Tephras

Overview

Tephras first appears with his face held high while the remainder of his form curls away like a snail. He breaks through soldiers, raises dust and hurls it back down. Solomon seals the ground after spitting on it, stopping the wind. The form is a curling spirit; the account does not specify a literal snail shell.

The demon identifies himself as a spirit of ashes. His claimed activities include darkening people’s surroundings, setting fields alight and destroying homesteads, especially in summer. He also enters wall corners by day and night. His star is placed at the tip of the moon’s horn when it lies in the south.

The passage combines harmful agency with a claimed power over a recurring fever, including invocatory names. These belong to the narrative’s ritual world and do not establish a medical remedy. Tephras names Azael as the angelic counter-power. Solomon invokes that angel, seals the spirit and commands him to throw great stones up to temple workers. Alternative recensions are not silently merged into this selected translation.

Origins & earliest records

The selected documented witness is F. C. Conybeare’s1898 English translation of the Greek Testament of Solomon, following Fleck’s edition of a Paris manuscript. Its narrated temple-era setting is not a verified date of composition or folklore invention. Jewish and Christian elements and difficult readings are retained with source attribution.

Records & interpretation

§§32–33; form, self-description, star and assigned labor inspected.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   The Testament of Solomon, selected episode and editorial notes

   F. C. Conybeare, translator and editor · 1898

   §§32–33; form, self-description, star and assigned labor inspected.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Primary text in a historical scholarly editionThe Testament of Solomon: Conybeare translation and notesResearch access: 2026-10-10

Image credits

Tephras - AI-generated imagined folklore illustration.

AI-generated imagined Tephras lifting a stone in a snail-like dust coil. The high face, curled spirit, dust and stone-work follow the text; face details, lighting and temple design are invented.