Magical Skulls and Teraphim

Magical Skulls and Teraphim

Before even presenting any of the source material regarding the magical use of human heads and skulls, we must note that this not "practical kabbalah" (i.e. Jewish magic), but rather a prohibited ritual of sorcery utilizing impure spiritual energies.
Notwithstanding this disclaimer, the knowledge of skull magic was documented in the Jewish traditions and makes a fascinating study nonetheless. So let's begin:

One of the earliest records of skull magic is found in several Midrashim (Biblical exegesis/commentaries from the rabbis from the Talmud era) on the verse Genesis 31:19 where we read of Laban's complaint of his stolen Teraphim, unbeknownst to both Laban and Jacob that Rachel stole them.

I quote from Pirke DeRabbi Eliezer chapter 31. For this text, I consulted the editio priceps of Constantinople, 1514.

ומה הם התרפים, שוחטין אדם בכור ומולקין את ראשו ומולחין אותו במלח ובשמן טוב וכותבין על ציץ זהב שם רוח טומאה ומניחין אותו תחת לשונו ומדליקין נרות לפניו ומשתחוין לו והוא מדבר עמהן. ומניין שהתרפים מדברים, שנ' (זכריה י, ב) כִּי הַתְּרָפִים דִּבְּרוּ אָוֶן, לפיכך גנבתם רחל שלא יגידו ללבן שברח יעקב. ולא עוד, אלא להכרית ע"ז מבית אביה

"What are Teraphim? They slaughter a firstborn man, decapitate his head. Then they apply salt and good oil [to the head]. The name of an impure spirit is inscribed on a gold plate which is placed under the tongue. Candles are lit before it and as one prostrates before it, it speaks. And from where do we know that the Teraphim speak? For it is written: "For the Teraphim have spoken vanity" (Zechariah 10:2). Therefore, Rachel stole them, so that they should not tell Laban that Jacob fled. Not only that, but also to remove the idols from her father's house." 

A slightly variant reading is found in an English translation of this work from a "manuscript belonging to Abraham Epstein of Vienna" by Gerald Friedlander (London, 1916). Unfortunately only the English translation is provided without the Hebrew. Here is Friedlander's translation according to this manuscript:

"What are the Teraphim? They slay a man, a firstborn, and he is red (in colour). All that a man requires (to know) is not written here. This is impossible, since the men who dispute about the knowledge of making (the Teraphim) have increased. Everyone who follows that knowledge will ultimately go down to Gehinnom. And they pinch off his head, and salt it with salt, and they write upon a golden plate the name of an unclean (spirit), and place it under his tongue, and they put it in the wall, and they kindle lamps before it, and bow down to it, and it speaks unto them. Whence do we know that the Teraphim speak? Because it is said, "For the Teraphim have spoken vanity" (Zech. 10:2). On that account had Rachel stolen them, so that they should not tell Laban that Jacob had fled, and not only that, but also to remove idolatrous worship from her father's house."

(The original book can be viewed here: https://archive.org/details/pirkderabbieli00frieuoft/page/272)

One interesting addition from that version is that the firstborn is "red". I have only found one other source mentioning the individual must be red in Sefer HaZioni by Rabbi Menahem HaZioni, a kabbalist of medieval Speyers, Germany. I assume the intent is to either a red, ruddy complexion or perhaps to red hair.

I'll present one more text with that adds a few more details. Here is the text and translation of Sefer HaYashar, a medieval complitation of midrash:

וזה מעשה התרפים. אשר יקחו איש אשר יהיה בכור וישחטו אותו וימרטו את רֹאשו ולקחו את המלח והמליחו את הראש ומשחו אותו בשמן. ולקחו לוח נחֹשת קטנה או לוח זהב וכתבו עליה את השם ונתנו את הלוח ההיא תחת לשונו. ולקחו את הראש ההוא ואת הלוח אשר תחת הלשון ושמו בבית והדליקו לו נרות והשתחוו לו והיה בעת אשר ישתחוו לו ידבר אליהם בכל דבר אשר ישאלו מאיתו בכח השם אשר כתוב בה. ויש אשר יעשו אותם כצורת אדם מזהב ומכסף בשעות ידועות אליהם. וקבל התֹאר ההוא את כח הכוכבים ודבר אליהם עתידות וכמעשה הזה היו התרפים אשר גנבה רחל מאביה

"This is the Teraphim ritual: They would slaughter a firstborn man and pinch off his head which would then be salted and rubbed with oil. A small copper or gold plate would have a [magical] name written on it which would be placed under the tongue. Then they would place the head in a house, light candles before it and prostrate before it. While prostrating, the head would speak to them regarding anything they would inquire of it from the power of the name written in it. Others would make them [i.e. the Teraphim] in the shape of a man from either gold or silver at certain times known to them. This figurine would transmit the stars energy through them and relate future events. And it was in this manner that the Teraphim were made that Rachel stole from her father."

This is the only source I found where a copper plate is allowed as a substitute for gold. Even more interesting the alternative method of making Teraphim. This type of Teraphim was a gold or silver human figurine or statuette forged at astrologically significant times which would then channel celestial energies to "power them up" so to speak. Without wanting to veer too far from the main topic of heads and skulls, I have found this alternate type mentioned in two biblical commentaries which I will discuss before we continue. Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra, the great Spanish biblical commentator, grammarian, astronomer and astrologer, mentions this type of Teraphim:

י''א שהוא כלי נחשת העשוי לדעת חלקי השעות ואחרים אמרו כי יש כח בחכמי המזלות לעשות צורה בשעות ידועות תדבר הצורה והעד שלהם כי התרפים דברו און. ופי' הפסוק איננו כן. והקרוב אלי שהתרפי' הם על צורת בני אדם והיא עשויה לקבל כח עליונים 

"Teraphim. Some say this is a copper instrument used to tell time. Other say it has abilities based on astrology in which they would make a figure at known times in which the figure would then speak. Their proof [for this explanation of what Teraphim are] is from the verse  "For the Teraphim have spoken vanity" (Zechariah 10:2). This is not the correct interpretation of the verse, rather it seems to me they were made in the shape of man in order to receive supernal energies."

