Khirbet el-Beiyudat - Church

Church/Monastery name: 
Khirbet el-Beiyudat - Church
Inscription number: 
5
Selected bibliography: 
270-271, no. 5 (dr.) (ed. pr.)
168-169, no. 5 (dr.)
594-595, no. 203* D, fig. 247 (dr.)
20, no. 16
Abbreviation for Journals and Series
Epigraphical corpora: 

SEG 40 (1990): 1479

CIIP IV.1 (2018): 2675 (dr.)

Inscription type: 
building
invocation/prayer
Location: 

In the mosaic pavement of the room in the southwestern corner of the church, in front of the table or altar, facing east.

Physical description : 

Five-line inscription, beginning with a cross, iset in a tabula ansata (62 x 142 cm). Lines of text separated by dividing lines. Frame, dividing lines, and letters traced in black tesserae. Well-spaced calligraphic script. Some phonetic spellings. Horizontal strokes for abbreviation, and on one of the nomina sacra. Tremas above iotas not forming dipthongs.

Text: 

     ☩ Κ(ύρι)ε Ἰ(ησο)ῦ Χ(ριστ)ὲ, πρόσδεξε τὴν

     καρποφορίαν τῶν δούλω(ν)

     σοῦ Ἰωάννου τοῦ πρ(εσβυτέρ)ου καὶ

4   Ἀββοσόβου ὅτι ἐξ ἰδίων κό-

     πων ἤγιραν τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον.

Translation: 

O Lord Jesus Christ, receive the offering of your servants, John the priest and Abbosobos, for they erected this room from their own efforts.

Apparatus: 

L.1 πρόσδεξε for πρόσδεξαι; l.5 ἤγιραν for ἤγειραν.

Commentary: 

The script points to a date not earlier than the 560s. "Own efforts" probably refers to expenses.

Date: 
560s
Summary: 

Building inscription of John the priest and Abbosobos, in the mosaic pavement of the room in the southwestern corner of the church.

Contents
Actions: 
built, erected/was built, was erected
Definitions of building/part of building: 
oikos
Ecclesiastical titles: 
presbyter
Titles/epithets of patrons/dedicators: 
servant of God
Personal names: 
Abbosobos, Ioannes
Epigraphical formulae: 
at own expenses
Lord/Christ, accept the offering…
Epigraphical Abbreviations: 
horizonal strokes