Head of the Dragons

   DEMON in the form of a threeheaded dragon with awful skin. In the Testament of Solomon, the Head of the Dragons is a three-pronged spirit that is responsible for birth defects and epilepsy. He says he overpowers others through three deeds: He can enter the wombs of women and blind the unborn, turn their ears around backward and make them deaf and dumb, and make men fall down, grind their teeth, and foam at the mouth. He is thwarted by an “angel of the Counselor” (Christ) at Golgotha. The demon tells King SOLOMON that a great deal of gold lies beneath the foundation of the Temple of Jerusalem, which Solomon has under construction. Solomon finds the gold and binds the demon with his magical ring. He sentences the demon to make bricks for the temple.

   FURTHER READING:

   - The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. 1 & 2. Edited by James H. Charlesworth. 1983. Reprint, New York: Doubleday, 1985.