Hamsa

The hamsa (Arabic خمسة ḵamsa, lit. five, referring to images of 'the five fingers of the hand'),[1][2][3] also known as the hand of Fatima,[4] is a palm-shaped amulet popular throughout North Africa and in the Middle East and commonly used in jewellery and wall hangings.[5][6] Depicting the open hand, an image recognized and used as a sign of protection in many times throughout history, the hamsa is believed to provide defense against the evil eye.

## Contents

* 1 Terminology and etymology
* 2 History
* 2.1 Origin
* 2.2 Medieval Iberia and the Maghreb
* 3 Religious interpretations
* 3.1 In Christianity
* 3.2 In Islam
* 3.3 In Judaism
* 4 Symbolism and usage
* 5 See also
* 6 Notes
* 7 References
* 7.1 Citations
* 7.2 Bibliography
* 8 External links

## Terminology and etymology

The standard name is "khamsa" (Arabic "five"), with Maghrebi variants "khmisa"/"khmisa".[7] In French colonial North Africa, Europeans popularized the label "Hand of Fatima" (French: "Main de Fatma")[8] \- a colonial nickname rather than an indigenous Arabic term;[lower-alpha 1] in colonial-era French, "fatma" referred to a Muslim or Arab woman.[10] In Jewish usage it is also called the "Hand of Miriam" in Sephardi-Mizrahi contexts,[11] or sometime hamesh (Hebrew "five").[12] Among Levantine Christians it is known as the "Hand of Mary" (Arabic: "kef Miryam").[13][14] In the Berber languages, the term "afus", which denotes a decorative motif similar to the hamsa, literally means "hand".[15]

## History

### Origin

A Punic stela from Carthage dedicated to Tinnit and Baal Hammon with a carved open right hand, as well as sign of Tinnit, sign of Baal Hammon above, Caduceus and naval symbols

Early open-hand motifs and amulets are well attested across the ancient Near East,[16] for example in Mesopotamia where hand amulets associated with Inanna/Ishtar were used apotropaically to keep out evil or disease.[17] Scholars generally trace the hamsa itself to North African Phoenician-Punic iconography of the goddess Tanit (4th-5th centuries BCE), where the deity is frequently accompanied by an upright hand.[18] Some scholars also link the Punic hand motif to Baal Hammon[19][20]

Other symbols of divine protection based around the hand include the Hand-of-Venus (or Aphrodite), the Hand-of-Mary, used to protect women from the evil eye and/or boost fertility and lactation, promote healthy pregnancies and strengthen the weak.[6] In that time, women were under immense pressure and expectation to become mothers.[21] Women's upbringing was centered on becoming a mother as an exclusive role, and childbearing was considered necessary.[22] Marriage was also thought to be a form of protection for both the man and the woman.[23]

A drawing depicting a hamsa

One theory postulates a connection between the khamsa and the Mano Pantea (or Hand-of-the-All-Goddess), an amulet known to ancient Egyptians as the Two Fingers. In this amulet, the Two Fingers represent Isis and Osiris and the thumb represents their child Horus. It was used to invoke the protective spirits of parents over their child.[6]

Hamsa Amulet

### Medieval Iberia and the Maghreb

According to von Kemnitz "the Berbers brought the khamsa to al-Andalūs. Later, the expelled Muslim and Jewish population took it back to North Africa, introducing different motifs and techniques."[24]

Within the Islamic world, historical use of the amulet is concentrated in the western Muslim world (Maghreb; historically al-Andalus), while attestations in the eastern Muslim world (Mashriq) are sparse; where a "hand" appears in eastern contexts it is often part of distinct Shi'i ritual iconography rather than the Maghrebi amulet tradition.[25][26][27] "In al-Andalūs, the use of the hamsa as amulet is well-documented from the thirteenth century onwards. This chronology would relate the use of this amulet to an increased Berber presence and their cultural influence".[28]

