An Aggressive Magical Figurine from Caesarea

A small lead figurine from an Early Roman-period burial complex in Caesarea displays telltale signs of its use as an aggressive magical figurine. It presents a naked woman whose legs are broken above the knees and whose arms are twisted behind her back. Many similar figurines have been found throughout the Greco-Roman world, and their use is amply documented in Greek magical recipe books and Greek and Latin literary texts that describe or condemn magical practices. In the Jewish world, the use of such figurines seems to have been much less common. In addition to publishing the Caesarea figurine and placing it in its historical context, we offer an English translation of and brief comments on the only two Late-Antique Jewish magical recipes with instructions for producing such figurines that are currently known.