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Location

ZOOR0193

Negev. Zoora. April 20, 452 CE. Yellowish sandstone tombstone. Epitaph.

Transcription

+ + Εἷς Θεὸς. ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον Οὐαλεντῖνα Μαγδίου, ἀποθανούσης ἐτῶν κʹ, ἐν ἔτιἔτει τμζʹ, μηνὶ Ξανθικοῦ λʹ, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ Παρασκευῇ. ΘάρσιΘάρσει, οὐδὶςοὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος.

Translation

One (is) the God. Monument of Oualentina (Valentina), (daughter) of Magdios, who died (at the age) of 20 years, in the year 347, on (the) 30th (day) of (the) month Xanthikos, on 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 Friday, the 30th of the month of Xanthikos, in the year 347 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, April 20, 452 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 originally rectangular tombstone is pointed at the top, broken in the lower section, chipped all around, and mended from two fragments. Written in square script, the text is engraved upon a smoothed surface, which is flaked off at the edges. Lines one, three, five, seven, nine, and ten are painted over in red. The text is surrounded by an incised frame, the bottom of which is only discernible at the edges. The upper line of the frame is painted red, while the remaining two sides only preserve traces of paint. A hollowed, outlined cross appears above the frame and preserves traces of green paint. Another smaller, red-painted cross appears above this cross. The lower cross is flanked by two birds drawn in red paint, the right of which is partially faded. Traces of red paint below the inscription suggest that another symbolic scene originally appeared there. The editor notes that though the deceased's name is Latin, the patronymic suggests that she was native to the region. A horizontal bar appears above the year numeral in line six and the month day numeral in line seven. The bar in line six is both incised and painted red. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 36 cm; W: 28 cm; D: 0.06 cm

Date

452 CE to 452 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Frame surrounding the text

  • Bird flanking the outlined cross above the text

  • Cross (see note)

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," ZOOR0193, 7 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89