Among the Morisco population of Granada and nearby regions, khamsa pendants were particularly popular and were described as "large engraved medals ... with a hand inscribed with letters", likely containing Qurʾanic verses or expressions derived from the holy text that reinforced their apotropaic function.[29] Ecclesiastical authorities sought to suppress their use: a reform council in 1526 banned khamsas as Islamic symbols and ordered their replacement by Christian crosses, while the Synod of Guadix renewed the prohibition in 1554.[29] Despite this, khamsas were also worn by Christians, such as a Nasrid-period gold pendant inscribed Ave Maria gratia plena, illustrating their cross-confessional appeal.[29]

## Religious interpretations

### In Christianity

A ceramic hamsa depicting Jesus and his disciples

The khamsa holds recognition as a bearer of good fortune among Christians in the region as well. Levantine Christians call it the hand of Mary (Arabic: Kef Miryam, or the "Virgin Mary's Hand").[30][31] Thirty-four years after the end of Islamic presence in Spain, its use was significant enough to prompt an episcopal committee convened by Emperor Charles V to decree a ban on the Hand of Fatima and all open right-hand amulets in 1526.[6]

### In Islam

Although pre-Islamic in origin and used across cultures, the hamsa was integrated into Islamic popular piety and is widely linked to Fatima al-Zahra as a protective emblem against harm and the evil eye.[32] The designation "Hand of Fatima" appears to be comparatively late; the Arabic phrase "yad Fatima" is rare in pre-modern usage and the name seems to have been popularized in modern and colonial-period discourse.[32]

In Shia Islam, the hamsa is reinterpreted through devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt. The five fingers are read as the panjtan or Ahl al-Kisa (Muhammad, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali, Husayn ibn Ali), so the hand works as a visual shorthand for Shi'i imamology and for seeking the intercession of Fatimah in particular.[33] This explains invocations written on or around hand-shaped objects, with the names of the panjtan placed on the fingers to activate their protective baraka.[33] In the same milieu, the hand can be identified not only as the "hand of Fatimah" but also as the hand of Ali ibn Abi Talib or, very prominently, the hand of Abbas ibn Ali, whose severed hands at the Battle of Karbala made the open palm a powerful emblem in Muharram processions and on ʿalams.[33] Here the hamsa fuses protection, loyalty to the Prophet's household, and memorialisation of Karbala. Although Twelver theology avoids crude anthropomorphism, the Imams may be described as the "hand of God", which lets the hamsa retain sacral agency without contradicting doctrine.[33] The wide use of hand-topped standards, stoles and amulets in Iran, Iraq and South Asia reflects this specifically Shi'i layering of meanings.[33]

According to Eva-Maria von Kemnitz (citing Bruno Barbatti), the hamsa is regarded as the most important apotropaic sign in the Islamic world;[34] Barbatti also argued that many modern depictions reflect an origin in sex symbolism.[34] However, salafi authorities reject the khamsa as an amulet: a fatwa states it is impermissible to hang the "Khamsa" and another lists "hands of Fatima" among prohibited amulets.[35][36]

### In Judaism

The Hamsa, or Hamesh, in Tel Aviv street art. Also known as the hand of Miriam or Fatima.

The exact time when Jews in Islamic lands first began to believe in the protective qualities of the hamsa is unknown.[11] It is speculated that Sephardic Jews were among the first to use this amulet due to their beliefs about the evil eye.[37] The symbol of the hand appears in Kabbalistic manuscripts and amulets, doubling as the Hebrew letter "Shin", the first letter of "Shaddai", one of the names referring to God.[38] The hamsa remained widely used among Sephardi communities and Jews from Islamic countries, but largely fell into disuse in Ashkenazi milieus by the mid-20th century.[39] The notion of a protective hand has been present in Judaism dating back to Biblical times, where it is referenced in Deuteronomy 5:15, stated in the Ten Commandments as the "strong hand" of God who led the Hebrews out of Egypt.[40] The hamsa is later seen in Jewish art as God's hand reaching down from heaven. Evidence has also emerged of the hamsa being used by Jews from medieval Spain, often associated with "sympathetic magic".[40] Historians such as Shalom Sabar believe that after the Jewish expulsion from Spain in 1492, exiled Jews likely used the hamsa as protection in the foreign lands to which they relocated. However, this assumption remains difficult to prove.[40] According to Sabar, the hamsa has also been used later by Jews in Europe "as a distinctive sign of the priesthood, especially when they wished to show that a person was of priestly descent..."[40]

