Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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Location

BIRS0009

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

δει ζ τιχος ἀκαταμάχητον ψυχῶν καὶ σωμάτων ἱατήρ ἀρχιδιάκον πρωτομάρτυς Στεφανε

Translation

Wall (fortification) irresistable, healer of souls and bodies, o archdeacon and first-martyr Stephanos.

Diplomatic

ΔΕΙΖ ΤΙΧΟϹΑΚΑΤΑΜΑΧΗΤΟΝ ΨΥΧΩΝΚΑΙϹΩΜΑΤΩΝΙΑΤΗΡ ΑΡΧΙΔΙΑΚΚΑΙΠΡΩΤΟΜΑΡΤΥϹϹΤΕΦΑΝ

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
Laudatory inscription on the floor in the central entrance of the church. The mosaic is made of black letters set into a white rectangular background and is bordered in tabula ansata. Two or three lines of text seem to be missing, followed by a line on which only four letters survive. Three restorable lines follow, though their right sides have been destroyed. Based on the surviving text, the inscription seems to be a laudatory chant to Saint Stephanos with its phraseology coming from ecclesiastical hymonology. Saint Stephanos seems to have been particularly popular in the region in the 5th and 6th century, as many churches from this period which have been found were dedicated to him have been found. He is referred to as archdeacon because of his place as one of the seven first deacons who served the Christians of Jerusalem (according to Acts 6-7). His title of first-martyr (πρωτομάρυς) comes from the claim in Acts 7:59-60 that he was the first martyred Christian (having been stoned to death in 35 CE). Below the inscription is a rectangular border of flowers. The inscription makes use of lunate sigmas as well as large miniscule omegas (in the place of majuscule omegas).

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: —; W: —; D: —

Date

450 CE to 550 CE

Current location

No provenance provided.

Figures

  • tabula ansata sides

  • geometric border below

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," BIRS0009, 7 June 2026. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89