The Dybbuk Box

 

Dybbuk- A restless, usually malicious spirit able to haunt and possess a living thing. Can be trapped in a wooden box.

The term was first used by Kevin Mannis, a writer, and creative professional. It was used to describe a listing for an auction he had put on eBay. This box even has a Shema (Jewish prayer) carved into the back of the box. 

Mannis claimed that he bought the box at an estate auction of an old Jewish woman who had survived the Holocaust. The woman's granddaughter had said that her grandmother had escaped to Spain, where she purchased the box before moving to the United States. Mannis offered to give the box back thinking it had sentimental value, but the woman refused. Telling him that the box had sat in her grandmother's sewing room, and she had always been told not to touch it because a Dybbuk was trapped inside. 

When Mannis got home he opened the box and found a strange assortment inside. There were two 1920s pennies and a lock of blond hair that was bound together with a cord. A lock of dark hair that also was bound together by a cord, a small statue with the Hebrew word Shalom, a small wine goblet, one dried rose, and a single candle holder called a shabbot. 

It wasn't long after opening the box did strange things occur. His mother took a stroke, and he was plagued by vivid nightmares about an old hag. He could also smell the strong stench of cat urine. Numerous owners have reported paranormal activity around the box. As well as the same dreams that Mannis himself had dreamt. 

Iosif Neitzke was the last owner to sell the box on eBay. He got rid of it because electronics would burn out, a bug infestation that he blames on the box, and his roommate's hair fell out. He documented everything on a blog. Jason Haxton had been following Neitzke's blog on the box, was the first to buy the object. 

Jason had written, "The Dibbuk Box" but interesting enough he soon wished he hadn't. Haxton developed some strange health problems including hives, coughing up blood, and welts. Desperate he contacted a few rabbis who helped him reseal the box and hide it. He first leant the box to Zak Bagans for his show: Deadly Possessions. 

The box was placed in a containment room, where Mannis could face his fears. However, things got pretty strange after that. He found the same articles in the box. However, that's when things started to get weird. The lights began to flash, strange sounds, and Mannis faced the wall. 

His voice changed, and he started talking about a shadow man. This was followed by him speaking in tongues, making weird whistling sounds, and coughing. Zak Bagans purchased the box and moved it to his Haunted Museum. You must be 18+ to view the box, and you have to sign a waiver. Visitors have been rumored to faint, become dizzy, and even sick. They have also seen shadowy figures in the area. 

One guide even had her face slammed into the glass cabinet by some unknown force. However, even creepier than that was an account that Zak himself had experienced since purchasing the box. He was being visited by his good friend, Post Malone when they decided to check out the box. They first heard the voice of a little girl.

Suddenly, something took hold of Zak, and he wanted desperately to open the box. He wanted to touch it. Once Zak opened it, he began to panic, scream, cry, and hyperventilate. Post Malone touched his shoulder, things calmed down, but something passed through Zak's body. When they left the room Post spotted the shadow figure following them out. Post Malone had a mysterious bruise on his arm and he doesn't know how it got there. Ironically, he had a series of misfortunes that would follow the visit. His private jet needed to have an emergency landing, his car was in an accident, and the armed robber's nearly robbed him if only they had the right house. 

But, investigator Kenny Biddle has other ideas. He reviewed the Dybbuk and came to one very definite conclusion. 

"Despite what various owners would have us think, the infamous dibbuk Box is not a haunted Jewish wine cabinet from Spain but instead a minibar from New York," said Biddle. He went on to say: "This elaborate story that started the entire legend was not an account of real supernatural events, but instead a fictional backstory he came up with to sell an ordinary and incomplete minibar."

However, if the box is fake, that would mean that Bagans and his show respectively are fakes too. And what about all those owners who claimed they were haunted, were they liars too? We might never know. For now, we will say that the Dybbuk Box is a curious little mystery.