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Location

ZOOR0169

Negev. Zoora. January 23, 442 CE. White sandstone tombstone. Epitaph.

Transcription

+ + + Μνημεῖον Κύρα + Ῥαβιβήλου, ἀπο+θανοῦσαἀποθανοῦσα μετὰ καλοῦ ὀνόματος καὶ καλῆς πίστεως ἐ+τῶνἐτῶν ιεʹ, ἐν ἔτει τριακοσσιοστοῦτριακοσιοστοῦ τριακοστοῦ ἑκτοῦ, μηνὸς Περιτίου ηʹ, + ἡμέρᾳ Κυρίου ςʹ. + Θάρσει, ὐδὶςοὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος.

Translation

Monument of Kyra, (daughter) of Rabibelos, who died having a good name and good faith (at the age) of 15 years, in the three hundred and thirty-sixth year, on (the) 8th (day) of (the) month Peritios, on (the) 6th [day] of the Lord (Friday). [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 6th day of the Lord (Friday), the 8th day of the month Peritios in the year 336 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, January 23, 442 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 rectangular tombstone is curved at the top, missing its lower left section, and chipped all around its edges. Written in round script, the text is engraved upon a smoothed surface. Lines two, five, eight, and eleven are painted over in red, while the numerals in lines six, nine, and ten are painted red. Traces of black-painted guide-lines appears in lines two, three, four, five, nine, and ten. An incised, outlined cross is centered above the inscription and filled with a chi-pattern and four painted dots in each of its corners. Flanking this cross are a pair of birds whose heads and legs are painted over in red. This scene is in turn flanked by two outlined crosses, similar to the central one except that they are completely drawn in red paint. A similar symbolic scene may have originally appeared below the inscription, but only the right edge of it has been preserved. This extant portion includes the tail and leg of a bird as well as three crosses, one on top of the other, in a cluster. The middle cross is also inscribed within a circle. This scene is engraved, and the central cross is painted over in red with four red dots in its corners. In addition, a radiant sun-disc, with a cross surrounded by dots inscribed within it, is drawn in red paint above and between the bird and cluster of crosses. Two right-facing angular motifs appear at the ends of lines one, eight, and nine, while three such motifs appear at the end of line twelve. A small, red-painted cross appears at the end of lines one, two, five, nine, and ten of the text. In line six, a red-painted trema appears above the tens unit of the age numeral, while a horizontal bar appears above the whole numeral. A similar bar appears above the weekday numeral in line ten. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 45 cm; W: 32 cm; D: 08 cm

Date

442 CE to 442 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Angular motif (see note)

  • Bird flanking the central crosses above and below the text

  • Sun-disc above and between the lower right bird and cross

  • Cross (see note)

  • Guide-lines set within the text

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.
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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," ZOOR0169, 7 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89