Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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BIRS0008

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

Τῷ οἴκῳ σου πρέπει ἁγίασμα Κύριε. Τὰ σὰ ἐκ τoντῶν σῶν Σοί προσφέρωμεν. Ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας Ἄλαφων καὶ Ἐμέσωνος καὶ Σαβίνα καὶ Θεοδώρας. Ὁ θεός τοῦ ἁγίου Στεφάνου μνήσθητι τὸν δοῦλον Σου Στεφάνου πρεσβυτέρου.

Translation

"Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord." (Psalm 93:5) "Bringing before thee thine of thine all." (liturgy) For the salvation of Alaphon and Emesos and Sabina and Theodora. O God of Saint Stephanos, remember your servant Stephanos the priest.

Diplomatic

ΤΩΟΙΚΩϹΟΥΠΡΕΠΕΙΑΓΙΑϹΜΑΚΕΤΑϹΑΕΚΤΟΝϹΩΝϹΟΙΠΡΟϹΦΕΡΩΜΕΝΥΠΕΡϹΩΤΗΡΙΑϹΑΛΑΦΩΝΚΑΙΕΜΕϹΩΝΟϹΚΑΙϹΑΒΙΝΑΚΑΙΘΕΟΔΩΡΑϹΟΘϹΤΟΥΑΓΙΟΥϹΤΕΦΑΝΟΥΜΝΗϹΘΗΤΙΤΟΝΔΟΥΛΟΝϹΟΥϹΤΕΦΑΝΟΥΠΡΕϹΒΥΤS

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
Commemorative inscription on the floor directly in front the alter at the center of the church's chancel. The mosaic is made of black letters set into a white rectangular background with a black border. There is a black line separating each line of text, and the entire rectangle is surrounded by several borders of geometric shapes. There is a small branch at the end of the first line. The editor notes that this text is of a very different nature than the others from the site, containing a quotation from Psalm 93:5 and from the Eastern Christian Liturgy. The priest Stephanos mentioned in the inscription is the same one mentioned in Birs0002, Birs0004, and Birs007. He is referred to as a πρεσβύτερος in this inscription and in Birs0007 and as a ἰερεύς in Birs0002 and (possibly) Birs0004. The editor indicates that these two titles can both be equally used to indicate the same clerical rank of priest. Saint Stephanos, on the other hand, seems to be the patron saint of the church, possibly indicating that the church possessed some of his relics. The inscription makes use of lunate sigmas as well as large miniscule omegas (in the place of majuscule omegas). The names Stephanos and Theodora are of Greek origin, the name Sabina is Latin, and the names Alaphon and Emesos are Semitic. The Κύριε on the first line is abbreviated with a dash over the epsilon, while the abbreviation of the final word, πρεσβυτέρου, is represented with an S in the diplomatic.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: —; W: —; D: —

Date

450 CE to 550 CE

Current location

No provenance provided.

Figures

  • Black lines in between each line of text

  • Border of geometric shapes around the first border

  • Black border surrounding the text

  • Small branch end of first line

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," BIRS0008, 18 November 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89