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Ancient Amulet Discovered with Curious Palindrome Inscription

38 points by Thevet 12y ago

JadeNB 12y ago
> The amulet contains a Greek inscription … which reads the same backwards as it does forwards, a feature known as a palindrome …. Although the translation doesn’t read as a palindrome, the original ancient Greek text does. I don't know whether to appreciate their devotion to not assuming a cultural background on the part of their audience, or to be horrified that it's necessary to (a) define what a palindrome is and (b) pre-emptively point out that the translation of a palindrome need not also be a palindrome (unlike the translation of a lipogram https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Void https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Void :-) ).
gilgoomesh 12y ago
This was published in 2013: http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/getdocument.aspx?logid=5&id=c76bdd0173a44e7fa4e0e3fc3b33ea02 http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/getdocument.aspx?logid=5&id=c76bdd... I have no idea why live science is digging it up now.
- anigbrowl 12y ago
  I've seen a lot of this in the last week. I think it's journalists just reaching into the slush pile and doing a bunch of low-quality articles to meet their quota over the holiday.
HenryLim 12y ago
The inscription translates as “Iahweh is the bearer of the secret name, the lion of Re secure in his shrine.” ΙΑΕW ΒΑΦΡΕΝΕΜ ΟΥΝΟΘΙΛΑΡΙ ΚΝΙΦΙΑΕΥΕ ΑΙΦΙΝΚΙΡΑΛ ΙΘΟΝΥΟΜΕ ΝΕΡΦΑΒW ΕΑΙ --quoted from Article Iahweh seems like a Greek transliteration of the Jewish God Yahweh. The question I have is who is the lion of Re?
- wyck 12y ago
  Most likely the Lion of Judah, who's symbol and emblem was and is still currently used, considering Yahweh was the national god of the Kingdom of Judah. This can be seen on the coat of arms of Jerusalem : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emblem_of_Jerusalem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emblem_of_Jerusalem
  - HenryLim 12y ago
    Amazing! So the translation can be read as "Yahweh is the bearer of the secret name, and the lion of Judah secure in his shrine.
- greenyoda 12y ago
  "The question I have is who is the lion of Re?" According to Wikipedia, "Re" can be a reference to the Egyptian god Ra.[1] Given the Egyptian imagery on the other side of the amulet ("a bandaged mummy likely representing the Egyptian god Osiris"), that might be the "Re" that's being referenced. And Ra has an association with a lion: "Sekhmet was the Eye of Ra and was created by the fire in Ra's eye. She was a violent lioness."[2] Ra himself has also been depicted in the form of a lion.[3] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra (first sentence) [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra#Ra_and_the_sun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra#Ra_and_the_sun [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra#Iconography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra#Iconography
classicsnoot 12y ago
I see no evidence for this idea, yet i cannot help but wonder: could this be some sort of ironic and/or humorous observation on the local religiosity? Kind of like some future human civilization discovering I am America and So Can You by S. Colbert and not having any contextual reference?

38 points by Thevet 12y ago

> The amulet contains a Greek inscription … which reads the same backwards as it does forwards, a feature known as a palindrome …. Although the translation doesn’t read as a palindrome, the original ancient Greek text does. I don't know whether to appreciate their devotion to not assuming a cultural background on the part of their audience, or to be horrified that it's necessary to (a) define what a palindrome is and (b) pre-emptively point out that the translation of a palindrome need not also be a palindrome (unlike the translation of a lipogram https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Void https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Void :-) ).

gilgoomesh 12y ago

This was published in 2013: http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/getdocument.aspx?logid=5&id=c76bdd0173a44e7fa4e0e3fc3b33ea02 http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/getdocument.aspx?logid=5&id=c76bdd... I have no idea why live science is digging it up now.

anigbrowl 12y ago
I've seen a lot of this in the last week. I think it's journalists just reaching into the slush pile and doing a bunch of low-quality articles to meet their quota over the holiday.

HenryLim 12y ago

The inscription translates as “Iahweh is the bearer of the secret name, the lion of Re secure in his shrine.” ΙΑΕW ΒΑΦΡΕΝΕΜ ΟΥΝΟΘΙΛΑΡΙ ΚΝΙΦΙΑΕΥΕ ΑΙΦΙΝΚΙΡΑΛ ΙΘΟΝΥΟΜΕ ΝΕΡΦΑΒW ΕΑΙ --quoted from Article Iahweh seems like a Greek transliteration of the Jewish God Yahweh. The question I have is who is the lion of Re?

wyck 12y ago
Most likely the Lion of Judah, who's symbol and emblem was and is still currently used, considering Yahweh was the national god of the Kingdom of Judah. This can be seen on the coat of arms of Jerusalem : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emblem_of_Jerusalem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emblem_of_Jerusalem
- HenryLim 12y ago
  Amazing! So the translation can be read as "Yahweh is the bearer of the secret name, and the lion of Judah secure in his shrine.
greenyoda 12y ago
"The question I have is who is the lion of Re?" According to Wikipedia, "Re" can be a reference to the Egyptian god Ra.[1] Given the Egyptian imagery on the other side of the amulet ("a bandaged mummy likely representing the Egyptian god Osiris"), that might be the "Re" that's being referenced. And Ra has an association with a lion: "Sekhmet was the Eye of Ra and was created by the fire in Ra's eye. She was a violent lioness."[2] Ra himself has also been depicted in the form of a lion.[3] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra (first sentence) [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra#Ra_and_the_sun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra#Ra_and_the_sun [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra#Iconography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra#Iconography

classicsnoot 12y ago

I see no evidence for this idea, yet i cannot help but wonder: could this be some sort of ironic and/or humorous observation on the local religiosity? Kind of like some future human civilization discovering I am America and So Can You by S. Colbert and not having any contextual reference?