Antiquities Discussion Forums > Seals and Tesserae

Odd lead Tessera or weight?

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Jerome Holderman:
Any clues on this one? I can't find anything remotely similar?

18mm, 3.5gm

Gert:
Hi Jerome,
I think that is more correctly described as an amulet than a tessera. The obverse reads IAW, reverse CABAW (your photo's upside down), or 'Jahwe Sabaoth' - the Lord of Hosts - both in mirror image. I don't know its precise significance, but it is relevant to amulets bearing images relating to Abraxas, as well as the name. Provenance of these is mostly Holy Land and surrounding regions. Attached is an amulet I sold some time ago, which is of the same group of lead objects. Note that the name Abraxas on mine is also inscribed in mirror image.
Regards
Gert

Jerome Holderman:
Any idea on the time period? 1st century?

archivum:

These are Gnostic power-names that stayed potent well past the first century, but the style of your specimen appears earlier not later to me at least.

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