Complete
Linguistic features:
ܛܒܠܝܬ̃ used for the plaque of a chancel screen
Formulae:
ܐܢܐ or "I" followed by a name; ܕܥܒܕ who made
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 651
-
AD 1000
Language:
Syriac
Monumental:
Medium:
plaque
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
chancel screen?
Funds:
Price:
Placement:
chancel screen
People mentioned:
Name:
YḤYʾ/Yaḥya = Ioannes/Yūḥan(n)ān
Patronym:
RBL/Rabel or Rabboula
Status:
maker
Ethnic allegance:
unspecified
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
maker
Occupation:
artisan
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
unspecified
Language:
Syriac
Description
date: sixth century (Giron, based on the shape of letters). Seventh century of later (Paul Mouterde – based on the name of the dedicant or artisan recorded in the text, which he reads as Yaḥya, an Arabic form of Ioannes/ Yūḥan(n)ān, impossible to occur in the region before the Arab conquest). description: On a basalt plaque. Its shape and decorations point to a chancel screen (more plausibly) or an altar. Dimensions: H. 0.60 m; W. 0.60 m. Decorated with a cross in low relief with the letters are carved on the arms. Framed by a chevron pattern. The plaque is also decorated with diagonal lines. Line 1 is written from top to bottom, line 2 from right to left. Whenexamined by Giron, it was reused in wall of a private house. According to the inhabitants, brought there from el-Mouʿallaq. First published by Noël Giron in 1922 with a drawing. Seen by him during his stay in Aleppo in 1910–1911. His squeezes were lost during World War I. Republished by Paul Mouterde in 1945 from a better drawing who saw it at as-Safīra near Aleppo. ed. Giron 1922, 91–92, no. C; Mouterde & Poidebard 1945, 222, no. 1 and Pl. CXX,3. Cf. TIB 15, p. 1672. ܐܢܐ ܝܚܝܐ ܒܪ ܪܒܠ + ܕ]ܥܒܕܝܬ [ܗ]ܕ ܛܒܠܝܬ̃ ܐܢܐ.....ܒܪ ܪܒܠ ܕܥܒܕܝܬ ܗܕܐ ܟܠܝܬ Giron in Hebrew font || 2. ܛܒܠܝܬ read ܛܒܠܝܬܐ (Giron: emphatic) ‘+ I, Yaḥya, son of Rabel, I made this plaque.’ (tr. after P. Mouterde) commentary: Paul Mouterde considers the name of the dedicant as an Islamic form of the name Ioannes/Yūḥan(n)ān. He compares the name of the dedicant's father with the name Rabboula from the chancel screen of Zebed, and of the bishop of Edessa, Rabboula. Giron hesitated between the identification of the plaque as either from a chancel screen or from an altar. Mouterde adds that ܛܒܠܝܬ is often used for the plaque of an altar, but on the altar he would expect a liturgical text and a dating formula for the consecration rather than merely the name of an artisan. Hence,he speaks in favour of the supposition that plaque comes from a chancel screen.
Author:
Paweł Nowakowski
Added by:
Martyna
Created:
2022-12-31 22:02:35
Last update:
2023-11-13 21:38:25
Building:
Unidentified church
Dimensions: surface: w 0.60 x h 0.60 meter
Condition: On a basalt plaque. Its shape and decorations point to a chancel screen (more plausibly) or an altar. Decorated with a cross in low relief with the letters are carved on the arms. Framed by a chevron pattern. The plaque is also decorated with diagonal lines.
Text: Line 1 is written from top to bottom, line 2 from right to left.
Date: 651 CE - 1000 CE
sixth century (Giron, based on the shape of letters). Seventh century of later (Paul Mouterde – based on the name of the dedicant or artisan recorded in the text, which he reads as Yaḥya, an Arabic form of Ioannes/ Yūḥan(n)ān, impossible to occur in the region before the Arab conquest).
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Syria as-Safīra (Safīra; Safīrāʾ; Bersera?) 35.856042, 37.360082 Unidentified church chancel screen
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: tituli operum
Summary:
Inscription on plaque from a church in as-Safīra (Safīra; Safīrāʾ; Bersera?). 651 CE - 1000 CE.
Changes history: 2022-12-31 Pawel Nowakowski Creation; 2023-09-03 Pawel Nowakowski Last modification; 2023-11-06 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021apparatus
1: ܐܢܐ.....ܒܪ ܪܒܠ ܕܥܒܕܝܬ ܗܕܐ ܟܠܝܬ Giron in Hebrew font
2: ܛܒܠܝܬ read ܛܒܠܝܬܐ (Giron: emphatic)
Translation
‘+ I, Yaḥya, son of Rabel, I made this plaque.’
(tr. after P. Mouterde)
Commentary
Paul Mouterde considers the name of the dedicant as an Islamic form of the name Ioannes/Yūḥan(n)ān. He compares the name of the dedicant's father with the name Rabboula from the chancel screen of Zebed, and of the bishop of Edessa, Rabboula.
Giron hesitated between the identification of the plaque as either from a chancel screen or from an altar. Mouterde adds that ܛܒܠܝܬ is often used for the plaque of an altar, but on the altar he would expect a liturgical text and a dating formula for the consecration rather than merely the name of an artisan. Hence,he speaks in favour of the supposition that plaque comes from a chancel screen.
Bibliography (edition)
- N., Giron, 1922, Inscriptions syriaques, Journal Asiatique 19, C. R., Mouterde, A., Poidebard, 1945, Le limes de Chalcis. Organisation de la steppe en haute Syrie romaine, Paris, 1 and Pl. CXX,3.
Bibliography
- TIB 15 K.-P., Todt, B. A., Vest, 2014, Tabula Imperii Byzantini, Vienna, 1672.