Abraxas stones A vast number of engraved stones are in existence, to which the name "Abraxas-stones" has long been given. The subjects are mythological, and chiefly grotesque, with various inscriptions, in which ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ often occurs, alone or with other words. Sometimes the whole space is taken up with the inscription. In certain obscure magical writings of Egyptian origin ἀβραξάς or ἀβρασάξ is found associated with other names which frequently accompany it on gems; 's ''L'antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures'' (Band 2,2 page 358 ff plaque 144) with different images of Abraxas. •
The Abraxas-image alone, without external Iconisms, and either without, or but a simple, inscription. The Abrasax-imago proper is usually found with a shield, a sphere or wreath and whip, a sword or sceptre, a cock's head, the body clad with armor, and a serpent's tail. There are, however, innumerable modifications of these figures: Lions', hawks', and eagles' skins, with or without mottos, with or without a trident and star, and with or without reverses. • '
Abraxas combined
with other Gnostic Powers.' If, in a single instance, this supreme being was represented in connection with powers of subordinate rank, nothing could have been more natural than to represent it also in combination with its emanations, the seven superior spirits, the thirty Aeons, and the three hundred and sixty-five cosmical Genii; and yet this occurs upon none of the relics as yet discovered, whilst those with Powers not belonging to the Gnostic system are frequently met with. •
Abraxas with Jewish symbols. This combination predominates, not indeed with symbolical figures, but in the form of inscriptions, such as:
Iao, Eloai, Adonai, Sabaoth, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Onoel, Ananoel, Raphael, Japlael, and many others. The name ΙΑΩ, to which ΣΑΒΑΩΘ is sometimes added, is found with this figure even more frequently than ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ, and they are often combined. Beside an Abrasax figure the following, for instance, is found: ΙΑΩ ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ ΑΔΩΝ ΑΤΑ, "Iao Abrasax, thou art the Lord". With the Abrasax-shield are also found the divine names Sabaoth Iao, Iao Abrasax, Adonai Abrasax, etc. •
Abraxas with Persian deities. Chiefly, perhaps exclusively, in combination with
Mithras, and possibly a few specimens with the mystical gradations of
mithriaca, upon Gnostic relics. •
Abraxas with Egyptian deities. It is represented as a figure, with the sun-god Phre leading his chariot, or standing upon a lion borne by a crocodile; also as a name, in connection with
Isis,
Phtha,
Neith,
Athor,
Thot,
Anubis,
Horus, and
Harpocrates in a Lotus-leaf; also with a representation of the Nile, the symbol of prolificacy, with
Agathodaemon (
Chnuphis), or with
scarabs, the symbols of the revivifying energies of nature. •
Abraxas with Grecian deities, sometimes as a figure, and again with the simple name, in connection with the planets, especially
Venus,
Hecate, and
Zeus, richly engraved. •
Simple or ornamental representations of the journey of departed spirits through the starry world to Amenti, borrowed, as those above-named, from the Egyptian religion. The spirit wafted from the earth, either with or without the corpse, and transformed at times into
Osiris or
Helios, is depicted as riding upon the back of a crocodile, or lion, guided in some instances by Anubis, and other genii, and surrounded by stars; and thus attended hastening to judgment and a higher life. •
Representations of the judgment, which, like the preceding, are either ornamental or plain, and imitations of Egyptian art, with slight modifications and prominent symbols, as the vessel in which Anubis weighs the human heart, as comprehending the entire life of man, with all its errors. •
Worship and consecrating services were, according to the testimony of
Origen in his description of the
ophitic diagram, conducted with figurative representations in the secret assemblies of the Gnostics unless indeed the statement on which this opinion rests designates, as it readily may, a statue of glyptic workmanship. It is uncertain if any of the discovered specimens actually represent the Gnostic cultus and religious ceremonies, although upon some may be seen an Abrasax-figure laying its hand upon a person kneeling, as though for baptism or benediction. •
Astrological groups. The Gnostics referred everything to astrology. Even the Bardesenists located the inferior powers, the seven, twelve and thirty-six, among the planets, in the zodiac and starry region, as rulers of the celestial phenomena which influence the earth and its inhabitants. Birth and health, wealth and allotment, are considered to be mainly under their control. Other sects betray still stronger partiality for astrological conceits. Many of these specimens also are improperly ascribed to Gnosticism, but the Gnostic origin of others is too manifest to allow of contradiction. •
Inscriptions, of which there are three kinds: • Those destitute of symbols or iconisms, engraved upon stone, iron, lead and silver plates, in Greek, Latin, Coptic or other languages, of amuletic import, and in the form of prayers for health and protection. • Those with some symbol, as a serpent in an oval form. • Those with iconisms, at times very small, but often made the prominent object, so that the legend is limited to a single word or name. Sometimes the legends are as important as the images. It is remarkable, however, that thus far none of the plates or medals found seem to have any of the forms or prayers reported by Origen. It is necessary to distinguish those specimens that belong to the proper Gnostic period from such as are indisputably of later origin, especially since there is a strong temptation to place those of more recent date among the older class.
