Hamsa B'Yado : The basic shape of this pendant is the hamsa hand, decorated with a pattern of the Star of David as a stylized continuous flower pattern. The letter SHIN is an acronym for Sha-dd-ai translated as "The Almighty" or "Powerful One". This is often used on amulets as protection against magic.
The inscription under the letter shin
"Yishmereni B'Yado" translates as:"
He will guard me in his Hand" and is often inscribed
on ancient Hebrew amulets.
Hamsa Hand: The symbol of the hand (Hamsa, Semitic root meaning
five) in Mediterranean cultures is ancient. There are speculations
that the Jews were among the first to use it as a protective
amulet. This tradition predates the Muslim use of the Hamsa (called
the hand of Fatima, daughter of Mohammed) by at least a thousand
years.