Images

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Location

ZOOR0177

Negev. Zoora. October 8, 444 CE. Purple sandstone tombstone. Epitaph.

Transcription

ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον Πέτρου Γαλαέου, ἀποθανόντος ἐτῶν κζʹ, ἐν μηνὶ ὙπερβερετέουὙπερβερεταίου ακʹ, τοῦ ἔτους τλθʹ, ἡμήρᾳἡμέρᾳ Κυρίου βʹ. ΘάρσιΘάρσει, οὐδὶςοὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος.

Translation

Monument of Petros, (son) of Galaeos, who died (at the age) of 27 years, on (the) 21st (day) of the month Hyperberetaios, in the year 339, on (the) 2nd day of (the) Lord (Monday). 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 2nd day of the Lord (Monday), the 21st day of the month Hyperberetaios in the year 339 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, October 8, 444 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 broken in several places on the right side. Written in predominantly round script with a few square exceptions in lines one and two, the text is engraved upon a smoothed surface. The inscription is painted over in red. The text is surrounded by incised lines on the right and right upper sides, while the remaining sides are surrounded by a red-painted frame. A horizontal bar appears above the age numeral in line three and the weekday numeral in line seven, while a horizontal stroke appears above the inverted month day numeral in line five. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors. The editor notes that this is the first attestation of the personal name Γαλαέος in Ghor es-Safi, as well as in the rest Palestine and Arabia. The first alpha in the name Γαλαέου appears to have been engraved as an epsilon which was then corrected.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 46 cm; W: 32 cm; D: 08 cm

Date

444 CE to 444 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Frame around 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.
    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," ZOOR0177, 7 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89