KARABÜK, TURKEY—Hürriyet Daily News reports that an amulet bearing the image of the biblical figure Solomon has been unearthed at the site of Hadrianopolis by Ersin Çelikbaş of Karabük University and his colleagues. Two baths, two churches, a defensive structure, rock-cut tombs, a theater, and other monumental buildings have been uncovered in the ancient city, which is located near the Black Sea. The pendant has been dated to the fifth century A.D. “The depiction shows the Prophet Solomon on horseback, spearing a demon,” Çelikbaş said, explaining that Solomon is revered in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. An inscription on the front of the pendant reads, “Our Lord has overcome evil,” while the names of the angels Azrael, Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil are listed on the reverse, he added. Çelikbaş thinks the artifact may have belonged to a member of a cavalry unit stationed at Hadrianopolis. “Solomon is also known to have been a commander of armies. Therefore, we understand that he was depicted here as a protector of the cavalry during Roman and post-Roman Byzantine periods at Hadrianopolis,” he said. This is the first time that such a pendant has been discovered in Anatolia, but a similar one was unearthed in Jerusalem, Çelikbaş concluded. To read about a medieval Jewish community whose foundation tradition includes a connection to Solomon, go to "Letter from Ethiopia: Exploring a Forgotten Jewish Land."
