Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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Images

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Location

JERU0145

Judaea. Jerusalem. 20 BCE to 135 CE. Soft limestone ossuary. Funerary.
Transcription

גאיס נניס

Translation

Gaius the small

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
Ossuary has inner ledge on three sides. Lid is missing. The Latin name Caius (Gaius) was common among western Jews and occasionally occurs in this region, though it is considered a non-Jewish name in contemporaneous local literature. נניס, possibly ננוס, was originally a nickname derived from the Greek νᾶνος, "dwarf." Used as an adjective here, it is analogous to קטנה, which itself is attested transliterated into Greek. These derogatory nicknames and others such as "the dour" and "the amputated'" may have originated as terms of abuse but become accepted family names.

Languages

Aramaic, Hebrew

Dimensions

H: 28.5 cm; W: 57 cm; D: 23.5 cm

Date

20 BCE to 135 CE

Current location

No provenance provided.

Figures

No figures described.

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

  • Rahmani, L.Y. A Catalogue of Jewish Ossuaries in the Collections of the State of Israel. Edited by Ayala Sussmann. Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1994.
    Zotero
  • Rahmani, L.Y. A Catalogue of Jewish Ossuaries in the Collections of the State of Israel. Edited by Ayala Sussmann. Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1994.
    Zotero
  • Rahmani, L.Y. A Catalogue of Jewish Ossuaries in the Collections of the State of Israel. Edited by Ayala Sussmann. Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1994.
    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," JERU0145, 19 November 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89