Shivta - South Church

Inscription number: 
3
Selected bibliography: 
177
61-62, no. 68, ph. 54 (ed. pr.)
294-295, no. 498
147
826-827, no. 327, fig. 376 (ph.)
Abbreviation for Journals and Series
Epigraphical corpora: 

SEG 31 (1981): 1446

Inscription type: 
building
Location: 

Findspot: On a floor slab in the southern aisle.

Pres. loc.: IAA, Neg. no. 993

Physical description : 

Written in a mixture of square and round letters. The inscription begins and ends with a cross. The spelling is erratic.

Text: 

     ☩ Ἐπὴ τοῦ ὡσ{ο}ιωτ(άτου) Γεωργίου

     ἡμο͂ν ἐπισκ(όπου) (καὶ) Πέτρου ἀρχη-

     διακ(όνου) (καὶ) ἐκονόμου ἐγέ-

4   νετο τὼ ἔργον τοῦτο

     τ⟨ῆ⟩ς πλακόσ⟨εω⟩ς μη(νὶ) Ὀγ-

     δονέου αʹ ἰνδ(ικτιῶνος) ιδʹ

     ἤτους φλδʹ. ☩

Translation: 

In the days of our most holy bishop George, and of Peter, archedeacon and church steward, this work of the paving was done, on the 1st of the month Audynaios of the 14th indiction, year 534.

Commentary: 

1 Audynaios 534 corresponds to 17 December 639, which however fell in the 13th indiction. Meimaris believes the mistake to be in the indiction and attributes it to a careless stonecutter: accordingly he dates the inscription to 639. In my opinion, the error is more likely to be in the era reckoning, since, of the two ways of measuring time, the indictional cycle was the one in everyday usage. Thus, if the indiction is rights, the era year must be corrected to 535, and the date will be 17 December 640.

Given date: 
year
month
day of the month
indiction
Date: 
17 December 639 or 640
Summary: 

Dated building inscription on a floor slab in the southern aisle, 17 Dec. 639/640.

Contents
Actions: 
the work was done
Ecclesiastical titles: 
archdeacon
bishop
Function descriptions (clergy/monks): 
steward (oikonomos)
Personal names: 
Georgius, Petrus
Epigraphical Abbreviations: 
stigma, diagonal stroke, horizontal stroke for numerals