Ibn Ezra is quoted in a later commentary from Rabbi David Kimchi (France, 1160–1236) on this verse (as well as on Samuel I (19:13) with a few more details: 

והתרפים הם כלי הנחשת שרואין בו שעות היום ויראו בו את העתידות ופעמים רבות יכזב, וכן אמר כי התרפים דברו און (זכריה י') ונקראו בלשון רבים לפי שהוא עשוי לוחות לוחות. והחכם ראב"ע כתב כי התרפים עשוים על צורת בן אדם והיא עשויה לקבל כח עליונים

"Teraphim. they are instruments made of copper used to tell time. It was also to consult them to divine future events, although the information forthcoming often proved false. Zechariah 10:2 already remarks on the unreliability of Teraphim in this regard. The reason the word is in the plural mode, seeing that we speak about a single object, is because it consisted of multiple layers of tablets. According to Ibn Ezra each tablet had the face of a human being and was presumed to get inspiration from celestial regions."

Getting back to the main topic, let's discuss skulls. Although human bones can transmit "Tumah" impurity, the skull (as well as the spine) are singled out in the Talmud for having the ability to transmit ritual impurity regardless of size whereas other bones must add up to a certain minimum size to impart Tumah (see Oholot chap. 2:1). This applies even if the spine or the skull is assembled from two different corpses  (Oholot chap. 2:6).

The Talmud (Sanhedrin 65b as well as Sifrei Deuteronomy, paragraph 172) in detailing forbidden rites of sorcery relates that there is one form of necromancy which uses a skull. Using the skull has two advantages over other forms of necromancy in that dead rise in its usual manner (i.e. head first as opposed to upside down) and it will work even on the Sabbath (Saturday). The Talmud states:

ת"ר בעל אוב אחד המעלה בזכורו ואחד הנשאל בגולגולת מה בין זה לזה מעלה בזכורו אינו עולה כדרכו ואינו עולה בשבת נשאל בגולגולת עולה כדרכו ועולה בשבת

"The rabbis taught: The necromancer is both one who raises the dead with his "zechur" [some sort of materia magica instrument], and one who inquires from a skull. What is the difference between the two? When one raises the dead with his zechur, the dead does not rise in its [usual] manner, [but appears upside-down], and it does not rise on the Sabbath. Inquiring  from a skull, it rises in its [usual] manner, and rises on Sabbath."

Based on the above Talmud, Maimonides, an influential medieval Spanish Rabbi, rules in his book of Halacha (Jewish ritual law) that this skull magic is prohibited and describes the practice with further details as thus: 

 “One who holds a skull of a deceased person, and burns incense to it, and divines by it, so that it becomes evident that a low voice makes reply [from the skull]” (Mishna Torah, Laws of Idol Worship Chapter 6).

As of this writing, a total of five magical skulls  have been identified by Dan Levene in his article detailing these skulls entitled “Calvariae Magicae”.  These skulls are all written in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic (the same Aramaic dialect as the Talmud) and in the square Hebrew script. Some had been documented almost a hundred years ago, but this is the most comprehensive list. Unfortunately, many are cracked, very heavily damaged and only random words remain, such as “block and bind”,“name”, “liliths” and “spirits”, for example.

Luckily, “Skull 2” (VA 2458, Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin) with 16 lines preserved, contains the longest text. (Still, there are some gaps represented by an ellipsis) The following is Levene’s translation of this skull:

"Oh Kefufan ... Kefufan! The swiftest of swift. Oh the flightiest of the flight ... and causing to flow ... The Swift Prince I adjure you and put (you) under oath in the name of your father and your mother ... ... Nuriel the angel and Gabriel, go and return in the name of Bartytba the son of Libat the great grandson of Lilith ... by his rebelliousness. Nuriel the angel and Hashtiel the angel ... (.....)iel the angel and Shibiel the angel, [and] (....)iel [the angel]. For he bathes and does not swell, for he  ... and is not ..., for he eats and is not filled, for he drinks and is not intoxicated, for he is injured and not released. You seven angels, [go and return] [in the na]me of Bartytba son of the sister of Libat the great grandson of Lilith ... ... by his rebelliousness, and cast him, overturned to the earth."

I don't recall having come across Kefufan כפופן before, but Levene writes that he's seen this spirit (or demon) a few times in some magic bowls.   The root  of this name is כופ which means to bend, compel or force. However, the name Bartytba I recognize from the Talmud (Shabbat fol. 67a) which records an incantation against Bar Tyt. Really the name is two words - Bar Tytba but in written together on the skull. It literally means "son of clay". In a long list of different magical rites and incantations the Talmud states:

לשידא לימא הכי הוית דפקיק דפקיק הוית ליטא תבור ומשומת בר טיט בר טמא בר טינא כשמגז מריגז ואיסטמאי

To be saved from a demon, let him recite as follows: You were stopped up, stopped up you were. Cursed, broken, and excommunicated be [the demons called] Bar Tyt Bar Tamei Bar Tina as Shamgaz, Merigaz, and Istemai.

This is the text as printed. The text found in the Vatican manuscript (Bibliotheca Apostolica Ebr. 108) substitutes מוריפת ואיסטמת  Morifath and Istemeth for the last two names. However whats really interesting is some additional text found in the Munich 95 text which shows us the "name" Istemeth is really a corruption of ואיסתמי מייתי which means "and the dead are stopped up"!!