96-105, pls. XXX:3, XXXI:1 (phs.) (Avi-Yonah) (ed. pr.) | |
467 | |
65. no. 9 | |
200-203, no. 32 A-B, figs. 38-39 (phs.) | |
187-188, no. 274 |
SEG 8 (1937): 21
Findspot: In front of the bema, looking east.
The inscription is traced in black letters set on five lines, the first of which is separated from the rest by a row of black tesserae. The characters are 12 cm high in the first line and 7 in the other four; the total height is 48 cm. The central panel was 178 cm long and the total length of the inscription is reckoned to 486 cm. The main text (a) began with a cross, and so probably did the inscriptions in the wings. The spelling is faulty, with confusion of long and brief vowels.
(a) ☩ Ἐφ⟨ι⟩λοκαλέθη ἐν μη(νὶ) Λώου τοῦ πχʹ ἰν[δ(ικτιῶνος) γʹ ?]
☩ Ἐγήνετω σὺν Θ(εὸ)ς ἡ ψέφοσις ἐπὶ τοῦ ὡσιωτά-
του Ἰωάν(ν)ου ἀρχιεπισκόπου (καὶ) Κυριακοῦ χωρεπ(ισκόπου)
(καὶ) ἐπὶ τοῦ δεσπότου ἡμ(ῶν) Στεφάνου ἀρχ(ι)πρ(εσ)β(υτέρoυ)
(καὶ) οἰκονόμ(ου) (καὶ) ἐπὶ τῶν λαμπροτ(άτων) Μαρίνου κόμ(ιτος) (καὶ) Διωβ(ίου).
(b) [☩ Κ]ύ(ριε) [Ἰ(ησο)]ῦ, βοή[θησ]ον τῇ κώμ[ῃ ταύ]τῃ (καὶ) εὐλόγησο-
[ν α]ὐ[τ]ήν ☩ [Συλ(λ)]αβ[ό]ν(τες) Θεόδω[ρος (καὶ) Θεοδώ]ρα
[ - - - (καὶ) Τ]ι[μόθ]εο[ς] (καὶ) Ἠλίας [(καὶ) - - - - - - - ]
[ - - - - - - - δ]ιάκ[ο]νοι τῆς [ἁγιωτάτης ἐκκλησίας.]
(This place) was beautified in the month of Loos of the (year) 680, in the [?] indiction. The mosaic was made with God's help in the time of the most saintly archbishop John and of the country-bishop Cyriac, and in the time of our master Stephen, the archpriest and church steward, and in the time of the clarissimus comes Marinus and of Diobius.
Lord Jesus, help this village and bless it. Having contributed Theodorus and Theodora [(his) wife], and Elias and Theodorus and John... and Timotheus and Elias... deacons [of the holy church ?]
A. l.1 Avi-Yonah addes a first line containing the words Ἡ ἁγιωτάτη ἐκλησία τοῦ ἁγίου - -, but there is neither need nor place for such an addition; all edd. restore ἰν[δ(ικτιῶνος) γ´, but δ´ would do just as well; l.4 ἀρχ(ι)πρ(εσ)β̣(υτέρου) Avi-Yonah, ἀρχ(ιμανδρίτου) (καὶ) πρ(εσ)β(υτέρου) Vincent, SEG; Μαρίνου κόμ(ητος) (καὶ) Δι⟨ου⟩ β(ουλευτῶν) Avi-Yonah, Δί⟨ου⟩ β(ουλευτοῦ) Vincent, (καὶ) Διωγ̣(ένους) Mouterde (SEG).
B. l.2 Ψ. . . ΑΒ . Ν (καὶ) Avi-Yonah, συλ(λ)]αβ[ό]ν(τες) (καὶ) Vincent, SEG, but the stigma probably marks the truncation of the preceding word; l.3 [- - (καὶ) - -]ο[ς (καὶ)] all eds.
Dated building and dedicatory inscriptions, in the mosaic pavement in front of the bema, August 555.
The date is given accordingly to the era of Tyre: no other era known in the region can come remotely near the archaeological context. Moreover, the mention of an archbishop makes it clear that the village belonged to the metropolitan diocese. AU 680 of Tyre corresponds to AD 554/5, and since in the Tyrian calendar the month Loos fell in August-September, the date of the beautification of the church is 555, between 20 August and 19 September, not necessarily in the 3rd indiction as maintained by the editors, but possibly in the 4th.