I:254 (Beirut frg.) | |
123-124, no. 140 (Paris frg.) | |
247-248 (ed. pr.) | |
168-169, no. 332 (ph.) |
SEG 8 (1937): 18
CIIP V (D. Feissel)
Findspot:
Beirut frg.: “from the ruins of Ma’âsûb, found in the house of a Greek-Catholic priest at el-Bussa” (Van de Velde).
Paris frg.: “Bassah, près de Saint-Jeand’Acre” (Dain).
Pres. loc.:
Beirut frg.: Musée national de Beyrouth, inv. no. 2079 (former collection of Aimé Pérétié).
Paris frg.: Musée du Louvre, inv. no. MA 3041 (gift of Philibert Chevarrier, 1881). Autopsy: Denis Feissel, 1982.
Plaque of white marble, broken on all sides except some parts of the right and upper borders. The main fragment (now in Beirut) contains about the right half of ll.1-11; a single piece when discovered, this fragment is now broken in four pieces. The smaller fragment (now in Paris) is also broken in two pieces; it fits the main fragment on ll.1-6 with a gap of very few letters, whereas about 15-20 letters are still missing on the left. About the left half of ll.7-11 is also missing; some lines are probably lost below l.11. The upper part of the stone has a row of busts facing the reader, each one with a nimbus, three of which have been preserved. (CIIP)
Meas.: Beirut frg.: h. 52, w. 47, letters 2-3cm; Paris frg.: h. 29, w. 28, d. 4cm, letters 2.5cm.
[☩ ca 20 ]+ τ̣οῦ ἁγ(ίου) προφήτ̣ου Ζαχαρίου. Ταῖς προσκυνηταῖς
[τῆς ὀρθοδόξου πίστεως] ἐ̣κκλησίαις ἡ κ̣[εχρ]εωστημένη τιμὴ προσενήνηκται.
[Kατὰ τοῦτο πρὸς τιμὴ]ν̣ τ̣οῦ εὐκτηρίου [οἴκ]ου τοῦ ἁγίου προφήτου Ζαχαρίου, προνοίᾳ
4 [τοῦτο μὲν τοῦ ἁγιωτ]ά̣του τῶν τόπω̣[ν ἐ]πισκόπου, τοῦτο δὲ τοῦ λαμπρο-
[τάτου τῆς ἐπαρχίας ἄρχο]ν̣τος, κ[ατὰ τὴ]ν̣ τῶν ἱερῶν κανόνων δύναμιν,
[θεσπίζομεν τοὺς εἰς τοὺς ὅρου]ς το̣ύ̣[τους ὁσί]ω̣ς προσφεύγοντας παρὰ μηδενὸς
[ἐξελκύεσθαι, τῶν ἐναντίον τῆς τιμῆ]ς τῆς ὀφειλομένης τοῖς εὐκτη-
8 [ρίοις οἴκοις τοιοῦτό τι διαπραττομέ]ν̣ων ποινῇ σωφρονιζομένων τῇ
[τῷ ἡμετέρῳ ἀπειληθείσῃ νόμῳ· ὑπάρ]χειν δὲ καὶ πανήγυριν πρὸς
[τιμὴν καὶ ὠφέλειαν τοῦ αὐτοῦ εὐκτ]ηρίου οἴκου πέντε ἐφεξῆς
[ἡμερῶν ca 25 ]υται ἡμερα̣[ ca 10 ]
[ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ]
(Boundary of asylum) of the Holy Prophet Zacharias. To the venerable churches (of the orthodox faith) the due honour has been paid. (Therefore to honour) the oratory of the Holy Prophet Zacharias, through the care of the most holy bishop of the locality (on one side), and of the clarissimus governor (of the province) on the other side, according to the tenor of the sacred canons, (we order that those who saintly) take refuge (to this boundaries should not be expelled) by anybody, (whereas those who behave this way contrary to the honour) which is due to the oratories are subjected to the penalty which (is stated in our law). A fair should also be held for (the honour and the benefit of the aforesaid) oratory during five successive (days …). (CIIP)
Plaque of white marble with an imperial grant of asylum to an oratory of the prophet Zacharias, found on two separate occasions in the village of el-Bassa, from a ghost church perhaps belonging to the same monastic complex, late 6th cent.