Archaeologists have made a major breakthrough by uncovering a rare fifth-century amulet that may shed light on an expunged bible chapter.
The 1,600-year-old bronze pendant, found in Turkey, may confirm a text that claimed King Solomon had power over evil.
The ancient ruler is depicted riding a horse and holding a spear while defeating the devil with the ancient Greek inscription reading: “Our Lord defeated the devil.”
Solomon, the son of King David, was the focus of a chapter written between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, but it was not included in the canonical Bible due to its emphasis on magic and demonology.
The book, entitled ‘Testament of Solomon’, begins with the archangel Michael giving Solomon a magical ring to summon, interrogate and control demons.
According to legends, King Solomon had the power to command good and evil spirits using the Seal of Solomon.
Whilst working in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis, archaeologists discovered the amulet among the ruins of a military structure – suggesting the soldier believed that Solomon could overthrow the forces of evil.
The names of the angels Azrail, Gabriel, Michael and Israfil on the back of the amulet support the idea that the amulet was used as a symbol of protection.
Associate Professor Dr Ersin Çelikbaş, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Letters, Karabük University, believes “no similar examples have been found in this geography before”.
He added: “This pendant, used as an amulet, draws attention with the inscriptions on both sides and the depiction on it.
“The amulet depicts Prophet Solomon on a horse, holding a spear, defeating the devil.
“Prophet Solomon is an important figure in all three holy religions. Although he is mentioned as a ruler in the Torah and the Bible, he is also accepted as a prophet in Islam.”
Dr Çelikbaş and his team, who have been working at the site since 2003, believe the pendant was a Christian artefact.
Hadrianopolis was first known as Uskudama by the tribes called Thracians, who inhabited the region from the 1st century BC to the 8th century AD.
However, the city was later rebuilt around 124 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian and is today called Edirne.
