65-66, pl. II (ph.) | |
86-87 | |
16, no. 6, pl. XXI (ph.) (ed. pr.) | |
86, no. 19 | |
403-406, no. 108, fig. 142 (ph.) | |
164, no. 237, fig. 32 (ph.) |
SEG 8 (1937): 38
Beyond the northern edge of the mosaic pavement of the entrance hall (Room A), in front of Room L.
The inscription is located in the doorway of Room L, which opens at the northern end of the hall, and has a splendid mosaic floor with a vine trellis framing vignettes of men hunting, harvesting, leading animals etc. The text begins with a cross.
☩ Ἐτελ(ε)ιώθη σὺν Θ(ε)ῷ
τὸ ἔργον ἐν χρόνοις
Ἠλίου θεοφ(ιλεστάτου) πρεσβ(υτέρου)
[κ(αὶ) ἐν]κλ(ειστοῦ) [ἔτ(ους) . .]χʹ ἰνδ(ικτιῶνος) βʹ.
The work was completed with God's help in the time of Elias, the most God-loving priest and recluse, in the year 6[??], indiction 2.
L.4 The restoration is based on Elias' epithet in inscriptions nos. 6-7; [ἔτ(ους) ζι]χ´ SEG.
Dated building inscription of Elias, in the doorway of Room L from th entrance hall (Room A), 553/4 or rather 568/9.
All that remains of the date is the digit of the hundreds and the horizontal stroke, which is long enough for two more letters: therefore the earliest possible year is AU 611, corresponding to AD 547/8. The second indiction does not occur until 553/4 (AU 617), and this was chosen by FitzGerald and Starr as the most probable date for this inscription, since in their opinion, the inscription in the northeastern corner of the chapel, dated 567, belonged to a later stage. Avi-Yonah (QDAP 2 [1932] 143-144; 5 [1936] 20, 28-30), on the other hand, dated the mosaics of the hall and of Room L "most probably" 568/9.