Jewish people have also adopted the symbol of the hand, often interpreted in relation to the Biblical passage that says that "the Lord took the Israelites out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm".[41] The "strong hand" is representative of the hamsa, which rooted its relevance in the community. The helping hand exemplified God's willingness to help his people and guide them out of struggle. Around the time of the Byzantine period, artists depicted God's hand reaching from above.[39] God's hand from heaven would lead the Jewish people out of struggle, and the Jews subsequently made a connection with the hamsa and their culture. The hand was identified in Jewish texts and became an influential icon throughout the community. Among Jewish people, the hamsa is a highly respected, holy, and common symbol. It has sometimes been used to decorate the Ketubah (marriage contracts) and items used to dress the Torah, such as pointers and the Passover Haggadah.[42] The presence of the hand image both inside and outside of synagogues suggests the importance and reverence the Jewish community associated with the hamsa. The hand decorated many of the most religious and sacred objects and later emerged from a phase of lesser use.[43]

## Symbolism and usage

A hamsa embossed with the words of the Priestly Blessing in Hebrew Amulet with two hands of Fatimah, bearing the inscriptions "God is the guardian", "God brings consolation in all trials"

The hand, particularly the open right hand, is a sign of protection that also represents blessings, power, and strength, and is seen as potent in deflecting the evil eye.[6][44] One of the most common components of gold and silver jewellery in the region of the Middle East,[45] historically and traditionally, it was most commonly carved in jet or formed from silver, a metal believed to represent purity and to hold magical properties.[6][46] It is also painted in red (sometimes using the blood of a sacrificed animal) on the walls of houses for protection,[47][48] or painted or hung on the doorways of rooms, such as those of an expectant mother or new baby.[6] The hand can be depicted with the fingers spread apart to ward off evil, or closed together to bring good luck.[49] Similarly, it can be portrayed with the fingers pointing upward to ward off evil, or downward to bestow blessings. Highly stylised versions may be difficult to recognise as hands, and can consist of five circles representing the fingers, situated around a central circle representing the palm.[49]

Silver hamsa amulet of Berber tradition (khmissa)

Used to protect against the evil eye, a malicious stare believed to cause illness, death, or general misfortune, hamsas often contain an eye symbol.[46][50] Depictions of the hand, the eye, or the number five in Arabic (and Berber) tradition are related to warding off the evil eye, as exemplified in the saying khamsa fi ainek ("five [fingers] in your eye").[50] Raising one's right hand with the palm showing and the fingers slightly apart is part of this curse meant "to blind the aggressor".[47] Another formula uttered against the evil eye in Arabic, but without hand gestures, is khamsa wa-khamis ("five and Thursday").[51][52] As the fifth day of the week, Thursday is considered a favourable day for magic rites and pilgrimages to the tombs of revered saints to counteract the effects of the evil eye.[53]

Due to its significance in both Arabic and Berber culture, the hamsa is one of the national symbols of Algeria and appears in its emblem. It is also the most popular among different amulets (such as the Eye and the Hirz—a silver box containing verses of the Quran) for warding off the evil eye in Egypt.[45] Egyptian women who live in baladi ("traditional") urban quarters often make khamaysa, which are amulets made up of five (khamsa) objects attached to their children's hair or black aprons. The five objects can be made of peppers, hands, circles, or stars hanging from hooks.[48]

During modernisation across the Middle East, the hamsa symbol became less prominent in some areas due to its perceived incompatibility with secular ideals.[54] However, it later emerged as a symbol of secularity and became a trendy talisman, frequently seen as a "good luck" charm. Today, the hamsa can be found on necklaces, keychains, postcards, lottery cards, and in advertisements, as well as high-end jewellery, decorative tilework, and wall decorations.[55]

