96 



Greek letters ; the meaning of which has not yet been ascer- 

 tained. Some of the mystical characters in the first line, cor- 

 responding with some inscribed on an Egyptian-Gnostic gem 

 published by M. J. Matter in his " Histoire Critique du Gnos- 

 ticisme," PL ii. C. Fig. 2, renders it highly probable that this 

 remarkable relic belonged originally to a disciple of one of the 

 Egyptian sects of Gnostics that prevailed during the 2nd and 

 3rd centuries of the Christian sera. It was found when the ex- 

 cavations for the site of the station of the York and North 

 Midland Railway were in progress, not far from the spot on 

 which the temple of Serapis stood, and the cave in which the 

 mysteries of Mithras were celebrated. The worship of Serapis 

 and Mithras was probably introduced into Eburacum by the 

 Emperor Sept. Severus and his son Caracalla ; and as there is 

 reason to believe that at that time the Christian religion was 

 professed by some who served in the Roman armies, or who 

 accompanied the Emperor into Britain, so there may have been 

 among these some infected with the heresy of Egyptian Gnosti- 

 cism : and thus this curious relic of ancient superstition may, 

 about that time, have found its way into Roman York. It has 

 been presented to the Society by T. Allis, Esq., in whose posses- 

 sion it has been since the time of its being discovered. 



By means of a contribution from several members of the 

 Society, the interesting antiquities which were discovered about 

 two yctirs ago in the church-yard of St. Dionis in Walmgate, 

 have been added to the Museum. They consist of a Roman 

 altar, found in the rubble foundation of one of the pillars of the 

 nave long since destroyed ; lids of two Saxon coffins, and frag- 

 ments of four other lids, of a later date, ornamented with crosses 

 of different patterns. Of these, the most important is the 

 altar ; 2 feet in height, and 12^^ inches in breadth, bearing the 

 following inscription : 



DEO 



ARCIACON 



ETNAVG SI 



MATVITALIS 



ORDVSLM 



