Israeli House Charm: "Hamesh"

The hamesh, or hand in Hebrew, and the hamsa, or hand in Arabic, is an old and still popular amulet for magical protection from the envious or evil eye. The words hamsa and hamesh mean "five" and refer to the digits on the hand. An alternative Islamic name for this charm is the Hand of Fatima, in reference to the daughter of Mohammed. An alternative Jewish name for it is the Hand of Miriam, in reference to the sister of Moses and Aaron.

Hameshes/hamsas are popular as charms and decorations in Israel and are not considered to have any Islamic connection other than the Arabic name. Among Jews, fish are considered to be a symbol of good luck, so many hamsas are also decorated with fish images. The hamsa hand appears both in a two-thumbed, bilaterally symmetrical form, as shown, and in a more natural form in which there is only one thumb. There is good archaeological evidence to suggest that the downward-pointing protective hamesh / hamsa hand predates both Judaism and Islam and that it refers to an ancient Middle Eastern goddess whose hand wards off the evil eye. Although most hamsa hands are amulets, modern Israeli hamesh hands are sometimes made in the form of ceramic wall plaques in which a hand-lettered Hebrew prayer occupies the center of the palm. These include variants that seek to prevent earthquakes as well as forestallng the evil eye.
Source:
www.luckymojo.com/hamsahand.html