Similar to the Western phrase "knock on wood" or "touch wood", a common expression in the Middle East is "Khamsa, Khamsa, Khamsa, tfu, tfu, tfu," which mimics the sound of spitting to ward off bad luck.[56]

Throughout various celebrations across the region, such as festivals emphasising fertility and prosperity, the number "5" is often highlighted, reflecting its association with the hamsa amulet. From Morocco to Turkey, the hamsa is a prevalent symbol of protection from misfortune and is widely incorporated into jewellery, home decor, and art.[57] Many women across the region own at least one piece of jewellery featuring the hamsa, symbolizing the enduring cultural significance of this talisman.[58]

A symbol U+1FAAC 🪬 HAMSA was added to Unicode in 2021 (Unicode 14.0, Emoji 14.0).[59]

## See also

* Abhayamudra
* Evil eye
* Filakto
* Hand of God (art)
* Nazar
* Skandola
* Mississippian Culture Hand and Eye Motif
* Tenome

## Notes

1. ↑ Popular explanations that link the five fingers to the Five Pillars, or that identify the amulet intrinsically with Fatima, are later accretions rather than original meanings of the symbol.[9]

## References

### Citations

1. ↑ Zenner, 1988, p. 284.
2. ↑ World Institute for Advanced Phenomenological Research and Learning (Belmont, Estados Unidos), 1991, p. 219.
3. ↑ Drazin, 2009, p. 268.
4. ↑ González-Wippler, Migene (1991). The Complete Book of Amulets & Talismans. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-87542-287-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=wYd-HKmn8jUC&pg=173.
5. ↑ Bernasek et al., 2008, p. 12.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Sonbol, 2005, pp. 355–359.
7. ↑ von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (2022). "Chapter 2: The Symbolism of the Hand" (in en). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170. Brill. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000015.xml?language=en.
8. ↑ von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (2022). "Chapter 6: Protective Power: The Khamsa in the Military Context" (in en). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170. Brill. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000019.xml?language=en. "In addition, the colonists called it "la main de Fatma"."
9. ↑ von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (2022). "Chapter 8: The Hand Symbol in Shi'i contexts" (in en). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170. Brill. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000021.xml?language=en. "The hand symbol does not represent the Five Pillars of Islam."
10. ↑ "fatma" (in fr). https://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/article/A9F0286. "Dans le français des Européens d'Afrique du Nord, au temps de la colonisation, femme musulmane et, spécialement, employée de maison indigène."
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Sabar 2010b.
12. ↑ Afshar, Amir H. (2013). "The Hand in Art: Hamsa Hand" (in en). Journal of Hand Surgery 38 (12): 2444-2445. https://www.jhandsurg.org/article/S0363-5023(12)01799-6/fulltext. "The hamsa hand is also known as khamsa (5 in Arabic), hamesh (5 in Hebrew), hamesh hand, and chamsa.".
13. ↑ Trumbull, H. Clay (1896) (in en). The Threshold Covenant. Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 77. https://archive.org/details/thresholdcovenan00trum.
14. ↑ Kopel, Jonathan (2021). "The Eye of Providence and the Hamsa in medicine" (in en). Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 11 (1): 115-117. PMC 8865327. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8865327/.
