Delhi Arabic 1946, ff 1v-21r

Text on the making and use of talismans. The text is said to have been taken from Hermes (هرمس) and recorded by Aristotle (أرسطاطاليس, d. 322 BC) for his pupil Alexander the Great (الإسكندر, d. 323 BC) while he was planning his expedition to the east, during the fourth year of his reign (see f. 1v, lines 2-4, transcribed below).

A definition of talisman (طلسم, f. 12r) is given, followed by an introduction to four types of portable talisman (f. 12v), which are then described in greater depth (ff. 12v-18r).

The colophon mentions that the 'the four amulets (حرزات) appear in the The Sage's Goal (غاية الحكيم)' a famous manual of talismanic magic by Maslamah al-Qurṭubī (مسلمة القرطبي, d. 964; see lines of text written on either side of colophon text, f. 21r, transcribed below).

Begins (f. 1v, lines 2-4):

هذا كتاب لاسطماخيس مأخوذ عن هرمس وضعه

أرسطاطاليس الحكيم للإسكندر لما أراد الخروج من أرض

الروم إلى أرض الشرق وذلك في سنة أربع من ملكه ...

Ends (f. 21r, lines 6-10):

... ولم يستقص

أبوابها والعمل بها والحمد

لله رب العالمين

وحسبنا الله تعا[لى]

ونعم الوكيل

Colophon (f. 21r, lines 11-12 and lines written on either side of colophon text):

تمت أبواب الطلسمات

الأربعة بأعمالها

فأما الأربع حرزات فقد

وردت في غاية الحكيم