Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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ZOOR0196

Zoora, July 13, 453 CE. Tombstone. Epitaph.
Transcription

+ + + + + Εἷς Θεός, ὁ πάντων Δεσπότης. ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον Ὀγέζωνος ὁ καὶ Ἰωάννου Σαδάλλου, διδασκϛάλου, ἀποθανόντος μετὰ καλοῦ ὀνόματος ἐτῶν κβʹ, ἔτους τμηʹ, μηνὸς ΠανέμουΠανήμου κδʹ, ἡμέρᾳ Κυρίου βʹ, ἐν χρόνοις ςʹ ἰνδικτιῶνος. ΘάρσιΘάρσει, οὐδὶςοὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος.

Translation

One (is) the God, the Lord of all. Monument of Ogezon also (called) Ioannes, son of Sadallos, (the) teacher, who died having good name (at the age) of 22 years, in (the) year 348, on (the) 24th (day) of (the) month Panemos, on (the) 2nd day of (the) Lord (Monday), in the 6th indiction year. 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 24th of the month Panemos, in the year 348 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, in the 6th indiction year, that is, July 13, 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. Below the inscription, a central kantharos, holding what seem to be grapevines, is flanked by two birds. Above the smoothed cavity to the right appears an outlined, incised cross with traces of another cross in the center. Another bird is centered below the smoothed cavity. All of these figures are drawn in red paint, which is now faded. A horizonal bar appears above the age and year numerals in line seven, both the month day numeral and abbreviation of Κυρίου in line eight, and the indiction number in line nine. A serpentine motif follows the weekday numeral in line eight. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors. The editor notes that in line seven, the word ἔτους is a abbreviated by its inital epsilon, which itself resembles a sigma due to a missing middle bar. He also suggests that based on the shared patronymic, time of death, physical similarities of the tombstones, and the mention of the profession of διδάσκαλος, Ogezon was likely the brother of the Samirabbos referred to in Zoor0156.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 57 cm; W: 40 cm; D: 8 cm

Date

453 CE to 453 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Guide lines within the text

  • Grapevines held by kantharos

  • Bird (see note)

  • Serpentine motif in line eight

  • Kantharos below the text

  • Crosses above the inscription and within the smoothed area of the stone

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," ZOOR0196, 7 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89