34 (ph.) | |
(L. Di Segni) |
Within a medallion at the centre of mosaic floor of the narthex (Locus 317).
Mosaic inscription within a medallion.
☩ χμγ´ or Χ(ριστὸς ἐκ) Μ(αρίας) γ(εννεθείς)
Ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοφιλ(εστάτου)
καὶ ἁγ[ιο]τάτου ἡμῶν
4 [ἐ]πισκό[που Λ]εοντίου
καὶ [? Ρεστιτο]ύτου χωρ-
επισκό[που] καὶ Σαβιν(ο)υ
πρεσβ[υτέ]ρου καὶ
8 Γερ[μανοῦ] ἀρχιδιακ(όνου)
καὶ ο[ἰκονό]μου ἐψη-
φώθη τ[ὰ ὧ]δε τῇ
Ἀρτεμισίου ιβ´
12 τοῦ ζϙφ´.
643 (psephos for God helps) or Christ born of Mary. In the time of our most God-loving and most holy bishop Leontius, and of [? Restit]utus chorepiscopus and Sabinus priest and Germanus archdeacon and steward, [the place here] was paved with mosaics on the 12 of Artemisius of the (year) 597 (?).
L.5 the remains of a letter before ΤΟΥ seem to be Υ rather than Κ. It must be a long name. If Κ, it might be Θεοφυλά]κτου.
Dated 12-line building inscription of Bishop Leontius and other clergymen, within a medallion at the centre of the mosaic pavement of the narthex, 6 Jun. 494.
Year 597 by the era of Ascalon corresponds to 493/4. In Ascalon Artemisius began on May 26; therefore the date is June 6, 494. Leontius bishop of Ascalon attended the second Council of Ephesus in 449 and the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The western room in the church of Ascalon Barnea is dated 493/4 (the day and month are lost) and the inscription mentions no bishop, while the eastern room (diaconicon) is dated 9 May 499 and mentions the name of Bishop Anastasius. Thus Leontius was bishop from at least summer 449 (opening of the council, 8 August 449) until at least June 494, 45 years (perhaps even more), quite long, seeing that Juvenal of Jerusalem occupied his see for 36 years, from late summer 422 to summer 458. The minimum age for election to the episcopate was 30 (but Athanasius for instance was elected patriarch of Alexandria before he was 30, and his episcopate lasted 45 years, ca. 8 June 328 – 2 May 373); so if a man was elected in his thirties, he could well have a long episcopate, even 50 years or more. Epiphanius, consecrated bishop in 367 when he was already elderly (about 57), held the episcopate for 36 years (died May 403).