Oboda - St. Theodore (South Church)

Inscription number: 
3
Selected bibliography: 
109-111, no. 19, pl. 13.21 (ph.) (ed. pr.)
32-34, no. 19, pl. 8.21 (ph.)
254, no. 352
868-870, no. 354, fig. 407 (ph.)
Abbreviation for Journals and Series
Epigraphical corpora: 

SEG 28 (1978): 1395; 31 (1981): 1400

Inscription type: 
epitaph
Location: 

At the eastern end of the northern aisle. Found in situ under a thick layer of ashes produced by the burnt beams of the roof.

Physical description : 

A tombstone of greyish-white marble, 130 cm long and 65 cm wide. The stone was blackened by fire and broken into several pieces, all discovered in situ. The characters, finely engraved and 5 cm high, are mostly square, with drop-shaped omicron and thetaIota is double-dotted. The text begins and ends with a cross.

Text: 

     ☩ Ἀνεπάη ἡ τρισμακα-

     ρία Ἀζοναίνη Γερμα-

     νοῦ τῇ κατὰ Γάζ(αίους) μη(νὶ) Ἀ-

4.  πελλαίῳ κδ´ ἰνδ(ικτιῶνος) ιʹ ἡ-

     μέ(ρᾳ) κυριακ(ῇ) ὥρ(αν) θ´, κατὰ δὲ

     Ἐλούσην Αὐδοναίῳ

     δ´ ἰνδ(ικτιῶνος) ιʹ τοῦ ἔτου(ς) υοαʹ· κα-

8.  τετέθ(η) δὲ ἐνταῦθα

     τῷ αὐτ(ῷ) μη(νὶ) Αὐδοναίου εʹ ἡ-

     μέ(ρᾳ) βʹ ὥρ(ας) θʹ τῷ αὐτῷ ἔτ(ε)ι (καὶ)

     ἰνδ(ικτιῶνι). ☩

Translation: 

Came to rest the thrice-blessed Azonaine, (daughter) of Germanus, on the 24th of the month Apellaios according to (the calendar of) the Gazeans, indiction 10, on a Sunday, at the 9th hour, and by (the calendar of) Elusa on Audynaios the 4th, in the 10th indiction, year 471; and she was buried here in the same month of Audynaois, the 5th, on a Monday at the 9th hour, in the same year and indiction.

Apparatus: 

L.3 κατὰ Γάζ(ην) Negev,  κατὰ Γάζ(αν) Bingen (SEG);  l.4 Ἀ|ππελλαίου ed. pr.;  ll.5,7,9 Negev neglected to indicate several abbreviations, notably lifted letters;   l.5 ὥρ(ας) all eds., I prefer the acc. like in inscription no. 4;  l.6 Ἐλούσαν ed. pr.;  l.7 ἔτους Negev, ἔτου(ς) Bingen;  l.9 ΩΓΔΟΝΑΙΟΥ, a local variant of Αὐδυναῖος: a correction ΑΥ is faintly superimposed over ΩΓ;  l.11 ἰνδ(κτιῶνος) Negev, ἰνδ(κτιῶνι) Bingen.

Commentary: 

In the calendar of Gaza, Apellaios began on 27 November, and the 24th corresponds therefore to 20 December. This inscription makes it manifest that the division of the year in Eluse reflected the ARabian calendar, in which Audynaios began on 17 December and its 4th day thus fell on 20 December. Elusa followed the era of Arabia, year 471 of which fell in 576/7. 20 December 576 fell in the 10th indiction and was indeed a Sunday. The ninth hour of the day corresponds to about 3 PM.

Given date: 
year
month
day of the month
day of the week
indiction
Date: 
20-21 December 576
Summary: 

Dated marble tombstone of Azonaine at the eastern end of the northern aisle, 20-21 December 576.

Contents
Actions: 
was buried
Titles/epithets of patrons/dedicators: 
thrice-blessed (trismakaros)
Personal names: 
Azonaine, Germanus
Epigraphical Abbreviations: 
stigmas, diagonal stroke, lifted letters, horizontal line for numerals, ligature of ΟΥ in line 7