Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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ZOOR0231

Negev. Zoora, January 27, 476 CE. Tombstone. Funerary (Epitaph).
Transcription

+ + Εἶς θεός ὁ πάντων Δεσπότης. Μνημῖον Μνημεῖον Ἄντυος Πέτρου, πρινικηρίου πριμικηρίου ἀποθανόντος μετὰ καλοῦ ὀνόματος καὶ καλῆς πίστεως ἐτῶν νʹ, ἔτους τοʹ, μηνὸς Περιτίου ιβʹ, ἠμέρᾳ Κυρίου γʹ. Θάρσι Θάρσει , οὐδὶς οὐδείς ἀθάνατος. +

Translation

One (is) the God, the Lord of all. Monument of Antys, (son) of Petros, primicerius, who died having a good name and good faith (at the age) of 50 years, in (the) year 370, on (the) 12th (day) of (the) month Peritios, on (the) 3rd day of (the) Lord (Tuesday). 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 3rd day of the Lord (Tuesday), the 12th day of the month Peritios in the year 370, according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is January 27, 476 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 rectangular in shape but broken in the left corner. The smoothed, inscribed surface has a number of chisel marks. A fragment of preserved plaster sticks to the right of the lower side. An incised and red-painted frame encloses the text, and the extension of its vertical and horizontal lines forms small triangular motifs in each corner. Above the frame a cross with triangular serifs stands flanked by two engraved heraldic birds, each of a different type. A simple cross is engraved at the end of the last line of text. The text is engraved, and lines 2, 5, 8 and 11 have also been painted over in red. The author suggests that Ἄντυος mentioned may be the son of the Πέτρος mentioned in zoor0162, whose father was also named Ἄντυος. The office of Πριμκήριος is the head of a department of military or civil service. The text contains spelling and grammatical errors.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 44 cm; W: 32 cm; D: 20 cm

Date

476 CE to 476 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Frame around inscription

  • Cross centered above frame, end of last line of text

  • Triangle corners of frame

  • Heraldic bird flanking cross

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. insc 231.
    Zotero
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Cite This Inscription

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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," ZOOR0231, 3 April 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89