Complete
Linguistic features:
Formulae:
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 501
-
AD 600
Language:
Jewish Palestinian Aramaic
Monumental:
Medium:
mosaic
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
mosaic
Funds:
own property
Price:
three denarii
Placement:
in the nave next to the chancel post
People mentioned:
Name:
Thomas
Patronym:
Abba
Status:
monk
Ethnic allegance:
Semitic
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Benefactor
Occupation:
monk_or_clergyman
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
church of East
Language:
Jewish Palestinian Aramaic
Name:
Aisu
Patronym:
Status:
unspecified
Ethnic allegance:
Semitic
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Benefactor
Occupation:
unspecified
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Judaism
Religious denomination:
unspecified
Language:
Jewish Palestinian Aramaic
Name:
Judah
Patronym:
Status:
unspecified
Ethnic allegance:
Semitic
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Benefactor
Occupation:
unspecified
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Judaism
Religious denomination:
unspecified
Language:
Jewish Palestinian Aramaic
Description
date: mid- 6th century description: Inscription on mosaic founded in the nave next to the chancel post. The inscription is four-line Aramaic text placed inside the tabula ansata. The beginnings of lines 1–3 are partially damaged. It seems there were some repairs, especially in line 2. Line 1 דכ]רין לטב כל קהלה] [dk]ryn lṭb kl qhlh '[Remem]bered for good be the whole community' Line 2 די] עבדו הדין פספה] [dy] ʿbdn hdyn psph '[who] made this mosaic' Line 3 ד אישו ותמה ויהודה[...] [...]d ʾyšw wtmh wyhwdh '[??] Aisu and Thomas and Judah' Line 4 דיהבו תלתה דינרין [....] dyhbw tlth dygryn 'who have gave three denarii.' commentary: (Werlin 2015: 270-273) The reference to the whole community in line 1 is reminiscent of several of the dedicatory inscriptions, in particular Jericho and Susiya, where the term קהלה are similarly used. It can be translated as a congregation as well. The three names of this inscription are not exclusively Jewish in character. Aisu and Thomas were atypical among the Jews and more common among the Nabataean and Christian communities, respectively (cultural crossover notwithstanding). Such a mixture in the character of the names is noteworthy and perhaps indicative of the cosmopolitan quality of the coastal region. The last line of the inscription ends with seven or eight illegible characters. They could have been simply decorative but it was suggested that they were deformed letters. In the edition princeps, they were described as some “faint reminiscences of Greek ligatures giving the month and day” by Yeivin, Ma‘on (Nirim) Inscription, p. 39. In fact, they bear very little resemblance to either Greek or any other script. Given the evidence of nineteen amulets found inside the synagogue’s apse which indicate that some members of this community practiced a form of Jewish magic, it seems likely that the characters were “magical”. (See. Werlin 2015: 286-290). Cf. the “secret” of the En-Gedi synagogue inscription (CIIP IV 3853) Beyer 1984: 366 (yyMA 1) CIIP ??? Milson 2007: 424 Naveh 2015: 92-93 (57) Werlin 2015: 263-290 (espec. 270-273) https://synagogues.kinneret.ac.il/synagogues/maon-nirim/ https://library.brown.edu/iip/viewinscr/mani0001/
Author:
Tomasz Barański
Added by:
Martyna
Created:
2022-06-01 17:21:26
Last update:
2023-12-06 17:26:59
Building:
Synagogue
Site:
Ma’on Nirim
Dimensions: surface: cm
Condition: Inscription on mosaic founded in the nave next to the chancel post. The inscription is four-line Aramaic text placed inside the tabula ansata. The beginnings of lines 1–3 are partially damaged. It seems there were some repairs, especially in line 2.
Text:
Date: 501 CE - 600 CE
mid- 6th century
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Palestina Ma’on Nirim 31.3289, 34.4089 Synagogue in the nave next to the chancel post
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: mosaic inscription
Summary:
Inscription on mosaic in JPA script from Ma’on Nirim. AD 501 - AD 600.
Changes history: 2022-06-01 Tomasz Barański Creation; 2023-12-06 Martyna Swierk Last modification; 2023-12-06 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021Translation
'[Remem]bered for good be the whole community
[who] made this mosaic
Aisu and Thomas and Judah
who have gave three denarii.'
Commentary
(Werlin 2015: 270-273) The reference to the whole community in line 1 is reminiscent of several of the dedicatory inscriptions, in particular Jericho and Susiya, where the term קהלה are similarly used. It can be translated as a congregation as well. The three names of this inscription are not exclusively Jewish in character. Aisu and Thomas were atypical among the Jews and more common among the Nabataean and Christian communities, respectively (cultural crossover notwithstanding). Such a mixture in the character of the names is noteworthy and perhaps indicative of the cosmopolitan quality of the coastal region. The last line of the inscription ends with seven or eight illegible characters. They could have been simply decorative but it was suggested that they were deformed letters. In the edition princeps, they were described as some “faint reminiscences of Greek ligatures giving the month and day” by Yeivin, Ma‘on (Nirim) Inscription, p. 39. In fact, they bear very little resemblance to either Greek or any other script. Given the evidence of nineteen amulets found inside the synagogue’s apse which indicate that some members of this community practiced a form of Jewish magic, it seems likely that the characters were “magical”. (See. Werlin 2015: 286-290). Cf. the “secret” of the En-Gedi synagogue inscription (CIIP IV 3853)
Bibliography
- K., Beyer, 1984, Die aramäischen Texte vom Toten Meer: samt den Inschriften aus Palästina, dem Testament Levis aus der Kairoer Genisa, der Fastenrolle und den alten Talmudischen Zitaten, Gottingen, 366. D.W., Milson, 2007, Art and Architecture of the Synagogue in Late Antique Palestine. In the Shadow of the Church, Leiden, 424. J., Naveh, 1978, On Stone and Mosaic: The Aramaic and Hebrew Inscriptions from Ancient Synagogues, Tel Aviv, 92-93, 57. S.H., Werlin, 2015, Ancient Synagogues of Southern Palestine, 300-800 C.E.: Living on the Edge, Leiden, 263-290 (espec. 270-273).