Iconographies and texts that appear in some series of magical gems are presented in this fascinating study. Magical gems are still a scarcely explored area of antiquity in which new features of religion can be discovered. This volume presents an intriguing religious complex that concerns the Egyptian Kronos, his relations with Syrian culture, and Platonism. A totally new aspect of this book considers the reflection of Brahmanic thought on the iconography of magical gems. Contents: Introduction: Magical Gems as a Documentary Source for Ancient Religon; Theology on Magical Gems; Metamorphoses of Kronos on a Gem in Bologna; New Reading of the Osiris Myth in Near-Eastern Magic; Helios-Shiva: Porphyry, Ardhanarisvara, and a Magical Gem in Naples; Asklepios Leontouchos and Divine Triads on Syrian Gems; Empousa, Also Called Onoskelis. Illus.
