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A 1,700-Year-Old Antioch Curse Tablet Called on Iao to Destroy a Greengrocer
A roughly 1,700-year-old curse tablet from ancient Antioch called upon Iao—the Greek form of the divine name Yahweh—to attack an ordinary greengrocer named Babylas. Inscribed in Greek on a thin sheet of lead, the spell was not directed against an emperor, military commander or wealthy official. Its target was a man who sold fruit and…
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Ancient Stone Cup in Bulgaria Reveals a Second Dedication to Heracles the Hunter
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica in southwestern Bulgaria have uncovered a second inscription naming Heracles Kynagidas, or “Heracles the Hunter,” only days after a similar dedication was deciphered nearby. The new find was made during excavations led by Prof. Ludmil Vagalinski of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy…