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Location

ZOOR0189

Negev. Zoora. November 17, 450 CE. Reddish sandstone tombstone. Epitaph.

Transcription

ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον ἈμγίλιςἈμρίλις Ζηνοβίου, ἀποθανόντος μετὰ κολοῦκαλοῦ ἀνόματοςὀνόματος ἐτῶν κεʹ, ἐν τῷ τμεʹ, μηνὸς ἈπελλέουἈπελλαίου αʹ. ΘάρσιΘάρσει, οὐδὶςοὐδεὶς ἀθάνοτοςἀθάνατος. +

Translation

Monument of Amrili(o)s, (son) of Zenobios, who died having a good name (at the age) of 25 years, in the year 345, on (the) 1st (day) of (the) month Apellaios. 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 of the month Apellaios, in the year 345 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, November 17, 450 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 irregularly shaped tombstone is broken on all sides and pointed at the bottom. Written predominantly in round script with a few square exceptions, the text is engraved upon a smoothed surface which is chipped at the edges. Lines one, three, five, seven, and nine are painted over in red. The inscription is surrounded by an incised, red-painted frame, the corners of which are decorated on the outside with four drop-like motifs drawn in red paint. An outlined cross with a chi sign in the middle is painted in the center below the text. A horizontal bar appears above the age numeral in line six and the month day numeral in line seven. Three serpentine motifs appear at the end of line nine. The editor notes that the rho in name of the deceased, Ἀμρίλις, is mistakenly carved as a gamma. He further indicates that this name is a shortened version of the more standard Ἀμρίλιος. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 46 cm; W: 30 cm; D: 0.095 cm

Date

450 CE to 450 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Drop-like motif at the corners of the frame

  • Frame surrounding the text

  • Cross (see note)

  • Serpentine motif at the end of line nine

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," ZOOR0189, 7 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89