Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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Location

ZOOR0012

Negev. Zoora. March 22, 354 CE - March 21, 355 CE. Sandstone tombstone, painted and partially engraved. Epitaph.
Transcription

ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον Ἀβδάλγην Βάγγα ἀποθανόνταςἀποθανόντος ἐτῶν οʹ ἔτους διακοσσιοστοῦδιακοσιοστοῦ τεσαρακοστοῦτεσσαρακοστοῦ ἐνάτου ἡμέρᾳ Ἄρεως

Translation

Monument of Abdalges, (son) of Vaggas, who died (at the age) of 70 years, in (the) two hundred and forty-ninth year, on (the) day of Mars (Tuesday)...

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
The inscription provides the date as the day of Mars in the year 249 according to Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, a Tuesday between March 22, 354 CE and March 21, 355 CE. The tombstone is one of about 700 discovered in Byzantine Zoora. The majority of the Greek tombstones from this location have been identified as Christian. The inscription contains both grammatical and spelling errors and is recorded in a rounded script with a mixture of engraving and painting. The first three lines as well as the first four letters of the fourth line are engraved and painted red, while the rest of the text is only painted. The painted letters are of better quality than the engraved ones. The author notes that the age numeral is surrounded with a painted red box, while the year (249 of the Era of the Province of Arabia) is recorded in ordinal numbers. The tombstone is broken at its bottom and seems to be missing two more lines, which might tentatively be restored with the common formula "Θάρσει, οὐδείς ἀθάνατος".

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 24.5 cm; W: 25 cm; D: 06 cm

Date

354 CE to 355 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • painted red square frame surrounding the age numeral

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

  • Meimaris, Yiannis, and Kalliope Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou. Inscriptions from Palaestina Tertia Vol. Ia: The Greek Inscriptions from Ghor Es-Safi (Byzantine Zoora). Athens, Greece: National Hellenic Research Foundation, 2005.
    Zotero
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Cite This Inscription

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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," ZOOR0012, 12 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89