5th-century Turkish amulet shows Solomon defeating the devil, with angels invoked by a scribe

An ancient amulet from the fifth century A.D. depicting Solomon spearing a demon on horseback was unearthed at the site of Hadrianopolis. An inscription on the front of the pendant reads, "Our Lord has overcome evil." The names of the angels Azrael, Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil are listed on the reverse of the pendant. 

The finding was made by Associate Professor Ersin Çelikbaş of Karabük University and his colleagues.

"We believe it is a significant artifact for Anatolian archaeology since no similar examples have been found in this region before. It is actually an amulet pendant," said Çelikbaş, according to Arkeonews. "The depiction shows the Prophet Solomon on horseback, spearing a demon. Why this depiction? Because the Prophet Solomon is important in all three major religions. He is noted as a ruler in Judaism and the Bible, and in Islam, he is recognized not only as a ruler but also as a prophet," he said.

The finding was reported by Hurriyet Daily News, and Archaeology.org.

Çelikbaş thinks the artifact may have belonged to a member of a cavalry unit stationed at Hadrianopolis. He stated, "Solomon is also known as the commander of armies. We understand that he was also considered a protective figure for the Roman and Byzantine cavalry at Hadrianopolis," he said, according to Arkeonews.

This is the first time that such a pendant has been discovered in Anatolia. A similar pendant was unearthed in Jerusalem.

Hadrianopolis, referred to as the "Zeugma of the Black Sea," served as a settlement in the Late Chalcolithic, Roman, and Early Byzantine eras and is renowned for its mosaics depicting various animals on church floors. So far, excavations at Hadrianopolis have yielded structures including two baths, two churches, a defensive structure, rock tombs, a theater, an arched and domed building, a monumental cultic niche, walls, villas, and other monumental buildings.

Excavation and restoration work in Hadrianopolis is still ongoing under the direction of Çelikbaş.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq