UNCERTAIN EAST. Levantine region or Egypt, circa 3rd-4th centuries. Gnostic Amulet (Bronze, 86 mm, 51.30 g, 12 h). IAⲰ CABAⲰΘ AΔNAI ABPACA MIXAHΛ OYPIHΛ COYPIHΛ ΓABPIHΛ ✱ in outer frame; within, various symbols: in the upper half, male god, draped to the waist and with his torso bare, seated left, holding scepter in his left hand and pointing with his right toward scorpion before him; above, winged scarab seen from above and capricorn swimming right; behind, bow in bowcase; in lower section, mummy of Osiris wearing atef-crown and lying left between crocodile standing left above and lion standing left below. Rev. XNOY/BIC Chnoubis, in the form of a lion-headed serpent, coiled to left, head encircled with seven-rayed nimbus containing the letters A-Є-HI-O-Y-W; to lower right, three-bar symbol of Chnoubis. Leu 7 (2020), 1516 var. (in silver and with slightly different obverse legend). Of the highest rarity. An exceptionally attractive gnostic amulet, very sharply engraved and with intricate iconography. Good extremely fine.


Like many ancient mystery cults, Gnosticism was a secret religion, with symbols revealed only to initiates. The iconography of this large and impressive Gnostic amulet is thus intricate and challenging to interpret. The legends on the outer frame of the obverse are relatively straightforward, naming the biblical god Yahweh with his epithets Sabaoth and Adonai, followed by the daimon Abrasax and the Jewish archangels Michael, Uriel, Suriel, and Gabriel.

The inner field is filled with various Gnostic symbols. The seated god at the top could be Serapis, commonly depicted on Gnostic gems, but his lack of a kalathos and his half-nude form suggest he may be identified as Zeus or Kronos. The mummy beneath him is undoubtedly Osiris, the Egyptian god of fertility, life, and resurrection, often linked with Abrasax as a daimon of time. The lion below Osiris likely refers to his burial, while the crocodile above him represents the annual flooding of the Nile, symbolizing Osiris' resurrection. The scarab, Capricorn, and scorpion are ancient symbols tied to Egypt, though their meanings extend beyond it. The bow in a bowcase remains the most enigmatic symbol in this context.

On the reverse, we see Chnoubis, the Egyptian Gnostic Agathodaimon, often featured on medical amulets as a protector against demons, particularly those causing stomach ailments. Chnoubis is depicted with a radiate lion's head, marking him as a solar deity. The inscription A-Є-HI-O-Y-W, placed between seven rays, represents the seven Greek vowels, the seven planets, and the seven heavens.

Gnosticism and the worship of Abrasax were widespread in the eastern Roman Empire, especially in Egypt, where this amulet may have originated. Its distinctly Egyptian iconography is typical of such talismans, often crafted in gemstone form (see BM G 568, EA 56526, for a gem with similar iconography, but with Horus instead of Chnoubis). For a nearly identical amulet, but in silver, see Leu 7 (2020), 1516.