Ancient amulet sheds light on a lost text Bibles (6 photos)

A rare 5th-century amulet depicting a biblical demon-slayer has been found in Turkey. The piece may serve as evidence of a lost scripture that claimed King Solomon had power over evil.





The 1,600-year-old bronze pendant depicts Solomon defeating the devil, with an ancient Greek inscription reading, "Our Lord has defeated the devil."

A chapter dedicated to Solomon, the son of King David, was written between the 1st and 5th centuries AD. However, it was not included in the canonical Bible, as it paid significant attention to magic and demonology.



The book called "The Testament of Solomon" begins with the archangel Michael giving Solomon a magic ring with which he can control demons.





Archaeologists exploring the ancient city of Adrianople have discovered an amulet among the ruins of a military structure. This discovery suggests that it was worn by a soldier who believed in King Solomon's ability to resist evil forces.

The back of the item also contained the names of four archangels: Azrael, Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil. This supports the assumption that the amulet served as a symbol of protection.

Solomon is mentioned in three books of the Bible. In 1 Samuel 3:12, the Lord tells him, "I have given you a wise and understanding heart, and as there was no one like you before you, so there will be no one like you after you."

The Bible also says that he was the richest king, accumulating at least 25 tons of gold annually.

However, the Testament of Solomon tells of the rich king from another side, from the point of view of the fight against demons.



Associate Professor Ersin Çelikbaş from Karabük University said: "This type of pendant has not been seen in the region before. This pendant, which was worn as an amulet, is notable for the inscriptions on both sides and the image. The Prophet Solomon is shown on a horse, holding a spear, defeating the devil. Solomon is an important figure in three religions. In the Torah and the Bible, he is mentioned as a ruler, and in Islam, he is considered a prophet. He was also considered the protector of the cavalrymen of the Roman and Byzantine periods in Adrianople."

The angels mentioned on the back of the pendant also belong to different religions.

Azrael is the angel of death in Jewish and Islamic traditions. He takes the souls of the dead to the afterlife.

Isfrael is the messenger of the Last Judgement. He will announce the resurrection of the dead with the sounds of a trumpet.

Gabriel and Michael are known in the Christian faith, with the former being the messenger of God, and the latter being a spiritual warrior in the battle between good and evil.

However, Dr. Chelikbash considers the pendant a Christian artifact.



The ancient city of Adrianople was known as Uskudama, it was inhabited by the Thracians from the 1st century BC. Later, around 124 AD, the city was rebuilt by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Today, it is known as Edirne.

Çelikbaş and his team have been excavating the site since 2003. During this time, they have discovered numerous ancient Roman artifacts and structures, including two baths, two churches, a theater, rock tombs, a monumental niche, a villa, and a fortified building.



In 2021, they discovered an iron mask that may have been worn by a Roman cavalry soldier around 1,800 years ago.

"The Romans planned to create defensive structures on the distant borders of their empire to counter any threats coming from the Black Sea region. We believe that Adrianople is one of these defensive military cities. The mask dates back to the imperial period. If we look at similar samples, then with a high degree of probability we can assume that it was made in the 3rd century AD," the expert explained.