also much smaller, and only six practical uses are given to it in our
work, compared to the 136 spells which divide the names in MS. H.G. 178, or the 16 uses of
the Sword in Oxford 1531. In the present manuscript the Sword is used for the following: to
be saved from a negative condition, to win the grace of others, to accomplish anything
useful, to attract a woman, and possibly to heal someone from fever. Another use (648) is
too corrupted to decipher properly.

1 Moses Gaster, The Sword of Moses (D. Nutt, 1896)

2 Y. Harari, The Sword of Moses (Harba de-Moshe): A New Translation and Introduction, in Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft
Volume 7, Number 1 (Penn, 2012)
3 Peter Schäfer, Synopse Zur Hekhalot Literatur (Mohr Siebeck 1981)
4 Early Jewish magic drew heavily on its Greco-Roman and Egyptian counterparts

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The names have been transliterated as follows:

) A l L
b B m M
g G n N
d D s S
h H ( ‘
w W p P
z Z c S
x H q Q
+ T r R
y Y # Š
k K t T

The Sword of Moses: Translation

§ This is the Sword of Moses. DWSMY QRWAY ADBNGLY QTYSMA BLY AYLYMWPY
SPRGYM GWM AZLA SWSY AYSPD GWSTWM GYS GQYTLSA ANTRWPY PLSTA
TYAW AYMRTA MWNRDA AY HYMWN NPAL HRYTNA HKYNBWA NYPTA
QAMWM ADRY STA QWRYAY ANDRA TWBR BAWSRWR QWRYAY SYMRTA
YAWAL WHA PYRY RAW ABRSKS (Abrasax) LWQY NBSY WAY WAY AW AW AW
KMAH QNTAY QNTYAW QNTYAY PYRY YAW YAW AW AW MYM MSYLH YAW
HWH WPYW SYKWL SSBAL SRMNQTW AW AW AY AY PSW MQWSA AMSDRHA
SMNDRA APY SDRRH DYQA QWŠTA QWSTYSQ HYMYHY WHY AW YAW YAW
HYAW

§ LMY SBAWT, ABRSSM (? Abrasax) SBAWT, WTWSYTW SBAWT, ADYR SBAWT,
ANY AL SBAWT, YAH SBAWT, RSH SBAWT, AL ŠDY SBAWT, AYLY SBAWT, HWAL
SBAWT, RWM SBAWT, BAŠ AYTW SBAWT, ADWN SBAWT, ADWNYNW (‘Our Lord’)
YH WHA SBAWT, HWA HWA SBAWT, AGY (ANY) HWA SBAWT MYKAL SBAWT,
GBRYAL SBAWT, SMAYH QAWST YATRH KSSAL

§. YH YHY KYS KYA DRMYNA MN HKRWB (‘from the Kerub’) BLATWN ASWH QWRA
DWHPS DR WHY ADR ADWNY YH YH AL ADWNY YH YH YH ABTSY PBY (? PKY)
NR WAPA ALYPBW (? ALYPKW) QRBT AYPYR APY ARBT PAW PAYTYT HWSYT
MYRPL MWRPYLA MYBNAS5 PWRYM PY ASYB LAW PYSPN PDH AW MYPYRA PY

5In MS Gaster , spell 48 this name and ones after it are used in a section of the Sword to prevent rain from falling:
MYBNAS PRWSPYH PYBALW PHDKW PYDA PYPY YWAY AY AZARZA AZDA
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PY YAW YH AW AW AZRA GM AYSA YGMNW QRYPW ADPA KY KBWDK (‘Because thy
glory’) PNY SMR PNA PY PYRY PY KWPYK PY KY YAH WHA AHW ATWS ARWS AGWS
AHWT KWSMY NYTNBY WSPY KATWR SYSY

§ . BGN BR PYNGYS, ATWMY BR BATWMY, APWNYY BR APWNY, ABWMY BR

ALLMY PWKR BR PKSKY HLMWY BR ARPDY ADRWSY BR ASMSYYA AWTMY BR
AWŠMYH6

§ . AHS AHSMYGR APRGW YWALYH AWPR ASY YH YH HY HY BAWTWTY AH

AY AY YAW WA AW AHY LAMR LAMYRWN ARTGYRA GYRHYN GDWAL WBRYK
TAW YHY PRY ATRW AW PPWPWN GRWMY NYPY NYAWN RBTA AW AW YAN
(YAW) NWGWP QRYGWP PNGNWN SYGB PNY ASAL YŠRAL ARNAL WYTYAL
ALTAL MLTYAL SWSAL YALAL YAL ANYAL ASDYAL ABNYAL LWQYAL ABRRA BR
LAL SBA BAY APNYAL QWSMN SYSYWN PLQYWN NGDYAL NWRYAL WHM
WHTWAL LAMYN LADKWN GY YHGW WADWT GRYAL BDY BDY AH KTYB
TYWAY ŠHDK QYGDWY MYNY APPYSWK BYT YH YAW YAW HQSS MGNW PRY
NGANY MYKAL GBRYAL AWRYAL AŠDYAL ALTYAL LYWQAL AZLA KRLA GBAN
YAW ATKAL WŠ‘Š‘ WATH AK B‘T APKY SYSYWNY SSYWN PLQYWN GDYAL
WHRYAL LHTYAL.

§  Ye are the masters of holiness, heads of the kings of the creatures of the universe, QWWTRA
ALY MWPY. Seal of Earth and Sea, in whose hands humankind is found, Minister of the God of
armies over your armies. I am sealed in the universe. QLAH AMR MQDŠA (‘sanctuary’) DRBYN.
Ye lord over me everywhere...Holy Lord, in all letters and wonders, performing powerful and
efficacious works7. QLYTYMRA AYLY MBYA. The seals of the living God, which are sealed on
your (plur.) hand, sealed in the universe QLYTRA MLQWS SB QYLYS. I beseech ye, to
accomplish this for me. Amen. Amen. Selah.

§  If you want to be saved from APNQY8 speak the Sword once before the sun, beseeching its
aid, and it will be with you. Keep your eyes on your body, without raising them so that (the sun) may
not burn them. Then say thus: ‘Reveal to me what I wish to know’.

If you want to be rewarded with grace (or charity), write (the Sword) on papyrus, and on deer
parchment with the blood of a snake (draqôna’, a Greek loanword), then take the papyrus and speak
the Sword before the sun, and you shall be rewarded by men.

§  If you want to accomplish anything that is useful to you, write the sword on a palm leaf
and conceal it from the sunlight (?). Lay the leaf down and flatten it. Then command the sun that it
may not move, and speak the Sword before it, and it shall perform what you desire.

§  If you desire to take ... until the time the sun rises, speak it once, and the name of the ZMGN
(?), and what you desire will be done for you.

6 For a parallel to these names in MS Gaster , see Gaster, Sword of Moses, IX, spells 
7 Translation is very tentative
8 Unknown term, possibly meaning misfortune, misery, ruin, or other negative condition

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§  If you desire (to attract) a woman, write it on a piece of flax, and from it fashion a wick, which
you will place in a lamp. Then light it. If you are unable to write the entire (Sword) on it, then write a
small segment of it. Light the lamp by the gate of your house, and speak the Sword and the name of
the RMGN (?).

§ And...if TRTWS9 befalls a man, speak the sword into his left ear, and....10

9 Possibly a corruption of trtyh, tartan fever

10 A very corrupted passage follows, ending in the word ‘bridegroom’
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