The ancient Greeks, for instance, argued that light from within the eye shot forth, connected with objects, and then returned to the eye.

In antiquity, the reverse was thought to be true. In other words, the eye is a fairly passive organ it cannot act until acted upon by an outside force. According to modern science, vision occurs when an external light enters into the eye and is converted into electrical signals that the brain can process into recognizable images. (TCL 16.89) The Mechanics of the Evil Eyeīelief in the evil eye relies on a physiological understanding of the eye that is quite different from our own. The wild ram let its shining horns come out. The eye of the mountain came out from the mountain, It approached the garden-the fruit became bad. It approached the vegetables-lettuce and cress became bad, It approached the nurse with child-her hold became loose, It approached the young woman-she lost her garment, It approached the young man-he lost his strength, It approached the cattle pen-its cheese became bad, It approached the earth-herbs did not grow, The eye of the evil man is a fearsome snake. The eye is a fearsome snake, the eye of the man is a fearsome snake, 1900-1600 B.C.E), for instance, details the havoc wrought by the evil eye: A spell from the Old Babylonian period (ca. This belief was not limited to Sumer and can be found in cultures across Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece. In the Lament for Sumer and Urim, for instance, the god Enlil puts “the evil eye on the sons of the loyal men” to decimate them, while in the Lament for Eridug, Enlil “looked maliciously at Sumer he demolished it.” The Instructions of Šuruppag warns “Do not do evil with your eye” and even describes this as worse than a curse: Met Museumīelief in the evil eye- igi ḫul in Sumerian-can be traced to ancient Sumer (ca. The Evil Eye in Sumer and Beyond Wedjat Eye Amulet, Egypt. Although largely viewed as souvenirs or fashion accessories by Western tourists today, these charms are intended to protect the wearer from the evil eye, the harmful glance of another, and reflect a belief that dates back to antiquity. In Jewish or Islamic stores, you might even find a hamsa, a hand-shaped amulet, which sometimes has a picture of an eye in the palm. Walk into a traditional gift shop around the Mediterranean, and you might see a collection of brightly colored necklaces or keychains or pottery items with several concentric circles.

Does the bible say eye for an eye