Amulets are Jewish ornaments that were traditionally worn for good luck. Although there is no proof that amulets were used in Biblical times, they are referred to in the Talmud as kame'a. Inscriptions on amulets first came from sources such as the scriptures. Later, they were related to the amulet's specific purpose, and some bore the word God or the names of angels. The designs on amulets were not purely for decorative purposes; they were intended to fend off sickness, catastrophe, and the dreaded evil eye. These illuminations were often images of magic triangles, squares or hexagons, pentacles, menorahs, Satan, humans, animals, or angels. These illuminations were also sometimes letters called kabbalistic writing, a type of ancient lettering that as yet has not been fully decoded.

Pictures of Amulets

The use of amulets diminished after the emancipation of the Jews (18th and 19th centuries) and ended after World War II, though they are still commonly used in Asian communities. Some sources suggest that the wearing of amulets was a forerunner to the modern ritual of wearing jewelry for decoration.

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