A student drew to my attention the TV show Supernatural, which I’ve never watched, but it sounds appealing (sort of Indiana Jones meets Ghostbusters?). What makes me think I ought to watch it is the fact that apparently in one episode the characters, making sure they were prepared for their latest encounter with dark forces, went through a checklist of equipment that included “Mandaean amulets”.
As far as I am aware, this is the first pop culture reference to the Mandaeans in the modern era, and so that is a good sign as far as public awareness of the Mandaeans is concerned!
Those looking for scholarly sources of information about Mandaean amulets will find some good leads online, in the form of journal articles, brief or lengthier mentions in books that can be previewed online, and much else. Indeed, I found one that I was not previously aware of: E. A. W. Budge’s book Amulets and Superstitions includes a substantial treatment of Mandaean amulets.
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