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For centuries, the ancient Egyptians used spells to banish evil spirits, find success in love and work and gain power.

And now a collection of these spells and invocations, dating back 1,300 years, have been deciphered for the first time from an ancient handbook.

Written in the now extinct language, Coptic, the codex contains a mixture of references from Orthodox Christianity and Sethianism.

The 20-page book of spells (pictured) is written in Coptic language. It dates to the 7th century and contains a mixture of Orthodox Christian and Sethian invocations and spells, which are typically used to invoke a deity and spirit. The translations were made by Macquarie University professors Malcolm Choat and Iain Gardner

There are references made to Jesus, but also an entry called 'Seth, the living Christ.'

Sethians were a Christian Gnostic sect who were found throughout the Mediterranean at the time the codex was written.

They are said to have idolised Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve.

The name Bakiotha is also mentioned in the text, referred to as the 'lord over the forty and nine kinds of serpents' and was a name used to invoke Christ.

One spell is an appeal to Christ and reads: 'I invoke you today, Bakiotha, great trustworthy one from above, who is trustworthy over the ninth generation of things.

'Reach out and listen to us today.'

THE COPTIC LANGUAGE AND THE ORIGIN OF THE CODEX

Coptic derived from a mixture of Greek script and seven Demotic signs in the upper parts of Egypt

Coptic was a language spoken in Egypt from the 2nd century until around the 17th.

It derived from a mixture of Greek and seven Demotic signs, 

The language originated in the upper parts of Egypt, and the Bohairic dialect from the lower parts of the country

The language is also closely linked to Heiroglyphic scripts.

The translations were made by Macquarie professors Malcolm Choat and Iain Gardner.

They are published in their book A Coptic Handbook of Ritual Power. 

The researchers believe the dialect suggests the codex comes from the region of the ancient city Hermopolis.

Hermopolis was located near a small village called El-ashmunein, modern-day Al Ashmunin, which was the capital of the Fifteenth Nome - or laws - of Upper Egypt at the time. 

It is six miles north of Mallawi on the west bank of the River Nile.

Macquarie University was given the 20-page handbook by an antiques dealer in 1981, and it is believed to have been owned by a male ritual practitioner.

However, the identity of this practitioner and where the handbook originally came from is not known. 

It measures approximately 9 inches (23cms) across and is made from bound pages of parchment. 

The translations were made by Macquarie professors Malcolm Choat and Iain Gardner and are published in their book A Coptic Handbook of Ritual Power.

The researchers believe the dialect suggests the codex comes from the ancient city Hermopolis. Hermopolis was near a small village called El-ashmunein, modern-day Al Ashmunin - the capital of the Fifteenth Nome - or laws - of Upper Egypt. It is six miles north of Mallawi on the west bank of the River Nile (pictured)

The language (inscriptions pictured) is also closely linked to Heiroglyphic scripts

The researchers believe the dialect suggests it comes from the region of the ancient city Hermopolis.

Hermopolis was located near a small village called El-ashmunein, modern-day Al Ashmunin, which was the capital of the Fifteenth Nome - or laws - of Upper Egypt.

It features a series of spells, complete with drawings and diagrams, to 'cure possessions by spirits and various ailments, or to bring success in love and business,' reports LiveScience.

One example given is to drive nails into the left and right side of the doorway of a person the practitioner hopes to control and manipulate.

Coptic was a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt from the 2nd century until around the 17th.

It was derived from a mixture of Greek and seven Demotic signs and originated in the upper parts of Egypt, and Borhairic.

The language is also closely linked to, and inspired by, Heiroglyphic scripts.

The codex is stored at the Museum of Ancient Cultures at the university.