The Dybbuk Box: The Cursed Wine Cabinet That Haunted Post Malone (And How to Avoid Its Curse)
If you hang around the dark corners of the internet long enough, you will hear about the Dybbuk Box. It’s the “world’s most haunted object.” It’s the reason Post Malone’s private jet almost fell out of the sky. It’s the reason Zak Bagans wears a respirator in his own museum.
But what actually is it? Is it a vessel for an ancient demon, or just a really good creative writing project that got out of hand?
let get into the Dybbuk Box—from the eBay listing that started it all to the science of why you should probably still keep your distance.
What is the Dybbuk Box?
Physically, it’s underwhelming. It’s a small, vintage wine cabinet. Nothing screams “ancient evil” about it. But according to the legend, this box houses a dybbuk—a malicious, dislocated spirit from Jewish folklore that possesses the living.
Inside the original box were items that sound like the inventory of a witch’s starter kit:
- Two U.S. wheat pennies (1920s)
- Two locks of hair (one blonde, one dark) bound with cord
- A granite statue engraved with the Hebrew word Shalom
- A dried rosebud
- A golden wine goblet
- A strange, four-legged candlestick
The Origin Story: The eBay Auction That Broke the Internet
The legend didn’t start in an ancient scroll; it started on eBay in 2003.
A man named Kevin Mannis listed the cabinet with a backstory that would make Stephen King jealous. He claimed he bought it at an estate sale in Oregon from the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor named “Havela.”
According to Mannis, Havela had escaped Nazi-occupied Poland with the box and warned her family never to open it because a demon lived inside. Mannis, being a curious guy, opened it anyway.
Then the chaos started:
- The Smell: A horrific odor of cat urine and jasmine flowers would randomly fill his shop.
- The Nightmares: Anyone who slept near the box reported the same dream—a terrifying old hag beating them.
- The Shadow Man: Visitors saw “shadow people” lurking in his peripheral vision.
- The Gift: Mannis gave the box to his mother for her birthday. She suffered a stroke the same day. Her only words to him? “Hate gift.”
Mannis sold it on eBay to a student named Iosif Neitzke, who then experienced hair loss and insomnia. Neitzke eventually sold it to Jason Haxton, a museum director who wrote a book about the health problems (hives, coughing up blood) he suffered while owning it.
The Post Malone Incident: A Celebrity Curse?
Fast forward to June 2018. The box is now the crown jewel of Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum in Las Vegas.
Post Malone—chart-topping rapper and generally nice guy—visits the museum. He and Zak are in the room with the box. Zak touches the object (which is usually sealed in plexiglass). Posty doesn’t touch the box directly, but he touches Zak’s shoulder while Zak is touching the box.
According to paranormal logic, that bridged the connection.
The Aftermath (The “Bad Luck” Streak)
In the months following that touch, Post Malone’s life turned into a Final Destination movie:
- Plane Malfunction: August 2018. His private jet blew two tires during takeoff and had to make a terrifying emergency landing.
- Car Crash: Weeks later, his Rolls-Royce was T-boned in West Hollywood.
- Home Invasion: Three armed men broke into a house he had recently lived in, pistol-whipping the new resident while shouting, “Where’s Post Malone?”
Post eventually told Seth Meyers, “It’s weird because after we opened up this creepy Dybbuk Box… it was really odd stuff.”
The Truth: Is It Real or a Hoax?
Here is where we pivot from ghost stories to reality.
In 2021, Kevin Mannis (the original seller) came clean. In an interview, he admitted that the entire backstory—the Holocaust survivor, the demon, the curse—was fiction.
“I am a creative writer. The Dybbuk Box is a story that I created. And the Dybbuk Box story has done exactly what I intended it to do when I posted it 20 years ago.” — Kevin Mannis
The Reality Check:
- The “Havela” Story: Made up. Mannis bought the cabinet from an attorney, not a refugee.
- The Items: Mannis put them in there himself to create a spooky atmosphere.
- The Carving: He carved the Hebrew prayer on the back himself.
So, the box is a hoax. Case closed, right? Not exactly.
The “Tulpa” Effect
Even though the origin is fake, the fear is real. Paranormal experts (and Zak Bagans) argue that the box has become a Tulpa—an object that gains supernatural energy because thousands of people believe it has power.
