Bonner 1951 on CBd-944
C. Bonner, Amulets Chiefly in the British Museum, Hesperia 20, 1951, 301-345, no. 10.
Spindle shaped, beadlike stone, truncate at ends, slightly flattened on two opposite sides in order to receive the incised designs. On each flattened side are two figures placed feet to feet; on the round sides, inscriptions running vertically. Above, Anubis standing to l. in kilt and boots; r. hand holds tall scepter, l. situla. Below, draped female figure from waist down, the upper part broken off. In vertical column, αβλαναθα, the rest, ναλβα, lost. Above, mummy wound in a network of bandages, feet showing at bottom. The indistinct head, which is surmounted by a three pronged ornament, was probably meant to show a face with three or four animal heads projecting from each side, like certain pantheistic figures, some of which may be founded upon the tyρe of Osiris as mummy (see our No. 2 /CBd-570/, and compare SMA, Pl. 12, 254 /CBd-1432/; Pl. 13, 265 /CBd-1442/–266 /CBd-1129/); the engraver, however, produced only a confused blur of strokes. At each side are some meaningless letters, mainly lambdas and iotas. Below, a figure of the anguipede demon, of which only the waist, kilt, and snake legs remain; the rest is broken off. In vertical column, σεμεσειλαμ, the last letter broken; 5 or 6 letters must have followed, perhaps λαιλαμ, which often accompanies the former word; cf. SMA, p. 287, No. 207 /CBd-1066/; also p. 187.
Haematite. Fusiform, present length 34, originally ca. 47; width of flattened sides ca. 8-9. New grooves round the lower end show that the piece was remounted after the original end was broken off. The account of this stone in SMA, p. 243 is to be corrected by the description above. In his Gnostics and their Remains, pl. F 5, King published an inaccurate drawing of it which was used by both Delatte and Preisendanz in their respective discussions of the Headless God (Delatte, BCH 38 (1914), pp. 193 and 234; Preisendanz, Akephalos 17 (Beihefte zum Alten Orient, 8)); but I cannot believe that the engraver intended to represent the mummy as headless.
Spindle shaped, beadlike stone, truncate at ends, slightly flattened on two opposite sides in order to receive the incised designs. On each flattened side are two figures placed feet to feet; on the round sides, inscriptions running vertically. Above, Anubis standing to l. in kilt and boots; r. hand holds tall scepter, l. situla. Below, draped female figure from waist down, the upper part broken off. In vertical column, αβλαναθα, the rest, ναλβα, lost. Above, mummy wound in a network of bandages, feet showing at bottom. The indistinct head, which is surmounted by a three pronged ornament, was probably meant to show a face with three or four animal heads projecting from each side, like certain pantheistic figures, some of which may be founded upon the tyρe of Osiris as mummy (see our No. 2 /CBd-570/, and compare SMA, Pl. 12, 254 /CBd-1432/; Pl. 13, 265 /CBd-1442/–266 /CBd-1129/); the engraver, however, produced only a confused blur of strokes. At each side are some meaningless letters, mainly lambdas and iotas. Below, a figure of the anguipede demon, of which only the waist, kilt, and snake legs remain; the rest is broken off. In vertical column, σεμεσειλαμ, the last letter broken; 5 or 6 letters must have followed, perhaps λαιλαμ, which often accompanies the former word; cf. SMA, p. 287, No. 207 /CBd-1066/; also p. 187.
Haematite. Fusiform, present length 34, originally ca. 47; width of flattened sides ca. 8-9. New grooves round the lower end show that the piece was remounted after the original end was broken off. The account of this stone in SMA, p. 243 is to be corrected by the description above. In his Gnostics and their Remains, pl. F 5, King published an inaccurate drawing of it which was used by both Delatte and Preisendanz in their respective discussions of the Headless God (Delatte, BCH 38 (1914), pp. 193 and 234; Preisendanz, Akephalos 17 (Beihefte zum Alten Orient, 8)); but I cannot believe that the engraver intended to represent the mummy as headless.
Last modified: 2016-05-24 21:31:04
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