Complete
Linguistic features:
Syriac superseding Greek in the sixth century; Unusual spelling
Formulae:
Name and function
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 501
-
AD 600
Language:
Syriac
Monumental:
Medium:
wall
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
invocation of a saint
Funds:
Price:
Placement:
door jamb
People mentioned:
Name:
GYWRGʾ/Georgios
Patronym:
Status:
saint
Ethnic allegance:
unspecified
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Name recorded
Occupation:
unspecified
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
unspecified
Language:
Syriac
Description
For this inscription, see also my record in the Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity database: http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04390 date: probably sixth century. This date was suggested by Littmann based on the shape of letters but also because he considered a possibility that the inscription referred to a local abbot. description: A graffito from the left-hand door-jamb in a tower situated within the village. Dimensions: W. line 1: 0.20 m; W. line 2: 0.25 m. Letter height 2.5 cm. ed. PAES IVB 21 (CSLA.E04390). ܓܝܘܪܓܐ ܚܣܝܐ 1. ܓܝܘܪܓܐ or ܓܝܘܪܓܝܐ Littmann ‘O George, the holy one!’ (tr. E. Littmann) commentary: Littmann notes an unusual spelling of the name George ܓܝܘܪܓܐ instead of ܓܝܘܪܓܝ or ܓܝܘܪܓܝܣ. Very probably, this is an invocation of the saint asked to help the author of the graffito, though the request is not openly described. Littmann, however, also wondered if this George could be the abbot Georgios of the monastery of Aṭmā (c.571 C.E.), a convent located near Dayr Simʿān, because the epithet ܚܣܝܐ may mean ‘his beatitude’. This is rather implausible. Furthermore, the name George was so popular, that one could not assume that it referred precisely to this abbot.
Author:
Paweł Nowakowski
Added by:
Martyna
Created:
2022-08-18 22:36:28
Last update:
2023-11-13 20:32:55
Building:
Tower
Dimensions: surface: w line 1: 0.20 line 2: 0.25 meter
Condition: A graffito from the left-hand door-jamb in a tower situated within the village.
Text: Letter height 2.5 cm. Syriac superseding Greek in the sixth century. Unusual spelling.
Date: 501 CE - 600 CE
Probably sixth century. This date was suggested by Littmann based on the shape of letters but also because he considered a possibility that the inscription referred to a local abbot.
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Syria Qāṭūra (Ḳāṭūrā; Fatura; Chattura; Fâtoûra) 36.302871, 36.831389 Tower door jamb
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: graffito
Summary:
Graffito from a tower in Qāṭūra (Ḳāṭūrā; Fatura; Chattura; Fâtoûra). 501 CE - 600 CE.
Changes history: 2022-08-18 Pawel Nowakowski Creation; 2023-08-19 Pawel Nowakowski Last modification; 2023-10-19 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021apparatus
1: ܓܝܘܪܓܐ or ܓܝܘܪܓܝܐ Littmann
Translation
‘O George, the holy one!’
(tr. E. Littmann)
Commentary
For this inscription, see also my record in the Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity database: http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E04390
Littmann notes an unusual spelling of the name George ܓܝܘܪܓܐ instead of ܓܝܘܪܓܝ or ܓܝܘܪܓܝܣ. Very probably, this is an invocation of the saint asked to help the author of the graffito, though the request is not openly described.
Littmann, however, also wondered if this George could be the abbot Georgios of the monastery of Aṭmā (c.571 C.E.), a convent located near Dayr Simʿān, because the epithet ܚܣܝܐ may mean ‘his beatitude’. This is rather implausible. Furthermore, the name George was so popular, that one could not assume that it referred precisely to this abbot.
Bibliography (edition)
- PAES IVB E., Littmann, 1934, Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expeditions to Syria in 1905–5 and 1909. Division IV: Semitic Inscriptions. Section B: Syriac Inscriptions, Paris, 21.