Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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Location

ZOOR0256

Negev. Zoora. March 22nd, 505 CE - March 21, 506 CE. Tombstone. Epitaph.
Transcription

ΜνηηῖονΜνημεῖον ΚυρακὴΚυριακή ΣεάλαουΣεάλλου ἀποθανῦσαἀπουανοῦσα μ μετὰ καλοῦ ἀνάματςὀνόματος καὶ καλῆς πιστεως ἐτῶηἐτῶν ισʹιζʹ ἐηἐν ἔτους υʹ.

Translation

Monument of Kyriake, (daughter) of Seallos, who died having a good name and good faith (at the age) of 17 years, in (the) year 400.

Diplomatic

[no diplomatic]

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
The inscription gives only the year, 400 according to the Era of the Provence of Arabia. The possible date range is therefore March 22, 505 - March 21, 506 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, curved and chipped at the corners, with some damage to its lower section resulting in a loss of text. The inscribed surface is smoothed only where the text is engraved. An incised rectangular frame encloses the text. The vertical lines of this frame extend pass their intersection points with the top and bottom of the frame. Guide lines are engraved within the body of the text. Below the frame, a cross made up of three horizontal lines crossed by two vertical lines is engraved. The author notes that the text, which is mostly in a square and round script, have “some peculiar pointed characters”. She also points out that this inscription (which has many errors) has much in common with Zoor0140 (and Zoor0293), suggesting that this is a poor attempt at copying the first eight lines of the former. She observes that the omegas in the words πίστεως and ἐτῶ{ν} in lines six and seven have an odd shape, and comments on the arrangement of the first pi, iota and sigma in the former word. The right vertical bar of the pi and the sigma are touching, while the iota cuts through the sigma. Finally, the author also indicates that the age numeral in line seven, recorded as a sigma, should instead be read as a zeta. The inscription contains grammatical and spelling errors.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 40.5 cm; W: 27 cm; D: 7 cm

Date

505 CE to 506 CE

Current location

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Figures

  • Cross below text

  • Guidelines within text

  • Frame around text

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," ZOOR0256, 19 November 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89