15. ↑ Camps-Fabrer, Henriette (1985). "Afus (motif décoratif)" (in fr). Encyclopédie berbère. 2. pp. 224–227. doi:10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.896. https://journals.openedition.org/encyclopedieberbere/896. "The term afus is used in Greater Kabylia for a very specific type of pendants... But the term Afus is not used in the Aurès, in the M'zab, or in Morocco or Tunisia, where the Arabic name khamsa prevails / Le terme afus est donné en Grande Kabylie à un type bien précis de pendeloques... Mais le terme Afus n'est employé ni dans l'Aurès, ni au M'zab, ni au Maroc ou en Tunisie où prévaut l'appellation arabe de khamsa.".
16. ↑ Vervenne, Dirk (2021). Signs of Carthage: Carthaginian self-representation on stelae and coinage (MA thesis). Radboud University. p. 17\. "The hand symbol was very common in the Near East ... and may even be seen as a predecessor to the hamsa hand symbol."
17. ↑ von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (2022). "Chapter 2: The Symbolism of the Hand" (in en). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170. Brill. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000015.xml?language=en. "Amulets portraying the hand of Ishtar were used in Mesopotamia and Babylon to prevent evil or disease from entering a building."
18. ↑ von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (2022). "Chapter 2: The Symbolism of the Hand" (in en). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170. Brill. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000015.xml?language=en.
19. ↑ Vervenne, Dirk (2021). Signs of Carthage: Carthaginian self-representation on stelae and coinage (MA thesis). Radboud University. p. 17\. "Other scholars, like Theodore Schrire, refer to the hand symbol as the 'Hand of Baal' ... A raised hand symbol on a stela can thus be interpreted ... as a sign of reverence for the god Baal Hammon in particular."
20. ↑ Schrire, Theodore (1966) (in en). Hebrew Amulets: Their Decipherment and Interpretation. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 21.
21. ↑ Bass, Loretta E. (2009). "Child Labor in Senegal: Contemporary and Historical Perspective". in Hugh D. Hindman. The World of Child Labor: An Historical and Regional Survey. 2: Sub-Saharan Africa (1st ed.). Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-69877-9.
22. ↑ Wadud, Amina (1999). Qur'an and Woman. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 64.
23. ↑ Sechzer, Jeri A. (2004). "Islam and Woman: Where Tradition Meets Modernity: History and Interpretations of Islamic Women's Status". Sex Roles 51: 263–272. doi:10.1023/B:SERS.0000046610.16101.e0.
24. ↑ von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (2022). "Chapter 5: The Khamsa in the Iberian Peninsula and Brazil" (in en). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170. Brill. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000018.xml?language=en.
25. ↑ von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (2022). "Chapter 1: Academic Research on the Hand Symbol" (in en). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170. Brill. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000014.xml. Retrieved 2025-10-18. "“Since the khamsa is particularly prevalent in North Africa, ethnographies on North Africa have a special place in the study of the khamsa.”"
26. ↑ von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (2022). "Chapter 8: The Hand Symbol in Shiʿism" (in en). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170. Brill. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000021.xml. Retrieved 2025-10-18. "On the distinct Shi'i "hand" tradition and its theological framing."
27. ↑ Suleman, Fahmida. "Ask ROM Anything: Fahmida Suleman" (in en). https://www.rom.on.ca/learn/resource-hub/ask-rom-anything-fahmida-suleman. "Concludes the amulet originates in an ancient North African context (Tanit)."
