Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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Location

ZOOR0251

Zoora, May 17, 498 CE. Tombstone. Epitaph.
Transcription

Εἶς θεός, ἁὁ πάντων Δεσπότης. ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον Μοσσαλέμου Ἐπιφανίου, ἀπαθανούντοςἀποθανόντος μετὰ καλοῦ ὀνόματος καὶ καλῆς πίστεως ἐτῶν κεʹ, ἐν ἔτιἔτει τϟγʹ, μηνὸς ἈρτημεσίουἈρτεμισίου κζʹ, ἡμέρᾳ ζʹ. Θάρσει, οὐδὶςοὐδείς ἀθάνατος.

Translation

One (is) the God, the Lord of all. Monument of Mosalemos, (son) of Epiphanios, who died having a good name and good faith (at the age) of 25 years, in (the) year 393, on (the) 27th (day) of (the) month Artemisios, on (the) 7th day (Saturday). 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 7th day (Saturday), on the 27th day of the month of Artemisios, in the year 393, according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is October 22, 495 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 author notes that Μοσάλεμος is a Hellenization of the Arabic Musalim, from the root slm, "to be peaceful", while the name Ἐπιφάνιος is a Greek name first attested in the fourth century BCE.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 42 cm; W: 33.2 cm; D: 7 cm

Date

498 CE to 498 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

No figures described.

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," ZOOR0251, 19 November 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89