When Post Malone looked at that box, he believed he was in danger. When you visit the museum, you believe you are in danger. That psychological stress triggers a “nocebo effect”—where your brain manifests physical symptoms (dizziness, fear, fainting) because you expect them to happen.
Current Status: Can You Visit It? (Update)
Yes, you can still visit the box. It resides at Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum in Las Vegas.
- The Rule: You must sign a waiver before entering.
- The Experience: You must be 16+ to enter. The box is kept in a dedicated room.
- The Protocol: Security is tight. If you try to touch it or taunt it, you will be escorted out.
How to Avoid the “Curse”
Let’s say you find yourself in Vegas staring at this wine cabinet. How do you walk away without a spectral attachment?
1. Don’t Touch It
This sounds obvious, but people love to poke the bear. Whether it’s germs, a Tulpa, or a demon, nothing good comes from touching dirty antiques in a dark room.
2. Check Your Mental State
If you go in terrified, you will feel cursed. Your brain will look for patterns—a stubbed toe or a lost wallet will suddenly become “The Dybbuk’s Revenge.” Approach it with healthy skepticism. It’s a wooden box.
3. The “Salt” Trick
If you’re superstitious, salt is the universal “delete” button for ghosts. Many visitors carry a small packet of salt or black tourmaline in their pocket. Does it work scientifically? No. Does it make you feel safer so your brain doesn’t freak out? Absolutely.
The Final Verdict
The Dybbuk Box is a masterclass in modern folklore. It started as a creative writing experiment on eBay and morphed into a pop-culture icon that terrified Post Malone.
Is there a demon inside? No.
Is it dangerous? Only if you let it get into your head.
So, go ahead and visit. Stare into the glass case. Just maybe… keep your hands in your pockets.
Book a Tour at The Haunted Museum
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is the Dybbuk Box actually real or just a hoax?
Here is the brutal truth: The box is a real vintage wine cabinet, but the story was manufactured. In 2021, the original seller, Kevin Mannis, confessed to creating the entire backstory—including the Holocaust survivor history and the “demon” inside—as a creative writing experiment. However, many paranormal experts believe the box has since become a “Tulpa,” meaning the collective fear of millions of people has actually manifested negative energy around it.
Where is the Dybbuk Box located right now?
As of 2025, the Dybbuk Box resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is part of the permanent collection at Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum. It is displayed in a dedicated room, sealed inside a plexiglass case to “contain” its energy. You can visit it, but you have to sign a waiver first.
What happened to Post Malone after he saw the box?
Post Malone had a run of terrible luck immediately after his 2018 visit. Although he didn’t touch the box directly, he touched Zak Bagans’ shoulder while Zak was touching the box. Shortly after, Post’s private jet tires blew out during takeoff, his Rolls-Royce was totaled in a high-impact car crash, and his former home was invaded by armed robbers looking for him. Post has since called the object “cursed.”
What exactly is a “Dybbuk”?
In Jewish mythology and folklore, a dybbuk is a malicious, dislocated spirit of a dead person. Unlike a typical ghost that haunts a house, a dybbuk specifically seeks to possess a living human body to accomplish a goal it couldn’t finish in life. The word comes from the Hebrew dāḇaq, meaning “to adhere” or “cling.”
Is the movie The Possession based on the Dybbuk Box?
Yes. The 2012 horror movie The Possession, produced by Sam Raimi, is directly based on the eBay description written by Kevin Mannis. While the movie dramatizes the events (adding more bugs and body horror), the core concept of a cursed wine cabinet ruining a family’s life was ripped straight from the original viral internet legend.
Can I buy a Dybbuk Box on eBay?
You will see hundreds of “Dybbuk Boxes” for sale on eBay and Etsy. They are all replicas or fakes. After the original story went viral, sellers realized they could buy old jewelry boxes from goodwill, burn some sage, scuff them up, and sell them for a 500% markup to curiosity seekers. The original box is not for sale.
Has anyone died because of the Dybbuk Box?
There are no confirmed deaths directly linked to the box. However, the original owner’s mother suffered a stroke on the exact day she received it as a gift. Subsequent owners, including museum director Jason Haxton, reported deteriorating health, hives, coughing up blood, and welts appearing on their bodies until they sealed the box away.
