Coffee With a Codex: Ritual Protective Dagger (CAJS Rar Ms 718)

Coffee With A Codex is an informal lunch or coffee time to meet virtually with Kislak curators and talk about one of the manuscripts from Penn's collections. Each week we'll feature a different manuscript and the expertise of one of our curators. We meet over Zoom and everyone is welcome to attend.
On September 26, Louis Meiselman, Judaica Special Collections Cataloging Librarian, introduced us to a new acquisition at the Library of the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies: CAJS Rar Ms 718, a ceremonial dagger dating from the 18th-19th centuries. It was used for the protection of infants and homes from evil spirits and harm (similar to the athamé, a blade with illustrations and glyphs for occultic use), originating from Iraq or Persia.
CAJS Rar Ms 718 on Find (not digitized): find.library.u...
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[@force1253]

I really enjoyed your presentation. Thank you very much.
I'm 71. 30 year US vet. I've seen, handled, and learned to use knives. This blade could definitely be used for any purpose that any other blade is used for. The worn/rounded tip may be slowed by clothing, but unprotected flesh would be easily slashed or penetrated. I think it would not be called a "dagger" if it was not designed to be a knife as we understand the word. The Sikh Kirpan is another example of a ritual knife that has been incorporated within the rules of the faith for men. The Kirpan blade is most often heavily decorated with images and religious script.