Complete
Linguistic features:
Formulae:
ܐܢܐ or "I" followed by a name; ܒܢ built by
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 550
-
AD 700
Language:
Syriac
Monumental:
Medium:
lintel
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
Funds:
Price:
Placement:
door lintel
People mentioned:
Name:
ŠMʿWN//Šem‘ōn/Symeon
Patronym:
Status:
unspecified
Ethnic allegance:
unspecified
Tribal allegane:
MN TWŠʾ/of the Desert
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Founder
Occupation:
monk_or_clergyman
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
non-Chalcedonian
Language:
Syriac
Description
date: unknown. Probably sixth century or later, when the monastery’s activity is attested through literary sources (see the description of the site). description: on a stone lintel, two conjoining fragemnts. The stone bears a centrally placed rosette in the middle of the inscription. Dimensions: H. reportedly ‘0.07 m’ (presumably an error for 0.70 m); W. 1.70 m. Letter height 2–3 cm. Found on site of the monastery. ed. Jarry 1967, 147, no. 12 (CSLA.E01972). ܐܢܐ ܫܡܥܘܢ ܡܢ ܬܘܫܐ [ܒܢܝܬ] ܥܕܬܐ ܗܕܐ ܠܡܪܝܬ ܡܪ[ܝܡ] ‘I, Symeon from the desert, [built] this church for Lady Mary.’ (tr. S. Minov) commentary: This is a building inscription for a church dedicated to Mary. It belongs to the monastic complex of the stylite Jonas, known from literary sources as a supporter of the non-Chalcedonian creed. The editor, Jacques Jarry, wondered why the stylite Jonas was not the patron saint of this church, and supposed that the construction of the church predated the stylite's activity. However, churches were in fact rarely dedicated to living saints, even to stylites. There is nothing strange in the presence of a church dedicated to Mary on site of a monsatery. The byname of the founder, Symeon ‘of the desert’ (Klaus Peter Todt and Bernard Andreas Vest in TIB 15 vocalize the name as Šem‘ōn) is somewhat enigmatic. He might have been a hermit, or a member of a nomadic group. It is less plausible that that this is a misunderstood name of his hometown.
Author:
Paweł Nowakowski
Added by:
Martyna
Created:
2022-08-20 23:33:38
Last update:
2023-11-13 20:42:08
Dimensions: surface: w 1.70 x h reportedly ‘0.07 m’ (presumably an error for 0.70 m) meter
Condition: On a stone lintel, two conjoining fragemnts. The stone bears a centrally placed rosette in the middle of the inscription. Found on site of the monastery.
Text: Letter height 2–3 cm.
Date: 550 CE - 700 CE
Unknown. Probably sixth century or later, when the monastery’s activity is attested through literary sources (see the description of the site).
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Syria Kafr Daryān (Kpar Dārīn; Kpar Daryān; Kpar Deryān; Kafer Diâne; Kefr-Diyan; Kadr Dayān; Kefr Derian) 36.166111, 36.636111 Church of Mary door lintel
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: buliding inscription
Summary:
Syriac inscription from Church of Mary inKafr Daryān (Kpar Dārīn; Kpar Daryān; Kpar Deryān; Kafer Diâne; Kefr-Diyan; Kadr Dayān; Kefr Derian). 550 CE - 700 CE.
Changes history: 2022-08-20 Pawel Nowakowski Creation; 2023-11-13 Martyna Swierk Last modification; 2023-11-06 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021Translation
‘I, Symeon from the desert, [built] this church for Lady Mary.’
(tr. S. Minov)
Commentary
This is a building inscription for a church dedicated to Mary. It belongs to the monastic complex of the stylite Jonas, known from literary sources as a supporter of the non-Chalcedonian creed. The editor, Jacques Jarry, wondered why the stylite Jonas was not the patron saint of this church, and supposed that the construction of the church predated the stylite's activity. However, churches were in fact rarely dedicated to living saints, even to stylites. There is nothing strange in the presence of a church dedicated to Mary on site of a monsatery.
The byname of the founder, Symeon ‘of the desert’ (Klaus Peter Todt and Bernard Andreas Vest in TIB 15 vocalize the name as Šem‘ōn) is somewhat enigmatic. He might have been a hermit, or a member of a nomadic group. It is less plausible that that this is a misunderstood name of his hometown.
Bibliography (edition)
- J., Jarry,1967, Inscriptions arabes, syriaques et grecques du massif du Bélus en Syrie du nord [avec 42 planches], Annales Islamologiques 7, 147, 12.