Figuring out the Anguipede (‘snake-legged god’) and his relation to Judaism

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12372712
AutoresÁrpád M Nagy (Museum of Fine Arts, autor correspondente)
Ano2002
Volume15
Páginas159-172
Data de publicação2002-01-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Roman Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1047-7594 • E-ISSN: 2331-5709
EditoraCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s104775940001388x
OpenAlexW51414045
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas4
Referências citadas6

So-called magical gems constitute an especially rich body of material evidence for magic and religion in the Roman Empire. They differ from the ordinary run of gems in three respects: in their selection of iconographic types, normally divine images of one sort or another; by their use of magic words and occasionally longer texts, primarily in Greek script; and by their use of magic signs, usually called characteres . At least one of these three elements must be present for a gem to be identifiable as magical. These “Zaubergemmen” form the most easily distinguishable sub-group of the wider class of amuletic gems, that is, engraved stones of talismanic function. The majority of the iconographic schemes appearing on magical gems adhere closely to the classical Graeco-Roman and Egyptian traditions. Others, however, are unique to this class of gems: rare even on other magical objects, they are practically unknown outside this sphere in the whole variety of ancient art

Ancient art · Art · Art history · Literature · MAGIC (telescope · Roman Empire · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classics · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies