Greco-Roman gnostic amulet (c. AD 3rd century)
Obv: On the left, female? figure standing with left hand raised to mouth, right hand lowered beside the body. Facing her, a lion striding in profile to left over a nude figure lying on his back, head to left. Above the lion: an eight-pointed star (on the left) and a lying crescent (on the right).
Rev: Blank.
Weight: 17.71 g.
Diameter: 22.81 mm.
The hand on the mouth is interpreted as a gesture of silence, and the female figure is therefore usually interpreted as the personified silence (Sigé). In connection with a journey of the soul, the magical papyri recommend silence as a means of protection. That the scene refers to theories of redemption or the migration of the soul before (again) birth is also underlined by the lion image, since according to several secret teachings the sign of the lion represents the starting point for the soul's formation before birth in the world. Both the figure with the hand on the mouth and the lion often appear on the gnostic gems the lion in connection with the motif of striding over a figure lying on the ground. Cf. The Campbell Bonner Magical Gems Database, CBd-662, CBd-666-672, CBd-675.