In the second century the Gnostic heresy gave a new impulse to the fabrication of amulets. This strange eclecticism, resulting from an interweaving of pagan and Christian ideas, with its complicated symbolism, much of which is almost incomprehensible, found expression in the creation of the most bizarre types of amulets, and the magic virtues of the curious designs was enhanced by inscriptions purposely obscure. The incomprehensible always seems to have a mysterious charm for those devoted to the magic arts, and the adepts willingly catered to this taste, so that we can often only guess at the signification of the words and names engraved upon the Gnostic or Basilidian gems. So widespread was their use throughout the Roman Empire, that there were factories entirely devoted to the production of these objects.[185] Regarding the sacred name Abrasax, which was inscribed on so many Gnostic gems, we read in St. Augustine’s treatise De hæres., vi, “Basilides asserted that there were 365 heavens; it was for this reason that he regarded the name Abrasax as sacred and venerable.” [Illustration: 1. Gnostic gem, heliotrope, with Abraxas god. Gorlaeus Collection. From the “Abraxas seu Apistopistus” of Macarius (L’Heureux) Antwerp, 1657, Pl. II. 2. Another type; with seven stars. 3. Gnostic gem. Type of Abraxas god and mystic letters I A W. From Gori’s “Thesaurus Gemmarum Antiquarum Astriferarum,” Florence, 1750, vol. i, Pl. CLXXXIX. 4. Abraxas gem, jasper, mystic letters I A W. From Gorlaeus, “Cabinet de Pierres Gravées,” Paris, 1778. 5. Jasper engraved with the symbol of the Agathodaemon Serpent. The type of amulet noted by Galen as that used by the Egyptian king “Nechepsus” (Necho 610-594 B.C.). Original at one time in the collection of Johann Schinkel. From the “Abraxas seu Apistopistus” of Macarius (L’Heureux) Antwerp, 1657, Pl. XVII. See page 385.] According to the Greek notation the letters comprising this name give that number: α = 1 β = 2 ρ = 100 α = 1 σ = 200 α = 1 ξ = 60 —-— 365 It is, however, not unlikely that the 365 days in the solar year are signified; and this enigmatical name might thus be brought into connection with Mithra, the solar divinity, who was worshipped throughout the Persian and Roman empires in the first and second centuries of our era.