Mysterious ancient tablet finally deciphered to reveal 1,500-year-old ‘demon curse’ to destroy rival’s life
A MYSTERIOUS tablet inscribed with 1,500-year-old writings has finally been deciphered – revealing an ancient curse.
The lead tablet was first unearthed from the ruins of a theatre in an ancient Israeli city in the 1950s, and has baffled archaeologists ever since.
The so-called "Curse of the Dancer" is believed to be directed at a dancer named Manna, who made have lived in the ancient city.
An ancient backstabber – also believed to be a dancer – calls on several demons to harm Manna, as revealed by .
One line in Greek reads: "Tie the feet together, hinder the dance of Manna."
Another asks: "Bind down the eyes, the hands, the feet, which should be slack for Manna when he will dance in the theatre."
"[Manna] must have been a famous artist and therefore the prize would have been considerable," said Professor Attilio Mastrocinque, of the University of Verona.
"Not to mention the fame and reputation that were at stake."
The curse-invoker asks for help from several deities – including Thoth, an Ancient Egyptian god of magic and wisdom.
They also ask for aid from "demons of the sky, demons of the air, demons of the earth, underworld demons, demons of the sea, of the rivers, demons of the springs" to hurt the cursed Manna.
"Twist, darken, bind down, bind down together the eyes," it says.
"He should move slowly and lose his equilibrium. He should be bent and unseemly."
The tablet was first discovered by Italian archaeologists at some point between 1949 and 1954.
However, the inscription was difficult to decipher without help from modern technology.
Professor Mastrocinque finally unravelled the message using Reflectance Transformation Imaging.
It involves creating a number of photos of an object using different lighting techniques to create an overall enhanced image.
This allowed the restoration of enough detail to work out what was being said.
Caesarea Maritima – the key facts
Here's what you need to know...
- Caesarea Maritima was an ancient city on the coast of the Mediterranean
- It is now part of an Israeli national park
- The city and its famous harbour were built under King Herod the Great around 9 BC
- It eventually became the provincial capital of Roman Judea, and was populated between the 1st and 6th centuries
- It also became an early and important centre for Christianity during the Byzantine period
- However, the city was eventually destroyed during the Muslim conqeust of 640
- The city was later re-fortified by the Muslims in the 11th century, and was later conquered by the Crusaders
- Residents had eventually abandoned the city by 1800, but it was eventually re-developed into a fishing village and then into a town after 1940
The tablet itself was found in the Caesarea Maritima theatre in Israel, originally built by Kind Herod the Great.
It was a prestigious theatre and would've been used by famous and skilled performers.
The tablet itself dates back to the 6th century, when the Byzantine Empire controlled the city.
It was a time of huge conflict, and the curse-invoker and Manna may have been from warring factions.
The tablet also reveals how interest in the dark arts was preserved even through the spread of Christianity.
"This [cursed tablet], along with many others issued in the late imperial period and in the early Middle Ages, confirms that the Christianisation of the Roman Empire did not stop the maleficent magical arts," Professor Mastrocinque explained.
"On the contrary, these increasingly spread and became more sophisticated."
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In other news, the removal of Ancient Egyptian mummies from their coffins has sparked "Curse of the Pharaohs" fears.
An ancient mass grave filled with the battered bodies of 26 adults and children may be evidence of the world's first war crime.
Neanderthals could have died out due to a common childhood illness.
And, Tutankhamun's "cursed" golden sarcophagus has been pictured outside the boy king's tomb for the first time ever.
Do you believe in curses? Let us know in the comments!
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