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Location

ZOOR0164

Negev. Zoora. August 11, 440 CE. White sandstone tombstone. Epitaph.

Transcription

Εἷς Θεός, ἀμήν. ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον Ἀλολεφάθης Θεοδοσίου, ἀποθανούσης μετὰ καλοῦ ὀνόματος ἐτῶν ιθʹ, ἔτους τλεʹ, μηνὸς Λῴου κγʹ, ἡμέρᾳ ΚυρίουυΚυρίου αʹ. ΘάρσιΘάρσει οὐδὶςοὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος.

Translation

One (is) the God, amen. Monument of Alolefathe, (daughter) of Theodosios, who died having a good name (at the age) of 19 years, in (the) year 335, on (the) 23rd (day) of the month Loos, on (the) 1st day of (the) Lord (Sunday). Be of good cheer, no one is immortal.

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
The inscription provides the date as the 1st day of the Lord (Sunday), the 23rd day of the month Loos in the year 335 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, August 11, 440 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 nearly rectangular tombstone is curved at the top, broken at the lower right corner, and chipped all around its edges. Written predominantly in square script with a few round exceptions, the text is engraved upon a smoothed surface. This surface is damaged in several places, particularly in the lower, central section of the text. Lines one, four, seven, and ten are painted over in red paint. The text in surrounded by a frame heavily painted in red. A sun-disc, outlined in heavy red paint, is centered above and below the frame. Below and to the left of the bottom sun-disc, a left-facing bird is drawn in red paint. Traces of red paint on the lower right side suggest a second bird. A horizontal bar or stroke appears above the year numeral in line seven, the month day numeral in line eight, and the week day numeral in line nine. In line nine, traces of a superfluous upsilon appear after the word Κυρίου. The editor suggests that the name of the deceased is probably a compound of the Arabic article al and the Hellenized Semitic name Ὀλεφάθη, which occurs at Ghor es-Safi in the variant Ὀλέφθα. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 56 cm; W: 32 cm; D: 06 cm

Date

440 CE to 440 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Bird to the bottom left of the lower sun-disc, facing left

  • Frame surrounding the text

  • Sun-disc centered above and below the frame

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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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," ZOOR0164, 12 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89