Mandaic Letter Am

It writes the consonant m in Mandaic words. Mandaeans, a religious community, developed the script to write their dialect of Aramaic, an ancient language, for worship. One reconstruction dates it to the second century CE; its roots are debated between flowing Aramaic handwriting and official writing used by the Parthian Empire, an ancient Iranian state.

Early protective incantations survive on lead rolls and fired-clay bowls. The bowls generally date to AD 600–800; some lead rolls are earlier. Later manuscripts preserve religious writing; the earliest known Mandaic manuscript dates to 1529–1530 CE. Neo-Mandaic, a modern form, still uses the script.