28. ↑ von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (2022). "Chapter 5: The Khamsa in the Iberian Peninsula and Brazil" (in en). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170. Brill. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000018.xml?language=en. "In al-Andalūs, the use of the khamsa as amulet is well-documented from the thirteenth century onwards. This chronology would relate the use of this amulet to an increased Berber presence and their cultural influence."
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936, Volume 4, publié par M. Th. Houtsma, Page 600
30. ↑ Perry 1970, p. 186.
31. ↑ Trumball, 1896, p. 77.
32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (2022). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Leiden: Brill.
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 Inloes, Amina (2022). The hand symbol in Shiism. Leiden: Brill. doi:10.1163/9789004526235_009. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000021.xml.
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 von Kemnitz, Eva-Maria (3 November 2022). "Chapter 2: The Symbolism of the Hand". in Inloes, Amina (in en). The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East. 170. Leiden; Boston: Brill. doi:10.1163/9789004526235. ISBN 978-90-04-52622-8. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000015.xml?language=en.
35. ↑ "Hanging amulets is prohibited regardless of the person’s intention" (in en). 2014-09-03. https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/262186/hanging-amulets-is-prohibited-regardless-of-the-persons-intention. ""It is impermissible to hang the "Khamsah" amulet (also known as the 'Hand of Fatima')…""
36. ↑ "Types of amulets and superstition that some Muslims fall into" (in en). 2009-02-15. https://islamqa.info/en/answers/126359. ""…things which are worn such as … 'hands of Fatima' …""
37. ↑ Frankel, Ellen; Teutsch, Betsy Platkin (1992). The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 70.
38. ↑ Rubin, Norman A.. "Angels and Demons". Jewishmag.com. http://jewishmag.com/144mag/superstition_magic/superstition_magic.htm.
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Sabar 2010a, p. 142.
40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 Sabar 2010a.
41. ↑ Sabar 2010a, p. 141.
42. ↑ Sabar 2010a, p. 144.
43. ↑ Moreh, Rachel (26 April 2015). "Universality of the hamsa" (in en-US). https://haam.org/universality-of-the-hamsa/.
44. ↑ Rajab, 1989, p. 116.
45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Badawi, 2004, p. 510.
46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Lynch and Roberts, 2010, p. 8.
47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 Schimmel, p. 92.
48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Early, 1993, p. 116.
49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 Gomez, 1996, p. 54.
50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Ham and Bing, 2007, p. 385.
51. ↑ Lent et al., 1996, p. 189.
52. ↑ Shinar, 2004, p. 117.
53. ↑ Houtsma, 1993, p. 897.
54. ↑ "The Hamsa Hand: Secret Symbolism and Meanings". 2018. https://diamondion.com/hamsa-hand-secret-symbolism-and-meanings/.
55. ↑ "The Hamsa Hand: A Cultural and Religious Symbol". 18 March 2020. https://www.arabamerica.com/the-hamsa-hand/.
56. ↑ Bin-Nun, Yigal (8 April 2007). "Lady Luck". Haaretz. https://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/lady-luck-1.217597.
57. ↑ "Turkish Symbols and Their Meanings". https://www.turkeyhomes.com/blog/post/turkish-symbols.
58. ↑ "Moroccan Jewelry" (in en-US). 22 August 2018. https://moroccanzest.com/morocco-jewelry/.
59. ↑ "🪬 Hamsa Emoji" (in en). https://emojipedia.org/hamsa/.

