Complete
Linguistic features:
Formulae:
ܕܟܝܪ Remembered be so-and-so; ܒܫܢܬ In the year
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 450
-
AD 700
Language:
Syriac
Monumental:
Medium:
stone
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
Remembrance
Funds:
Price:
Placement:
unknown
People mentioned:
Name:
QWMʾ/Kosmas
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 record, see also Paweł Nowakowski, Sergey Minov, Cult of Saints, E01968 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01968 date: unknown. The date is given in the last two lines, with the casual formula ‘in the year.’ The era is, however, not specified. If this is really the Seleucid era as presumed by Jarry, then this converts to 110/111 CE. Jarry argued that this was not the date of the making of the inscription but of the martyrdom of the person mentioned. If calculated by the era of Antioch, we would have a date in the late fourth century. But a fourth-century date seemed implausible to Jarry as Christian martyrdoms were no longer taking place in this region. description: A stele of unspecified stone, removed from its original context and reused in a modern stable. Dimensions: H. 32 cm; W. 66 cm; Th. 42 cm. Letter height 4–7 cm. ed. Jarry 1967, 157, no. 32 (CSLA.E01968). Cf. Peña 2000, 27; TIB 15, pp. 1677–1678. ܕܟܝܪ ܩܙܡܐ ܕܣܗܕ ܒܫܢܬ ܬ ܒ ܡ ‘Remembered be Kosmas who was martyred in the year 442 (?).’ (tr. S. Minov) commentary: If Jarry’s interpretation is correct (and it is supported by Klaus Peter Todt and Bernard Andreas Vest in TIB 15), this is an inscription paying honours to a Christian martyr who died in distant past. Its form and shape imitate ordinary epitaphs from this site, though all of them were written in Greek. It is not clear, why Syriac was chose for this inscription. The identity of this Kosmas is unknown – he might have been a local martyr. It is unlikely that this is the companion of saint Damianos, one of the famous Holy Physicians, as the pair is not mentioned together. The introductory formula, ‘remembered be’ is very common in North Syria. Jarry compared the present inscription with another one from Dahes (Jarry 1967, no. 19) using this formula to commemorate a church built ‘in memory of Christ’ (i.e. ‘for the glory of Christ’).
Author:
Paweł Nowakowski
Added by:
Martyna
Created:
2022-11-07 14:27:19
Last update:
2023-11-13 21:30:30
Site:
Sakizlar; Sekizlar
Dimensions: surface: w 66 x h 32 x d 42 cm
Condition: A stele of unspecified stone, removed from its original context and reused in a modern stable.
Text: Letter height 4–7 cm.
Date: 450 CE - 700 CE
The date is given in the last two lines, with the casual formula ‘in the year.’ The era is, however, not specified. If this is really the Seleucid era as presumed by Jarry, then this converts to 110/111 CE. Jarry argued that this was not the date of the making of the inscription but of the martyrdom of the person mentioned. If calculated by the era of Antioch, we would have a date in the late fourth century. But a fourth-century date seemed implausible to Jarry as Christian martyrdoms were no longer taking place in this region.
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Syria Sakizlar (Sekizlar) 36.770107, 37.273281 Unknown 1 (a martyr shrine or a martyr’s tomb) unknown
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: Christian inscription
Summary:
Inscription paying honours to a Christian martyr from Sakizlar (Sekizlar). 450 CE - 700 CE.
Changes history: 2022-11-07 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
T‘Remembered be Kosmas who was martyred in the year 442 (?).’
(tr. S. Minov)
Commentary
For this record, see also Paweł Nowakowski, Sergey Minov, Cult of Saints, E01968 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01968
If Jarry’s interpretation is correct (and it is supported by Klaus Peter Todt and Bernard Andreas Vest in TIB 15), this is an inscription paying honours to a Christian martyr who died in distant past. Its form and shape imitate ordinary epitaphs from this site, though all of them were written in Greek. It is not clear, why Syriac was chose for this inscription.
The identity of this Kosmas is unknown – he might have been a local martyr. It is unlikely that this is the companion of saint Damianos, one of the famous Holy Physicians, as the pair is not mentioned together.
The introductory formula, ‘remembered be’ is very common in North Syria. Jarry compared the present inscription with another one from Dahes (Jarry 1967, no. 19) using this formula to commemorate a church built ‘in memory of Christ’ (i.e. ‘for the glory of Christ’).
Bibliography (edition)
- J., Jarry, 1967, Inscriptions arabes, syriaques et grecques du massif du Bélus en Syrie du nord [avec 42 planches], Annales Islamologiques 7, 157, 32.
Bibliography
- I., Peña, 2000, Lieux de pèlerinage en Syrie, Milan, 27. TIB 15 K.-P., Todt, B. A., Vest, 2014, Tabula Imperii Byzantini, Vienna, 1677-1678.