ʻArrâba - Church

Church/Monastery name: 
ʻArrâba - Church
Inscription number: 
1
Selected bibliography: 
409-410
244, no. 4, pl. 70.4 (ph.) (in Hebrew) (ed. pr.)
62-63
12, no. 3
349-351, no. 86*, figs. 109-110 (ph., drs.)
145, no. 215
Abbreviation for Journals and Series
Epigraphical corpora: 

SEG 37 (1987): 1468

Inscription type: 
building
Location: 

In a mosaic pavement in the centre of the nave.

Physical description : 

A mosaic inscription, much ruined by fire, was discovered in the pavement of a church at Arraba. The church was dated to the late 5th - early 6th century on archaeological grounds. The inscription is set within a round medallion 175 cm in diameter. The letters belong to the round alphabet. 

Text: 

     ☩ Θεοῦ δυ- ☩

     ☩ νάμ(ε)ι, Χ(ριστο)ῦ βο- ☩

     ☩ ηθ(ε)ίᾳ, ἁγίου ☩

4.  ☩ πνεύματος εὐ-

     ☩ δοκίᾳ, καὶ τοῦ[τ]ο ☩

     [τὸ ἔρ]γον ἐπὶ [τ]οῦ 

     [θεοσε]β(εστάτου) καὶ ἁ[γιωτ(άτου)]

8.  [ἐπισκόπ(ου)] Γρη[γορίου]

     ἐ[ν ἔτει. . .] Η ιγʹ ἰ[νδ(ικτιώνος)]

     ἐ[κτίσθη καὶ ἐψη-]

     φ[ώθη.]

Translation: 

By the power of God, by the help of Christ, by the good will of the Holy Ghost, also this building was (erected and paved with mosaic,) under the most God-fearing and holy bishop Gregorius, [in the year ...]8, indiction 13.

Apparatus: 

Ll.5-11 καὶ τ[ῶν] | [ ? κωμητῶν] πόνο[ις] | [ ἐγένετο τὸ] ἔργ[ον] | - - - - Lifshitz.

Commentary: 

The exact date of the inscription cannot be established for the digits of the hundreds and tens in the figure of the year are lost. It is worth noting, however, that only if the date is calculated by the ear of 64 BC used in Scythopolis, or by the era of 49 BC used at Ptolemais, can an era year ending with 8 fall in the 13th year of the indictional cycle. Since Arraba is very far from Ptolemais, the era of 49 is unlikely. On the other hand, Sepphoris, the see of bishop Gregorius, not having an era of its own, probably followed the era of the metropolis, Scythopolis. AU 538 and 568 of the era of 64 correspond to AD 474/5 and 504/5, both falling in the 13th indiction.

Given date: 
year
indiction
Date: 
ca. 474/5 or 504/5 ?
Summary: 

Mosaic building inscription set within a round medallion, in the centre of the nave.

Contents
Actions: 
the work was done
Ecclesiastical titles: 
bishop
Epithets of clergy/monks: 
God-fearing (theosebes, theotimetos)
most holy (hagiotatos)
Personal names: 
Gregorius
Epigraphical Abbreviations: 
stigma, horizontal strokes over nomen sacrum and indiction