### Bibliography

* Barker, Anne (2010-05-22). "Jewish Magic and Superstition in Israel". ABC News. http://www.abc.net.au/correspondents/content/2010/s2906608.htm.
* Badawi, Cherine (2004). Footprint Egypt (4th, illustrated ed.). Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-903471-77-7.
* Bernasek, Lisa; Burger, Hillel S. (2008). Artistry of the Everyday: Beauty and Craftsmanship in Berber Art. Peabody Museum Press, Harvard University. ISBN 978-0-87365-405-0.
* Drazin, Israel (2009). Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets. Gefen Publishing House Ltd. ISBN 978-965-229-430-2.
* Early, Evelyn A. (1993). Baladi Women of Cairo: Playing with an Egg and a Stone (Illustrated ed.). Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 978-1-55587-268-7. https://archive.org/details/baladiwomenofcai00earl.
* Gomez, Aurelia (1996). Crafts of Many Cultures: 30 Authentic Craft Projects from Around the World. Scholastic Inc.. ISBN 978-0-590-49182-2.
* Houtsma, M. Th. (1993). M. Th. Houtsma. ed. E.J. Brill's First Encyclopedia of Islam, 1913–1936 (Reprint ed.). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-09790-2.
* Lent, J. M.; Bearman, Peri J.; Qureshi, Hakeem-Uddeen (1997). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition (2nd ed.). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-10795-3.
* Lynch, Patricia Ann; Roberts, Jeremy (2010). African Mythology A to Z (2nd, revised ed.). Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60413-415-5.
* McGuinness, Justin (2002). Footprint Tunisia Handbook (3rd, illustrated ed.). Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-903471-28-9.
* Nocke, Alexandra (2009). The Place of the Mediterranean in Modern Israeli Identity (Illustrated ed.). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-17324-8.
* Perry, Whitall N. (1970). "On A Dictionary of Comparative Religion, Edited by S. G. F. Brandon". Studies in Comparative Religion (Lewiston, NY: E. Mellen Press) 4 (3): 186. OCLC 17495469. "to the little-known fact that the amulet designated as the "hand of Fatima" is called by Levantine Christians the "hand of Mary".".
* Rajab, Jehan (1989). Palestinian Costume. Indiana University. ISBN 978-0-7141-2517-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=guffAAAAMAAJ.
* Sabar, Shalom (2010a). "From Sacred Symbol to Key Ring: The Hamsa in Jewish and Israeli Societies". in Simon J. Bronner. Jews at Home: The Domestication of Identity. Littman Library of Jewish Civilization. pp. 140–162. ISBN 978-1-904113-46-1.
* Sabar, Shalom (2010b). "Khamsa" (in en). Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World Online. Brill. doi:10.1163/1878-9781_ejiw_SIM_000094. https://referenceworks.brill.com/display/entries/EJIO/SIM-000094.xml?language=en.
* Schimmel, Annemarie (1994). Deciphering the Signs of God: A Phenomenological Approach to Islam. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-1982-3.
* Shadur, Joseph; Shadur, Yehudit (2002). Traditional Jewish Papercuts: An Inner World of Art and Symbol (Illustrated ed.). University Press of New England. ISBN 978-1-58465-165-9. https://archive.org/details/traditionaljewis0000shad.
* Shinar, Pessah (2004). Modern Islam in the Maghrib. JSAI. ISBN 978-965-7258-02-6.
* Silver, Alan (2008). Jews, Myth and History: A Critical Exploration of Contemporary Jewish Belief and Its Origins. Troubador Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84876-064-6.
* Sonbol, Amira El Azhary (2005). Beyond the Exotic: Women's Histories in Islamic Societies. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-3055-5.
* Steinmetz, Sol (2005). Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7425-4387-4.
* Trumbull, Henry Clay (1896). The Threshold Covenant: Or, The Beginning of Religious Rites (2nd ed.). C. Scribner's. https://archive.org/details/thresholdcovenan00trum.
* Tymieniecka, Anna-Teresa (1991). Roman Ingarden's Aesthetics in a New Key and the Independent Approaches of Others: The Performing Arts, the Fine Arts, and Literature, Volume 3. Springer. ISBN 978-0-7923-1014-3.
* Zenner, Walter P. (1988). Persistence and Flexibility: Anthropological Perspectives on the American Jewish Experience (Illustrated ed.). SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-88706-748-8.

## External links

* v
* t
* e

Amulets and talismans

Amulets|

* Agimat
* Amulet MS 5236
* Axe of Perun
* Bulla
* Cimaruta
* Cornicello
* Cross necklace
* Djucu
* Dreamcatcher
* Dzi bead
* Fascinus
* Fulu
* Good luck charm
* Gorgoneion
* Gris-gris
* Hamsa
* Horse brass
* Horseshoe
* I'noGo tied
* Jackal's horn
* Kanai Anzen
* Lapis alectorius
* Mandrake
* Mojo
* Mugwort
* Nazar
* Omamori
* Palad khik
* Pictish painted pebbles
* Rabbit's foot
* Red string (Kabbalah)
* Sachet (scented bag)
* Sampy
* Ta'wiz
* Takrut
* Thokcha
* Tintinnabulum (Ancient Rome)
* Touch piece
* Troll cross

Talismans|

* Lamen
* Navaratna
* Seal of Solomon
* Swastika
* Talismans in the Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths
* Uncial 0152

Related articles|

* Apotropaic magic
* Curse tablet
* Evil eye
* Feng shui
* Folk religion
* Magic and religion
* Numerology
* Numismatic charm
* Superstitions
* Torma

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamsa. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Religion:Hamsa&oldid=4006687"
*[lit.]: literal translation
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template