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Location

ZOOR0200

Negev. Zoora. September 10, 454 CE. Purple and yellowish sandstone tombstone with a grey stripe the left side. Epitaph.

Transcription

Εἷς Θεὀς. + ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον Μαρθόνης Ἄψητος, διάκονος, ἀποθανούσης μετὰ καλοῦ ὀνόματος καὶ καλῆς πίστεως ἐτῶν πεντήκοντα, ἐν ἔτιἔτει τμθʹ, ἐν μηνὶ ΓαρπιέουΓορπιαίου γκʹ, ἡμέρᾳ Κυρίου ςʹ. ΘάρσιΘάρσει, οὐδὶςοὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος. + +

Translation

One (is) the God. Monument of Marthone, (daughter) of Apses, (the) deaconess, who died having a good name and good faith (at the age) of fifty years, in the year 349, on (the) 23rd (day) of (the) month Gorpiaios, 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 23rd of the month Gorpiaios, in the year 349 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, September 10, 454 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 stone is broken in the lower left corner and chipped all around. Written predominantly in round-oval script with a few square exceptions, the text is engraved upon a surface, which is flaked off on the left side and upper left corner. The text is surrounded by an engraved rectangular frame. The text and the decorative figures within it are also engraved. Line one ends with a simple cross followed by a cross-rho monogram. The adjective εἷς is underlined in line one. The inverted month day numeral in line eleven is flanked by two vertical lines. Line thirteen ends in a cross-rho monogram followed by two crosses, the second of which having linear serifs. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors. Marthone is one of four deaconesses mentioned in the inscriptions from Ghor es-Safi.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 57 cm; W: 37 cm; D: 08 cm

Date

454 CE to 454 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Cross one ending line one's text, two ending line thirteen (see note)

  • Frame surrounding the text

  • Cross-rho at the ends of lines one and thirteen

  • Vertical line flanking the month day numeral in line eleven

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," ZOOR0200, 12 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89