5000-Year-Old Magic Spell Discovered

An ancient text is believe to contain a spell to keep away snakes. . .

The text is in an ancient Semitic language used by the Canaanites, a forerunner of Hebrew. It is believed to be the oldest magic spell text ever discovered. It is evidently to be used to keep away snakes. The Egyptian practitioners believed the snakes could understand this language, and used the spell to keep them away from the tombs of nobility. Scientists see the text on the sarcophogi as contributing to the theory that the Egyptians and Canaanites cultures had friendly relations. The article contains some very interesting information regarding how the text is presented and translated, and what it demonstrates about the beliefs of the people at the time...