Hamsa hand

Hamsa hand

The Hamsa hand is a symbol used in amulets, charms, jewelry, door entrances, cars, and
other places. An alternative Jewish name for it is the Hand of Miriam, in reference to
Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron as well as the Hamesh Hand. It serves as an ancient
talismanic way of averting and getting protection from the evil eye, or more generally of
providing a "protecting hand" or "Hand of God". It appears, often in stylised form, as a
Hamsa hand with three fingers raised, and sometimes with two thumbs arranged
symmetrically.

Hamsa hands are popular as charms and decorations in Israel . Among Jews, fish are
considered to be immune to the evil eye, so their images are often found on Hamsa hands.
Hamsas are often made in the form of amulets, wall plaques, keychains, or motifs on other
objects, and often feature doves. They are also frequently inscribed with Hebrew prayers
depending on their use, such as the Sh'ma, the Birkat HaBayit (Blessing for the Home), or
the Tefilat HaDerech (Traveler's Prayer).

In the past few years, some Israeli artists started to combine The Hamsa hand symbol to
their work. Some other made a new complete line of Hamsa hands, for decoration or for
daily use, like Hamsa key chain or Hamsa jewelry – Ester Shahaf, Yair Emanuel, Michal
David, Anat Mayer and more.
In the recent years, the interest in Hamsa symbols is growin, from several reasons –
the growing interest in Kabbalah and Jewish symbols
The growing attention to mystical symbols, one of them is the Hamsa hand.