Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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BENS0002

Ben Shemen, Late third or early fourth centuries CE. Wall. Funerary.
Transcription

Ἰωέζαρος ος καὶ Θεωκτίστα τε· Ὑγιένων κτίστης ἔπρασσε ἄμα Πομπυλίᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεράποντες

Translation

Ioezer, [...]os and Theo[c]tista; Hygienon, builder (of the tomb), made (this) together with Pompilia, servants of Christ.

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
Two different interpretations can be suggested for this text. One interpretation is that all the persons mentioned together were responsible for the hewing and decoration of the tomb. Otherwise, the first three names might refer to three persons buried in the tomb – probably the first three deceased who were buried in the cave after it was adopted for burial in the Late Roman period – while Hygienon and Pompilia, in all likelihood a married couple, were responsible for decorating the burial cave and painting the inscription.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 39 cm; W: 64 cm; D: —

Date

275 CE to 325 CE

Current location

No provenance provided.

Figures

  • Painted double frame around the inscription. the upper and left-hand sides of the frame are lost. seemingly, an attempt was made to create a kind of tabula ansata by painting part of the narrow strip between the two frames in red, and leaving an unpainted triangle where the handle of the tabula ansata would have been. although only the upper and lower right corners of the frame survive, the height of the tabula and the number of lines can be established with certainty. the width of the tabula in its present state is 58 cm (64 cm with the right hand handle), and it was probably originally not much wider.

Bibliography

Source of diplomatic

  • Di Segni, Leah. “A Greek Inscription from the Late Roman Period in Burial Cave 4 at Ben Shemen.” Atiqot 73 (2013): 67–70.
    Zotero

Source of transcription

  • Di Segni, Leah. “A Greek Inscription from the Late Roman Period in Burial Cave 4 at Ben Shemen.” Atiqot 73 (2013): 67–70.
    Zotero

Source of translation

  • Di Segni, Leah. “A Greek Inscription from the Late Roman Period in Burial Cave 4 at Ben Shemen.” Atiqot 73 (2013): 67–70.
    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," BENS0002, 7 June 2026. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89