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Location

ZOOR0195

Negev. Zoora. May 8, 453 CE. White sandstone tombstone. Epitaph.

Transcription

+ + + Εἷς Θεός. ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον Σίλθας Ἀλεξάνδρου, διακόνου, ἀποθανούσης μετὰ καλῆς πίστεως καὶ καλοῦ ὀνόματος ἐτῶν κεʹ, ἐν ἔτιἔτει τμηʹ, μηνὶ ἈρτεμεσίουἈρτεμισίου ηιʹ, ἡμέρᾳ Κυρίου ςʹ. ΘάρσιΘάρσει, οὐδὶςοὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος.

Translation

One (is) the God. Monument of Siltha, (daughter) of Alexandros, (the) deaconess, who died having good faith and a good name (at the age) of 25 years, in the year 348, on (the) 18th (day) of (the) month Artemisios, 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 18th of the month Artemisios, in the year 348 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, May 8, 453 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. Originally rectangular in shape, the tombstone is narrower and curved at the top, chipped all around, and damaged in the upper right section. Written in square script, the text is engraved upon a smoothed surface, which is slightly hollowed in the middle. A few salt crystals appear elsewhere on the stone. Lines one, three, five, seveν and nine are painted over in red. Above the inscription, an outlined, red-painted cross is flanked by two crosses with serifs filled with red paint. Below the inscription, four left-facing birds in a row are drawn in red paint, the first two of which are clearly preserved. Both the text and decorative figures are surrounded by an incised rectangular frame. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors. Serpentine motifs appear in line six, following the word ἐτῶν. A horizontal bar appears above the age and year numerals in line seven, the inverted month day numeral in line eight, as well as the abbreviation of Κυρίου and weekday numeral in line nine. Angular motifs flank the month day numeral in line eight and the weekday numeral in line nine. Two left-facing angular motifs appear at the end of line ten.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 47.5 cm; W: 39 cm; D: 0.06 cm

Date

453 CE to 453 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Serpentine motif in line six

  • Cross three above the text

  • Bird four in a row below the text

  • Angular motif (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," ZOOR0195, 7 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89