Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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JERU0183

Judaea. Jerusalem. 20 BCE to 70 CE. Ossuary. Funerary.
Transcription

שלום אנתת אמס שלום אנתת אמס Κ·ΝΙΦ

Translation

Shalom, wife of Amas. Shalom, wife of Amas.

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
Damaged ossuary has low feet. Height describes that of chest plus that of vaulted lid with fingergrips. Ornamentation on the chest's front side consists of two metopes in zigzag frames doubled at top, and a broadened triglyph containing a palm-trunk motif. Each metope contains a twelve-petalled rosette within a zigzag circle. The Greek letters, appearing on the chest's right side, are enigmatic, though Tzaferis interpreted two similar inscriptions that also occur on ossuaries from Mount Scopus' western slope as the initials of the deceased (see inscriptions "jeru0121" and "jeru0122"). Aramaic inscription appears on the chest's back side. שלום is a contraction of the female name שלומציון. The name אמס is probably a form of אמץ, a contraction of אמצי, itself a contraction of אמציה. Forms of the latter two are found in Greek in the Septuagint. The spelling here seems to be a transliteration from one of those Greek forms, perhaps Ἀμασαί or Ἀμασέ, rather than the original Semitic contraction. Other examples of Graecized forms of Hebrew names transliterated into Jewish script exist.

Languages

Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew

Dimensions

H: 36+6 cm; W: 62 cm; D: 27.5 cm

Date

20 BCE to 70 CE

Current location

No provenance provided.

Figures

  • zigzag circles encircling rosettes

  • zigzag frames left, right and bottom edges of front of chest

  • metopes within frames

  • doubled zigzag frames top edge of front of chest

  • palm-trunk motif triglyph

  • encircled twelve-petalled rosettes in metopes

  • broadened triglyph between metopes

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. page 203-204.
    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. page plate 84, fig. 582.
    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," JERU0183, 3 April 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89