the atef crown. In the field are heads of Helios and Selene, two scarabs (one directly over the head of Harpocrates), a scorpion, and a small quadruped in a sitting position. On the reverse is a figure closely resembling that on the Cairo stone published by Barry, a serpent-headed god, in this case wearing the atef crown, not the skhent, carrying was and ankh. The encircling inscription, partly indistinct, certainly included the name αρπονχνουφι or some slight corruption of it. The bevel was inscribed δόται (l. δότε) χάριν τοῖς φοροῦσι πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους, “Give the wearers favor in the eyes of all men.”
Uncouth monstrosity reaches its high point in an amulet which must be described in detail by way of introduction to the comments that are to follow (
D. 267). This is a lapis lazuli, in shape a horizontal oval of larger size than is usual with such objects, but unfortunately broken, almost half being lost. It belongs to the collection in the British Museum. Its edge is beveled, and the larger face calls for little remark. It is encircled with an ouroboros from the body of which, at intervals, narrow, finlike triangles project. Within is an inscription five lines, broken away at the left side, with four ring signs below. This inscription is of the “unpronounceable” or, perhaps, more accurately, “unpronounced” kind, to be discussed later on (
p. 194 f.), which in my judgment had no meaning, but were believed to operate by the mere virtue of the writing. I set it down as a specimen of its kind :
]υχιθιαοαηια
]θιοφαιηυεηρ
]αηοηηχοικρ
]θηκριχοριαιε
]θυωοαθη...β
Under this inscription are four large characters.
The center of the reverse occupied by a figure that can be called human only because it has arms and legs. Its trunk is a square with two lines slanting downwards across from right to left. The bottom of the square is closed by a knot of the figure-of-eight type, which is formed by a snake, the head at the left, tail at right. The right hand holds a garland with ties, enclosing the letters ΕΑ. There is no human head. Projecting from the shoulders and neck there are seven lines, broken at an angle, which serve as supports for three animal heads, ibis, ox (?), and lion. At the left of this figure there is a seven-line inscription consisting almost entirely of vowels. Under its feet a tabula ansata bears the inscription:
αβλαριμαθα
βηιωπακερ
ιωβολχσ
The word in the first line is unfamiliar, though it may occur among the words in the magical papyri. The remainder should be filled out to read [ιωερ]βη ιωπακερ[βη] ιωβολχ‹ο›σ[ηθ]; the commoner reading is