(Original story in Greek by Inga Athanasiadou)
She was most probably a Greek-speaking Jewish woman who lived in Thessaloniki during the Roman era. She was buried in the east cemetery of the town and carried along in her journey to the other world two magic weapons: two seal stones that held the power of protecting her from evil.
Archaeologist Despina Ignatiadou will present these two rare findings during the 25th Meeting on Archaeological Work in Macedonia and Thrace, which will be held on March 1-3 in the old Philosophy School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
In her lecture entitled “Jewish magic in Roman Thessaloniki” the renowned archaeologist will elaborate on the construction and meaning of the gemstones crafted after the second post-Christianic century of the Roman era.
As Mrs. Ignatiadou explained: “Gemstones have markings on them depicting deities, characters or magically charged symbols. Combined with the stone they are made of, these engraved markings can protect the bearer by chasing the evil forces away”.
The two gemstones were discovered in very good condition. Their stones are tied on a golden necklace, although gemstones are usually found in the form of rings or even completely loose because of their magical protection powers.
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