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> The amulet contains a Greek inscription … which reads the same backwards as it does forwards, a feature known as a palindrome …. Although the translation doesn’t read as a palindrome, the original ancient Greek text does.

I don't know whether to appreciate their devotion to not assuming a cultural background on the part of their audience, or to be horrified that it's necessary to (a) define what a palindrome is and (b) pre-emptively point out that the translation of a palindrome need not also be a palindrome (unlike the translation of a lipogram https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Void :-) ).

The inscription translates as “Iahweh is the bearer of the secret name, the lion of Re secure in his shrine.”

ΙΑΕW ΒΑΦΡΕΝΕΜ ΟΥΝΟΘΙΛΑΡΙ ΚΝΙΦΙΑΕΥΕ ΑΙΦΙΝΚΙΡΑΛ ΙΘΟΝΥΟΜΕ ΝΕΡΦΑΒW ΕΑΙ

--quoted from Article

Iahweh seems like a Greek transliteration of the Jewish God Yahweh.

The question I have is who is the lion of Re?

"The question I have is who is the lion of Re?"

According to Wikipedia, "Re" can be a reference to the Egyptian god Ra.[1] Given the Egyptian imagery on the other side of the amulet ("a bandaged mummy likely representing the Egyptian god Osiris"), that might be the "Re" that's being referenced.

And Ra has an association with a lion:

"Sekhmet was the Eye of Ra and was created by the fire in Ra's eye. She was a violent lioness."[2]

Ra himself has also been depicted in the form of a lion.[3]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra (first sentence)

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra#Ra_and_the_sun

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra#Iconography

Most likely the Lion of Judah, who's symbol and emblem was and is still currently used, considering Yahweh was the national god of the Kingdom of Judah.

This can be seen on the coat of arms of Jerusalem : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emblem_of_Jerusalem

Amazing! So the translation can be read as "Yahweh is the bearer of the secret name, and the lion of Judah secure in his shrine.
I see no evidence for this idea, yet i cannot help but wonder: could this be some sort of ironic and/or humorous observation on the local religiosity? Kind of like some future human civilization discovering I am America and So Can You by S. Colbert and not having any contextual reference?
This was published in 2013:

http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/getdocument.aspx?logid=5&id=c76bdd...

I have no idea why live science is digging it up now.

I've seen a lot of this in the last week. I think it's journalists just reaching into the slush pile and doing a bunch of low-quality articles to meet their quota over the holiday.