Shavei Zion - South Church

Church/Monastery name: 
Shavei Zion - South Church - South Church
Inscription number: 
2
Selected bibliography: 
59-60, pl. XXXVII.a (ph.) (ed. pr.)
128-129, no. 216
65, no. 7
261-262, no. 52, figs. 60 A-B (ph., dr.)
184-185, no. 270
Abbreviation for Journals and Series
Epigraphical corpora: 

SEG 37 (1987): 1509 B

Inscription type: 
building
Location: 

In the exonarthex.

Physical description : 

The outer narthex was longer than the width of the nave and aisles (16 m). The inscription was framed in a medallion (ø 120 cm), set in its presumed centre, south of the church axis. The nine-line text is fragmentary. The characters are round, 12 cm high in the first five lines, 9 in the lower part of the inscription. The text is sealed with a cross, and perhaps another cross marked the beginning.

Text: 

      [☩ Ἐπὶ τοῦ]

      ὡσ(ιοτάτου) ἐπισκόπ(ου) ἡμῶν

      Φωτίν[ου καὶ τοῦ θεοφ(ιλεστάτου)] καὶ

4    εὐλ(αβεστάτου) Κωσ[μᾶ ? τοῦ]

      περιοδε[υτοῦ ἐτελειώθ]η

      τὸ ἔργον τ[οῦτο τῆς ψ]η-

      φώσεως ἰνδ(ικτιῶνος) θʹ

8    τοῦ αιχʹ ἔτο-

      υς. ☩

Translation: 

[In the days of] our most saintly bishop Photinus and of [the most God-loving] and pious Cos[mas ?] the visitor [was completed] the work of this mosaic, in the 9th indiction of the year 611.

Apparatus: 

L.1 [Ἐπὶ τοῦ - - ] all eds.; l.3 Φωτίν[ου gap] καὶ all eds.; l.5 περιοδε[υτοῦ - - ἐτελειώθ]η all eds., but there seems to be neither space nor need for an additional word.

Commentary: 

The date is reckoned according to the era of Tyre, 126 BC: the year 611 of this era, AD 485/6, roughly corresponded to the 9th indiction. 

Given date: 
year
indiction
Date: 
485/6
Summary: 

Damaged mosaic building inscription set in a medallion, in the exonarthex.

Contents
Actions: 
the work was done
Definitions of building/part of building: 
psephosis,psephotheteia (mosaic)
Ecclesiastical titles: 
bishop
periodeutes
Epithets of clergy/monks: 
God-loving (theophiles)
most saintly (hosiotatos)
most reverent (eulabestatos)
Personal names: 
Cosmas (?), Photinus
Epigraphical Abbreviations: 
curvilineous stroke crossing the lambda in line 4