Magic Amulet inscribed with a Protective Prayer
A.D. 100–250
Lens-shaped agate of grayish colour, which has suffered chipping on both faces. Both sides convex.
On the obverse, a variation of a common magical incantation, the name Ablanathanalba. The lower part is written in a ‘winged’-formation, known as pterygoma, whereby the word is repeated but with each repetition, the initial letter is omitted.
On the reverse, a portion of the protective prayer for the amulet’s bearer, “Deliver Gaia from fever.” A proposed restoration of the complete text, based on related spells in magical papyri, runs “Deliver Gaia from the fever and also the ‘chills’, and from all her headache.” (see Kotansky 1980).
On the obverse, a variation of a common magical incantation, the name Ablanathanalba. The lower part is written in a ‘winged’-formation, known as pterygoma, whereby the word is repeated but with each repetition, the initial letter is omitted.
On the reverse, a portion of the protective prayer for the amulet’s bearer, “Deliver Gaia from fever.” A proposed restoration of the complete text, based on related spells in magical papyri, runs “Deliver Gaia from the fever and also the ‘chills’, and from all her headache.” (see Kotansky 1980).
Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0)