Scythopolis/Beth Shean - KYRA MARIA church

Inscription number: 
1
Selected bibliography: 
66-67, pl. IV (ph.)
87-88
14-15, no. 4, pl. XXI (ph.) (ed. pr.)
408-411, no. 111, fig. 145 (ph.)
163, no. 237
Abbreviation for Journals and Series
Epigraphical corpora: 

SEG 8 (1937): 39

Inscription type: 
funerary
invocation/prayer
Location: 

On a tomb, in the southeastern corner of the chapel (Room C)

Physical description : 

At the eastern end of the chapel, on both sides of the opening of the apse, two tombs occupied the corners of the mosaic floor. The eastern part of each was covered with a mosaic inscription indicating whom the burial was destined to, and how it might be opened by the removal of a "wreathed cross" and a "lid" (πελλαικόν). Both graves were disturbed: the southern one was found to contain two skulls, the northern one - four.

The inscription on the southern tomb is broken in the left upper corner; the text probably began with a cross. Two crosses flank the last line, which is short and has wide margins. The script is rich in phonetic spellings.

Text: 

       [☩ Ὅπο]υ ἐστὶν τὸ στεφανωσταύρι(ο)ν,

       [ἐκ(ε)ῖ κ]εῖτ⟨αι⟩ τὸ πελλαικὸν τοῦ

       στόματος τοῦ μνημ(ε)ίου, ἔχ⟨ο⟩ν

4     κρικεῖα· καὶ ὁ βουλόμενος ἐπ⟨αί⟩ρει τὸ

       στεφανωσταύρι(ο)ν κ(αὶ) εὑρίσκει τὸ πελλα-

       ικὸν κ(αὶ) θάπτει. Εἰ δὲ θελήσῃ ἡ κυρὰ

       Μαρία ἡ τόνδε τὸν ναὸν κτ⟨ί⟩σασα

8     κατατεθῆναι ἐν τ⟨ῷ⟩δε τ⟨ῷ⟩ μνημ(ε)ίῳ

       ἢ τ⟨ί⟩ς ποτε τῆς αὐτῆς γενεᾶς, ἐγὼ

       Ἠλίας, ἐλέει Θ(εο)ῦ ἐνκλ⟨ει⟩στός, ἐν ὀνόματι

       Π(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς κ(αὶ) Y(ἱο)ῦ κ(αὶ) ἁγίου Πν(εύματο)ς εὐλογῶ κ(αὶ) ἀναθε-

12   ματίζω ἕκαστόν τινα μετ’ ἐμὲ

       κολύοντα ἢ αὐτὴν ἤ τινα τ⟨ῶ⟩ν αὐτῆς

       ἢ κ(αὶ) ἐπ⟨αί⟩ροντ[α] ταῦτά μου τὰ

       ☩ γράμματα. ☩

Translation: 

Where the wreated cross is, [there] lies the lid of the mouth of the tomb, which has rings. Whoever wishes (to bury) shall lift the wreathed cross, and he will find the lid the bury. And if the Lady Mary, who founded this church, should desire in future to lay down (a dead) in this tomb, (she) or anyone of her family at any time, I Elias, by the mercy of God a recluse, in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost, curse and anathematize whoever after me hinders her or any of hers, or removes this inscription of mine.

Apparatus: 

L.6  κύρα: for the accent see A. Wilhelm, Beiträge zur griechischen Inschriften-Kunde (1909), no. 198, cf. SEG 8:267

Commentary: 

For the date of this inscription, see inscription no. 2.

Date: 
ca. 567
Summary: 

Mosaic inscription on a tomb, in the southeastern corner of the chapel (Room C).

Contents
Actions: 
founded
Definitions of building/part of building: 
naos
tomb
Monastical titles: 
recluse
Titles/epithets of patrons/dedicators: 
lady (kyria)
Personal names: 
Elias, Maria
Kinship terms: 
race (genea)
Epigraphical Abbreviations: 
twisted stroke for κ(αί), horizontal stroke over nomen sacrum