One of the commonest safeguards against the evil eye is a text from the Bible or the Koran such as: “Break down the spell of the Eye”; or “By the blessings of God.” These phrases written in Arabic characters are framed and hung up in many of the houses. They are also carved upon furniture.
The Jews carry about texts of the Scriptures. The Christians have relics of saints, and some of the natives here think they have pieces of the true cross.
It is customary to use the name of God at the beginning of every sentence which contains the name of one’s friend.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the centre of superstition in Jerusalem, where imagination sets the only limit to stories told to the tourists—and implicitly believed by many of them
The women of the Holy Land are great believers in the power of the Evil Eye and wear blue beads and other charms to keep the spirits away. Bits of alum, which is supposed to be especially effective, are often worn in little bags around the neck
The people of Palestine do not like to hear themselves complimented unless at the same time you use the name of God. Otherwise they believe such expressions are bound to bring misfortunes and possibly troubles and death. If you call a boy or a girl pretty its mother’s heart is filled with terror, and she straightway throws out her hand, extending the index and little finger in a way supposed to ward off the devil and to prevent the evil consequences of your remark. If you wish to praise the beauty of a child you must begin the sentence with, “May God surround thee.” After that you may go on as you please. If you pat the child on the head and fail to use this sentence, the mother upon returning home will take the child into a room and put it in the middle of the floor. She will then take a shovel and gather some dust from each of the four corners, and throw it into the fire, crying: “Fie on thee, evil eye.”
Similar precautions should be taken in admiring a horse or a donkey, and there are ways of keeping the evil eye away from them. If a man has a spirited horse which he fears the people may admire, he carries with him some salt. As he rides through the crowds he will now and then sprinkle a little salt under the feet of the horse, especially if he sees the crowd looking at it. If any one asks whether he will sell the animal he must answer yes, but if asked what he will take he makes the price so high that the man cannot buy. At such times he usually requests the would-be purchaser to stop thinking of his horse for fear it may bring misfortune.
Another superstition regarding salt relates to babies at birth. It is sprinkled over their bodies to keep off the devil, and is used at all other ceremonies connected with children.