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Location

ZOOR0207

Negev. Zoora. May 7, 456. Tombstone of white sandstone. Epitaph.

Transcription

+ + Εἶς θεός + + ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον τοῦ δούλου Σου ΚλαυδίωΚλαυδίου ἀποθανώντοςἀποθανόντος μετὰ καλοῦ ὀνοματος καὶ καλῆς πίστεως ἐτῶν δεκαεπτά, ἐν ἐτους τναʹ, ΝΕ ἐν μηνὶ ἈρτεμησίουἈρτεμισίου ιζʹ, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ Ο δευτηρᾳδευτέρᾳ τοῦ Η σάμβατοςσαββάτος ΚΗ. θάρσιθάρσει ὀυδείςοὐδις ἀθανατος. Ο + Υ + Τ + +

Translation

One (is) the God. Monument of your servant Claudius, who died having a good name and good faith (at the age) of seventeen years, in the year 351 on (the) 17th (day) of the month Artemisios, on (the) second day of the week (Monday). 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 week (Monday), the 17th day of the month Artemisios, in the year 351 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is May 7, 456 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 tombstone is almost rectangular, but curved all around with a break on the left side. The accumulation of salt crystals has caused some loss of text. The text is within a frame that is incised and painted red, the corners of which are decorated with red painted triangles. A cross is engraved above the inscription, with heraldic birds on each side, while another a single bird appears below the text flanked by crosses. The bottom left cross is simple, while the bottom right is formed out of four triangles. These images are engraved and painted over in red. The dovetail of a tabula ansata is visible in the middle of the left side of the frame. The text is set between incised guide-lines, mostly painted red. At the end of ll. 9,11, 12, 13,15, superfluous meaningless letters have been written in red paint which, along with the tabula ansata, the author suggests could be the remains of an earlier inscription. The script is round with some square exceptions. The author also notes that the the attribute δούλου Σου is attested in feminine form elsewhere in the corpus (Zoor0129), and that the epithet usually implies a person devoted to God.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 38 cm; W: 30 cm; D: 09 cm

Date

456 CE to 456 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Birds one on each side of cross above inscription, one bird below inscription

  • Frame around inscription

  • Tabula Ansata to the left of the frame

  • Guide lines within 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," ZOOR0207, 7 February 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89