148, pl. V.7 (ph.) (ed. pr.) | |
77-79, nos. 15-17, pls. VI.b, VII.a-b (phs.) | |
111-112, nos. 162-164; 117, no. 177 |
CIIP IV.1 (2018): 3166 (phs.)
Findspot: On roof of the apsis of the cave-church.
Pres. loc.: Israel Museum, Jerusalem, inv. no. 74.6.296.
A fresco depicts Jesus in a “semi-transparent” mandorla; the mandorla is supported by four angels; Jesus holds a book on his knee, and the inscriptions are inside the book (see Chitty for a more precise description). The part of the fresco showing the book was removed at some point. Four fragments preserving large parts of the text resurfaced at the shop of an antiquities dealer in Bethlehem who reported to have bought them in Hebron. They were published by B. Lifshitz in 1970 who rightly believed that all fragments belonged to the decoration of a church. He assumed them to come from the vicinity of Hebron and named Yatta (Ἰέτταν), Kh. el-Karmil and Kh. Ma’in (Μαών) as possible options. None of the publications dealing with the fragments after Lifshitz trace their origin to the monastery at Deir el-Mukalik. (CIIP)
Meas.: (a) upper left fragment: h 9, w 12 cm; lower left fragment: h 12.5, w 14.5 cm; (b) upper right fragment: h 14, w 10 cm; lower right fragment: h 14, w 13 cm; letters (left side) 1.3-1.6, (right side) 1.2-2 cm (Lifshitz).
(a) ☩ Ἐγώ εἰμι
τὸ φῶς καὶ
ἡ ζωὴ καὶ
4 ἀνάστασις.
ὁ πιστεύ-
ων εἰς ἐμὲ
ἔχει ζωὴν αἰ-
8 ώνιον κ(αὶ) εἰς
κρίσιν οὐκ ἔρχετ(αι).
(b) ☩ Δεῦτε
πρός με π-
άντες οἱ
4 κοπιῶν-
τες κ(αὶ) πε-
φορτισμέ-
νοι, κἀγὼ
8 ἀναπαύ-
σω ὑμᾶς.
(a) I am the light and the life and (the) resurrection: he that believeth in me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation.
(b) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (KJV)
Fresco of Jesus with quotations of John and Matthew, from the roof of the apsis of the cave-church.
The first text is a a mixture of different passages of John (cf. 3:15-16, 18; 3:36; 5:24; 6:40; 8:12). The second, a quotation of Mt. 11:28.