Complete
Linguistic features:
; Writing from top to bottom; Writing Syriac from left to right
Formulae:
; ܒܫܢܬ In the year
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 594
-
AD 658
Language:
Christian Palestinian Aramaic
Monumental:
Medium:
lintel
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
; Foundation of a building; Restoration of a building
Funds:
Price:
Placement:
lintel
People mentioned:
Description
date: 594/6 or 604/5 or 648/9-657/8 AD description: The inscription probably decorated a lintel in a church or a monastery. The text was engraved on two basalt blocks that formerly formed a whole and were later reused. Dimensions: 65x30 cm and 80x30 cm (respectively). Two Maltese crosses are visible on the stone blocks. Despite vertical orientation of the letters it was rather a lintel than a door jamb or chancel post. The letter were turned 90 degrees and meant to be read from left-to-right direction as it was done for instance in Kalb Lauzeh, Dehes, Mektebeh and Babiska. It was most likely intended to be an imitation of the Greek script (Littman, 1904: 6-7; Naveh 1976: 102-103). [ ]ܒܫܢܬ [ܬ]ܫܥ + ܡܐܐ ܘܫܬ + Transliteration: bšnt [t]šʿ mʾʾ wšt[…] 'In the year nine hundred and six(…)' (by Naveh 1976, p. 102) commentary: As the last ܬ is only partially preserved, we do not know how many letters are missing. Therefore, the year number can be reconstructed as 906 or 916 as well as any one of the 960s, i.e. from 960 up to 969. The date was presumably given according to the Seleucid era so the inscription may indicate that the doorway or even the whole building was build or reconstructed in 594/6 or 604/5 or 648/9-657/8 AD (Naveh 1976, p. 102). Hoyland, R., Mount Nebo, Jabal Ramm, and the status of Christian Palestinian Aramaic and Old Arabic in Late Roman Palestine and Arabia, [in:] M.C.A. Macdonald (ed.), The development of Arabic as written language, Oxford, 2010, p. 29-46. Littman, E., Semitic inscriptions, New York, 1904. Naveh J., Syriac Miscellanea, Atiqot 11 (1976), pp. 102–104.
Author:
Tomasz Barański, Karolina Tomczyszyn
Added by:
Martyna
Created:
2023-02-01 11:53:14
Last update:
2023-11-21 09:12:19
Description:
Dimensions: surface: cm
Condition: The inscription lies to the west of the chancel screen, before the altar (Hoyland 2010: 34). The text is inside an octagon each side of which is 65 cm long. There are impressive representations of animals in the corners of the square-like composition. There is a cross at the beginning of the first line of the inscription.
Text: The letter were turned 90 degrees and meant to be read from left-to-right direction as it was done for instance in Kalb Lauzeh, Dehes, Mektebeh and Babiska. It was most likely intended to be an imitation of the Greek script (Littman, 1904: 6-7; Naveh 1976: 102-103).
Date: 594 CE - 658 CE
594/6 or 604/5 or 648/9-657/8 AD
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Arabia Dayr Mākir (Deir Maker; Deir Makr) 33.233333, 36.033333 Unknown (probably a church or a monastery) lintel
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: building inscription
Summary:
Fragmentary preserved inscription with only a date in CPA script from Dayr Mākir (Deir Maker; Deir Makr). AD 594 - AD 658.
Changes history: 2023-02-01 Tomasz Barański, Karolina Tomczyszyn Creation; 2023-11-21 Martyna Swierk Last modification; 2023-11-21 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021Translation
'In the year nine hundred and six(…)'
(by Naveh 1976, p. 102)
Commentary
As the last ܬ is only partially preserved, we do not know how many letters are missing. Therefore, the year number can be reconstructed as 906 or 916 as well as any one of the 960s, i.e. from 960 up to 969. The date was presumably given according to the Seleucid era so the inscription may indicate that the doorway or even the whole building was build or reconstructed in 594/6 or 604/5 or 648/9-657/8 AD (Naveh 1976, p. 102).
Bibliography
- R., Hoyland, 2010, Mount Nebo, Jabal Ramm, and the status of Christian Palestinian Aramaic and Old Arabic in Late Roman Palestine and Arabia, [in:] M.C.A., Macdonald, The development of Arabic as written language, Jerusalem, 29-46. E., Littman, 1904, Semitic inscriptions, New York. J., Naveh, 1976, Syriac Miscellanea, Atiqot 11, 102–104.