Gallery File:Montfaucon 358 Abraxas.xcf|Plaque 144 File:Montfaucon Abraxas Plaque 145.xcf|Plaque 145 File:Montfaucon Abraxas Plaque 146.xcf|Plaque 146 File:Montfaucon Abraxas Plaque 147.xcf|Plaque 147 File:Montfaucon Abraxas Plaque 148.xcf|Plaque 148 File:Montfaucon Abraxas Plaque 149.xcf|Plaque 149
Anguipede In a great majority of instances the name Abraxas is associated with a singular composite figure, having a
Chimera-like appearance somewhat resembling a
basilisk or the Greek primordial god
Chronos (not to be confused with the Greek titan
Cronus). According to
E. A. Wallis Budge, "as a Pantheus, i.e. All-God, he appears on the amulets with the head of a
cock (
Phœbus) or of a lion (
Ra or
Mithras), the body of a man, and his legs are serpents which terminate in scorpions, types of the
Agathodaimon. In his right hand he grasps a club, or a flail, and in his left is a round or oval shield." This form was also referred to as the
Anguipede. Budge surmised that Abrasax was "a form of the
Adam Kadmon of the
Kabbalists and the Primal Man whom God made in His own image". Some parts at least of the figure mentioned above are
solar symbols, and the Basilidian Abrasax is manifestly connected with the sun. J. J. Bellermann has speculated that "the whole represents the Supreme Being, with his Five great Emanations, each one pointed out by means of an expressive emblem. Thus, from the human body, the usual form assigned to the Deity, forasmuch as it is written that God created man in his own image, issue the two supporters,
Nous and
Logos, symbols of the inner sense and the quickening understanding, as typified by the serpents, for the same reason that had induced the old Greeks to assign this reptile for an attribute to Pallas. His head—a cock's—represents
Phronesis, the fowl being emblematical of foresight and vigilance. His two hands bear the badges of
Sophia and
Dynamis, the shield of Wisdom, and the scourge of Power."
Origin In the absence of other evidence to show the origin of these curious relics of antiquity the occurrence of a name known as Basilidian on patristic authority has not unnaturally been taken as a sufficient mark of origin, and the early collectors and critics assumed this whole group to be the work of Gnostics. During the last three centuries attempts have been made to sift away successively those gems that had no claim to be considered in any sense Gnostic, or specially Basilidian, or connected with Abrasax. The subject is one which has exercised the ingenuity of many savants, but it may be said that all the engraved stones fall into three classes: •
Abraxas, or stones of Basilidian origin The following example is illustrative: "I conjure you by
Iaō Sabaōth Adōnai Abrasax, and by the great god,
Iaeō". The patriarchs are sometimes addressed as deities; for which fact many instances may be adduced. In the group "Iakoubia, Iaōsabaōth Adōnai Abrasax", the first name seems to be composed of
Jacob and Ya. Similarly, entities considered angels in Judaism are invoked as gods alongside Abrasax: thus "I conjure you ... by the god
Michaēl, by the god
Souriēl, by the god
Gabriēl, by the god
Raphaēl, by the god Abrasax Ablathanalba Akrammachari ...". In text PGM V. 96–172, Abraxas is identified as part of the "true name which has been transmitted to the prophets of Israel" of the "Headless One, who created heaven and earth, who created night and day ... Osoronnophris whom none has ever seen ... awesome and invisible god with an empty spirit"; the name also includes Iaō and Adōnai. "Osoronnophris" represents Egyptian
Wsir Wn-nfr, "
Osiris the Perfect Being". Another identification with Osiris is made in PGM VII. 643-51: "you are not wine, but the guts of Osiris, the guts of ... Ablanathanalba Akrammachamarei Eee, who has been stationed over necessity, Iakoub Ia Iaō Sabaōth Adōnai Abrasax." PGM VIII. 1-63, on the other hand, identifies Abraxas as a name of "
Hermes" (i.e.
Thoth). Here the numerological properties of the name are invoked, with its seven letters corresponding to the seven planets and its
isopsephic value of 365 corresponding to the days of the year. Thoth is also identified with Abrasax in PGM LXXIX. 1-7: "I am the soul of darkness, Abrasax, the eternal one, Michaēl, but my true name is Thōouth, Thōouth." One papyrus titled the "Monad" or the "Eighth Book of
Moses" (PGM XIII. 1–343) contains an invocation to a supreme creator God; Abraxas is given as being the name of this God in the language of the baboons. The papyrus goes on to describe a cosmogonic myth about Abraxas, describing how he created the
Ogdoad by laughing. His first laughter created light; his second divided the
primordial waters; his third created the mind; his fourth created fertility and procreation; his fifth created fate; his sixth created time (as the sun and moon); and his seventh and final laughter created the soul. Then, from various sounds made by Abrasax, there arose the serpent
Python who "foreknew all things", the first man (or
Fear), and the god
Iaō, "who is lord of all". The man fought with Iaō, and Abrasax declared that Iaō's power would derive from both of the others, and that Iaō would take precedence over all the other gods. This text also describes
Helios as an archangel of God/Abrasax. The
Leyden Papyrus recommends that this invocation be pronounced to the moon:
Other Abrasax (, occasionally , , etc.) is also found in several Semitic sources, extending into the middle ages: late antique
Aramaic (or bilingual) magical texts from Palestine;
Incantation bowls from Mesopotamia;
Judeo-Arabic and
Hebrew magical texts from the
Cairo Genizah; the Hebrew
Sefer HaRazim which has been reconstructed from the Genizah - here Abrasax is the first among some thirty angels directing the sun during the day; == In architecture ==