Ḥorvat Hesheq - ST. GEORGE

Church/Monastery name: 
Ḥorvat Hesheq - ST. GEORGE
Inscription number: 
3
Selected bibliography: 
382-384, no. 3 (ph.) (ed. pr.)
148, no. 218
Abbreviation for Journals and Series
Epigraphical corpora: 

SEG 40 (1990): 1446

Inscription type: 
building
dedicatory
Location: 

In the mosaic pavement of the central nave, facing east.

Physical description : 

Mosaic inscription set in a rectangular frame (40 x 110 cm). Average height of letters 6 cm; the omicron is generally small. The script is round, except for the square epsilon. Letters and frame traced in black tesserae. Abbreviations include horizontal strokes for abbreviation and over the digits of the date, diagonal stroke, stigma, dipthong of ΟΥ, and μηνί abbreviated with the usual overhanging eta above the mu. Begins with a cross.   

Text: 

☩ Ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας Δημιτρίου διακ(όνου)

κα(ὶ) Γεοργίου ὑιοῦ καὶ παντὸς τοῦ οἶ-

κου αὐτων ἐτελ(ε)ιώθη τὸ πᾶν ἔργω(ν)

ἐν μη(νὶ) Ἀπριλίου τοῦ πβφʹ ἔτους ἰνδ(ικτιῶνος) ιβʹ.  

Translation: 

(cross) For the salvation of Demitrius the deacon and of George (his) son and of all their household, the whole work was completed in the month of April of the year 582, indiction 12.

Commentary: 

Γεοργίου for Γεωργίου.  ἔργω(ν) for ἔργo(ν). The digits are in ascending order, from units to hundreds, but the units are in the middle position. The inscription dates the completion of the building. Meimaris (p. 139, no. 4) dates according to the era of Ptolemais (49 BCE) yielding April 534, while Di Segni opts for the era of Scythopolis (64 BCE), which was in use in Palaestina II, yielding April 519. Both dates fit the 12th indiction.

Given date: 
year
month
day of the month
indiction
Date: 
April 519
Summary: 

Dated building inscription of Demetrius the deacon and his family, at the western threshold of the nave, April 519.

Contents
Actions: 
the work was done
Ecclesiastical titles: 
deacon
Personal names: 
Demetrius, Georgius
Kinship terms: 
kin (oikos, diaferontes)
son
Epigraphical formulae: 
salvation/preservation (sôtêria)
Epigraphical Abbreviations: 
horizontal and diagonal strokes, stigma, ΟΥ in ligature, overhanging eta for μη(νί)