Gems found in great abundance in Spain, which represent a human body, with the head of a cock and the feet of a reptile. They have often the inscription Abrasax, or Abraxas in Greek characters, which is supposed, however, to be Persian or Egyptian origin. According to Bellerman, they belonged to the religious sect of the Basilidians, and were used partly as means for teaching secret doctrines, partly as symbols, and partly as amulets or talismans. The name is also given to those stones which bear the emblems of Sahaeism. Dr. Neander, of Berlin, has wrtiten an interesting dissertation on the subject.

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