In the beginning there was sex - and it was complicated.

The first conversation of the first man and the first woman on this earth was apparently to argue about ... sexual positions - if you believe medieval Jewish texts, that is.

According to Jewish legend, the argument between Adam and the woman named Lilith - over who would be on top - became so heated that Lilith flew off in a huff, turned into a demon who harms newborns, and forced God to create a substitute for her, namely Eve.

Lilith's chained image appears on many amulets used throughout the ages to protect infants and their mothers.

Examples will be among the items on display in an exhibition on Jewish magic opening in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

The oldest dates from the third century, the most recent from 1920.

But mysticism is still prevalent in modern Israel. Even educated Israelis and Jews, religious or secular, still adhere to deep-rooted customs without necessarily knowing their origin in traditional magic practice.

"Hamsa, hamsa, hamsa, tfu, tfu, tfu," is perhaps the most common phrase used in everyday life to avoid bad lack.

A Hamsa is the palm-shaped amulet, widely used in the Middle East and North Africa, depicting the hand of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed, a sort of "stop sign" aimed at warding off evil.

Hamsa means "five" in Arabic because of the five fingers, and "tfu" is the onomatopoeic word for spitting, a gesture that would cast out anything undesirable.

"The Hamsa in Judaism was adopted from Islam but the notion of a protective hand I think is even more ancient than Islam itself," explains Assistant Curator Oree Meiri.

The exhibition at Jerusalem's Bible Lands Museum, titled "Angels and Demons," displays Hamsa charms in all sizes. The oldest, said to be one of the earliest found in the world, is from when Israel was part of the Byzantine Empire between the 4th and 7th centuries.

Just as common are the "evil eye" amulets: The deep-blue round ones with the mesmerising dot in the middle for fending off the "evil eye" by showing it its own reflection - sold from less than a euro at every bazaar from Istanbul through Jerusalem to Casablanca.

"In this part of the world, both the evil eye and the Hamsa are very strong. Many people wear it. Many people believe in it," explains Amanda Weiss, the museum's director.

In sharp contrast to Western culture, even today no Israeli would name a child, hold a baby shower, buy supplies, or prepare a room, before the birth - acts seen as provoking the evil eye, or fate.

One section dealing with black magic shows tiny, bronze and lead voodoo dolls from Byzantine times. Another section about protection of the home shows "demon traps," bowls with magic inscriptions placed upside down underneath the floor at the entrance to homes.

Still another shows original manuscripts of books of spells.

Jewish religious texts technically prohibit magic, explains Weiss, but the line between religion and superstition "is a very grey" one.

Happily for the forlorn, the sorcery books contain magic formula for making someone fall in love with you.

One suggests throwing an egg in a burning fire with the name of the object of desire written on it, as well as the names of the correct angels - without which, emphasises Assistant Curator Meiri - the spell won't work.

She refuses to give the angels' names or other crucial details.

The 32-year-old Egyptologist, who describes herself as secular and not superstitious, is scared of being drawn into practical Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism).

In Judaism, only rabbis with a high decree of learning and spirituality may exercise practical Kabbalah. An absolute prohibition exists for laymen to dabble with it.

Protective magic is one thing, she explains. Using an amulet for safety is ok. But manipulative magic is another. That's dangerous.

"I just think there are some things you'd better not get into."

Which is why she says of the love formula: "I didn't give you all of the recipe. So you shouldn't try it at home."