Amulet

A piece of stone or metal, or other substance, marked with certain figures, to be worn about the person as a protection against danger. The name as well as the thing, comes from the East. It is from the Arabic, hamail, a locket – anything hung around the neck. Among the Turks and some other nations every person thinks an amulet necessary to safety. Amulets were in vogue among the Greeks, the Egyptians, and Romans. They were introduced into Christendom by the Basilideans. The amulets of this sect were stones with the mystic word Abraxas engraved upon them. They were highly valued by the Jews, and in past times Christians have worn them, having the mark of a fish, a cross, or a symbol of the Savior.

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