Bir el Qattar - SPELAION

Church/Monastery name: 
Bir el Qattar - SPELAION
Inscription number: 
1
Selected bibliography: 
(ed. pr.) (non vidimus)
74 (ph.)
171-172, no. 867 (c)
Abbreviation for Journals and Series
Epigraphical corpora: 

CIIP IV.1 (2018): 3213 (ph.)

Inscription type: 
acclamation
dedicatory
invocation/prayer
Location: 

Pres. loc.: Museum of the Greek Patriarchate, Jerusalem.

On a moveable object: 
lamp
Physical description : 

Lamp made of bronze with openings for eleven wicks. The lower part bearing the inscription (c) is formed as a cross; the upper part is formed as a circle [with inscription (b) running around its edge] with a cross in its middle; on the arms of the cross there are letters (a), one on each arm, with the omega at the centre.

Text: 

(a)   Φῶς | Ζωή

 

(b)   ☩ Κ(ύρι)ε, φύλαξον τοὺς δια{ΙΑ}κονοῦντας μετὰ το͂ν ἀλόγον τοῦ Σπιλέου τοῦ ἀμβᾶ Σάβα.

 

(c)   ☩ Ὑπὲρ σωτηρή-

       ας καὶ ἀντηλίμ-

       ψεος Ζαχαρήου τοῦ Σ ἱγου-

       μένου (καὶ) Σισινίου τοῦ διακώνου.

Translation: 

(a)  Light. Life.

(b)  Lord, preserve those ministering together with the beasts of burden (of the monastery) of the cave of the Father Sabas.

(c)  For the salvation and the succor of the … Superior Zacharias and the Deacon Sisinius.

(CIIP)

Apparatus: 

(c) ll.3f.: τοῦ ὁσίου | ἡγουμένου Meimaris.

Summary: 

Bronze lamp with a Christian acclamation, invocation of the Lord, and a dedicatory inscription of abbot Zacharias and deacon Sisinius.

Contents
Ecclesiastical titles: 
deacon
Monastical titles: 
abbot/hegumen
Personal names: 
Sisinius, Zacharias
Saints names: 
Sabas
Epithets of saints: 
father (abba)
Epigraphical formulae: 
succour (antilêpsis, boêqeia)
salvation/preservation (sôtêria)
Lord/Christ, protect...
Epigraphical Abbreviations: 
horizontal stroke over nomen sacrum, stigma for (καί), ΟΥ in ligature