Inscription number:
3
Selected bibliography:
21 (ph.) (in Hebrew) (ed. pr.) | |
275-276, pls. CLXXXIII-IV | |
681-682, no. 231, fig. 283 (ph.) | |
99, no. 135, fig. 18 (ph.) |
Epigraphical corpora:
SEG 30 (1980): 1690; 34 (1984): 1472
CIIP III (2014): 2544 (phs.)
Inscription type:
label/sign
Location:
Findspot: In the northern aisle, second intercolumnation from the west.
Pres. loc.: Israel Museum, Jerusalem, IAA inv. no. 1977-416.
Physical description :
The panel depicts two richly dressed ladies, an older one holding a vessel with a fowl in it, a younger one strewing coins, across the head of each is a Greek inscription. The characters are very similar to those of Inscription no. 2.
Text:
(a) Καλὴ ὥρα.
(b) ἡ κύρα
Σιλθοῦς.
Translation:
Calliora (or a happy hour), the lady Silthous (or the lady of Silthous).
Apparatus:
(a) Καληώρα, personal name Cohen, Καλῇ ὤρᾳ Ovadiah; (b) Σίλθους Ovadiah, I prefer the perispomenos form.
Date:
July 578
Summary:
Mosaic panel depicting two richly dressed ladies, in the northern aisle.
Cohen interpreted "Calliora" as either a personification of the "Beautiful hour" or the proper name of the older woman, and "The lady of Silthous" as an epiteth of the younger. Silthous would then be the name of the site or the estate. Ovadiah, on the other hand, read Καλῇ ὤρᾳ in dative, as an augural formula, and Σιλθους as a personal name. The desinence -οῦς for feminine names is not uncommon, ΚΑΛΗΩΡΑ, as a nominative rather than a dative, may be interpreted in my view either as a personal name or as a description of the scene, like ὄρβικον in the next vignette: the wealthy ladies knew their happiest hour when bringing offerings for the poor to the church.