Bonner, SMA – PDF, 281.

Walters Art Gallery 42.869

Obv. Cock-headed anguipede, head to l., wearing tunic and kilt, whip in r. hand, shield on l. arm bearing letters ια ιη. Round upper margin, αιωεηιoυωηι. Below in three rows, characters that resemble hieroglyphs and some indistinct Greek letters (at r.).

Rev. In five lines, ιαη ιεη ιευ ιωη ιωη.

Green jasper. Upright oval, 24 X 17 X 3.

Walters Art Gallery 42.871

Obv. Cock-headed anguipede, head to r., whip in r. hand. Instead of the ordinary shield usually held on l. arm. there is a large roughly oval surface, much larger than a shield, bounded by irregular curves and crossed by a horizontal line. On this surface and just above it are many letters, mainly vowels, but the name Mειχαηλ occurs at the bottom, and also Iστραηαιλ, which is probably meant for Iστραηλ, an angel name (see Peterson in Rh. Mus., 75, p. 403), and also a variant spelling of the name Israel (see Moulton-Milligan's references under Iσραηλείτης). There is an arc of vowels round the cock's head, and on the demon's trunk there is an inverted pyramid of the vowels, from all seven in the first line to a single omega at the bottom. In the field, υω, ια, ιo, and on the “shield,” ιη, each of these couples of letters with a stroke above. A curious aberrant type.

Rev. Plain.

Green jasper. Horizontal oval, 20 X 16 X 3. Slightly chipped at top, bottom, and right.

Obv. Ouroboros with head at bottom enclosing cock-headed anguipede, head to l., whip in raised r. hand. Large circular shield at l. side, but no part of l. arm is shown; apparently it is supposed to be behind the shield. Apart from this awkwardness the work is more careful than usual, the cock's head being well cut. The figure wears a military tunic and kilt. On shield, in three lines, ιαηιo υωηιη ηηιιι. Above the shield, in four lines, Mιχαηλ Ρεφαηλ Γαβριηλ 0υριηλ. Over whip, αιεη; below it, in seven lines, the magical names of the planets, with some errors, σημεα κεvτευ κovτευ κεvγευ κηριδευ δαρυvκω υκυηξι (usually λυκυvξ). Under the snake legs, in five lines, σεμεσειλαμ λαθραμαφτα ιω ιω ιω ιη ιη ιη ιιιιιιιιιιιι αηαηαηαααιαι ειω. Below this, following the curve of the lower margins, ψιvωθερθερvω.

Rev. Eagle-headed god clothed only in apron, standing to front, head to l., calathus on head, small wing at each side of it; two more wings from top of shoulders, two from hips, bird tail. In each hand, raised to shoulder height, a lozenge-shaped symbol ending below in two long points (  ), perhaps a form of the sa, or sign meaning protection (Gardiner, Sign-list, V 17). At l. and r., reading upward, ασασαμ αδoυραμ. Round bevel, seven scarab beetles, a star, an obscure character, a cynocephalus, a crocodile, a rat (?), and a palm leaf.

The wings and the bird tail seem to connect the reverse type with the pantheos; but no exact parallel has been found.

Green jasper. Upright oval, 37 Χ 27 Χ 4.

Obv. Cock-headed anguipede, head to r., nude but for close-pleated kilt; whip in r. hand, oval shield inscribed with the name Iao on l. arm.

Rev. Inscription in five lines, ταλα αραιω ωαραoρo vτoκo vβαι. The last words have a Coptic sound; ntok is the Coptic pronoun “thou”; bai is soul. See the discussion in Byz.-neugriech. Jahrb., 9 (1932), 376–377, where, however, the spurious character of the stone was not yet recognized.

Gray agate. Upright oval, 36 X 31 X 7. This material has never been found in a genuine anguipede amulet. The present example is a forgery, almost certainly modeled on the illustration in Chiflet, Pl. 3, 14, reproduced in Montfaucon, II, 2, Pl. 146, 4. There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the stone

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