Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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BIRS0004

Negev. Birsama (Be'er-Shema), 450 CE - 500 CE. Mosaic Pavement. Dedication.
Transcription

Μνήσθητι Κύριε Βίκτωρ τὸν κελαρίτην καὶ Στέφανον τὸν ἱερέα

Translation

O, Lord, remember Victor, the storekeeper and Stephanos the [priest].

Diplomatic

ΜΝΗϹΘΗΤΙΚΕΒΙΚΤΩΡΤΟΝΚΕΛΑΡΙΤΗΝΚΑΙϹΤΕΦΑΝΟΝΤΟΝ

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
Commemorative inscription on the floor at the entrance of a side room in the church. It is set in tabula ansata, and is made of black letters with a white rectangular background. The bottom of the border and some of the text is missing due to damage. The Stephanos mentioned in this inscription is most likely the same priest Stephanos mentioned in Birs0002, Birs0007, and Birs0008. The command to remember (μνήσθητι) can be applied to both the living and dead, and the editor suggests that in this case both Stephanos and Victor were alive when the inscription was made. Victor is commemorated as the keeper of the food storerooms (κελαρίτην). The editor notes that this usage is unusual, as this title is found neither in Greek literary nor Christian epigraphic sources. Instead, the term oiconomos is generally encountered. The inscription makes use of lunate sigmas. The name Stephanos and Victor are of Greek and Latin origin, respectively.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: —; W: —; D: —

Date

450 CE to 550 CE

Current location

No provenance provided.

Figures

  • border top and sides

  • tabula ansata sides

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

  • Tzaferis, Vassilios. “The Greek Inscriptions from the Early Christian Church at ’Evron.” Eretz-Israel 25 (1996).
    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," BIRS0004, 15 June 2026. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89