Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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ZOOR0061

Negev. Zoora. July 19, 389 CE. Brownish sandstone tombstone. Epitaph.
Transcription

+ ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον Ἀμαθήσου Ἀβδισάρου, ἀποθανόντος ἐν ὁσιότετιὁσιότητι ἔτεἔτη κʹ, ἔτους σπδʹ,μηνὸς ΠονέμουςΠανήμου. ΘάρσιΘάρσει, οὐδὶςοὐδείς ἀθάνατος.+

Translation

Monument of Amathesos, (son) of Abdisharos, who died in holiness (at the age) of 20 years, in (the) year 284, in (the) month of Panemos. Be of good cheer, no one (is) immortal.

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
The inscription provides the date as the year 284 in the month of Panemos according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, between June 20, 389 and July 19, 389. The tombstone is one of about 700 discovered in Byzantine Zoora. The majority of the Greek tombstones from this location have been identified as Christian. The tombstone, which is rectangular and chipped all around, is broken at the lower right corner. The inscribed surface is flaked off at the edges. Both the text and decoration of the tombstone are engraved and painted over in red. A coarsely engraved frame surrounds the inscription. The right and left sides of this frame are decorated with oblique lines, perhaps imitating palm branches. Several figures appear within the frame and above or below the text. An outlined, deeply engraved cross with four dots at its corners appears above the text. A vault covers this cross, and two vertical palm branches stand on the sloping sides of the vault. Below the text, a thicker outlined cross is flanked by two cross-rho figures. Another cross-rho figure appears at the end of line ten. Aside from a few square ο, σ, and θ letters, the script is round. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors. A small diagonal line is attached to the letter ε in the word ἔτε in line seven although the word is not abbreviated. A wavy horizontal bar appears above the age numeral and year numeral in lines seven and eight, respectively. The personal name Ἀμάθησος is new to Palestine and Arabia and may reflect a Semitic compound name with the elements "female servant" and the root "to save, to help." The author notes that the formula ἀποθανόντος ἐν ὁσιότητι is also found in Zoor0022.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 56 cm; W: 35 cm; D: 06.7 cm

Date

389 CE to 389 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Frame around the text

  • Cross centered above and below text

  • Cross-rho two flanking the cross below the text and one at the end of line ten

  • Palm-branch(?) forming the left and right sides of the frame

Bibliography

Source of diplomatic

No bibliography available for diplomatic transcription.

Source of transcription

No bibliography available for transcription.

Source of translation

No bibliography available for translation.

Other sources

  • Meimaris, Yiannis, and Kalliope Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou. Inscriptions from Palaestina Tertia Vol. Ia: The Greek Inscriptions from Ghor Es-Safi (Byzantine Zoora). Athens, Greece: National Hellenic Research Foundation, 2005. insc 61.
    Zotero
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The project can be cited as:

Satlow, Michael L., ed. 2002 - . “Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine.” Brown University. https://doi.org/10.26300/PZ1D-ST89

This inscription can be cited as:

"Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine," ZOOR0061, 8 January 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89